My sister and I are both self-described “office supply junkies” so it was perfectly natural that she shopped the bolígrafos aisle while in Spain. And to her delight, there was an entire section of Bic four-color pens — her favorite! They came in Wood! Silver! Rose Gold! and Gold! They even came in a multi-color pack! It was like Christmas…
…until she realized that the only difference was the packaging. All the pens had the same four (boring) colors that they have had for 50 years and the only variation was the plastic barrel that held them.
But — because of the variety, Bic now warranted an entire section of shelf space in the bolígrafos aisle. It wasn’t just one peg hook of pens — now there were multiples to first catch your attention and then, hopefully, to appeal to you enough that you made a purchase. It cost them little to modernize their classic offering, yet yielded coveted visibility because it was “new.”
Do you have something that could take on a new life with a “new coat of paint” (or plastic)? Perhaps updating a publication, refreshing a video, or even putting a new cover on an old resource may attract the attention of others. Take the core of what you provide and add to its lifespan through transformed packaging. There are many degrees of what it means to be “new.”
