If you’ve ever been in a store that sells Crocs, you know the Jibbitz used to decorate them have become an integral accessory. Little plastic add-ons come in every shape and style imaginable, letting people personalize their shoes in a way that is impossible with other footwear.
I hadn’t seen them anywhere besides shoes, but recently I have seen notebooks and lunch boxes designed to hold Jibbitz or their knockoffs. That makes sense, since many kids have plenty of them, and the ability to make their items unique is more appealing than generic products.
Jibbitz wasn’t designed by Crocs, though. A mom realized that colorful materials could be attached to the holes in the shoes, and a business was born. (Crocs later purchased the business for $10 million.) Now other companies are capitalizing on Jibbitz’ pervasiveness to boost their bottom lines.
Take a lesson from them and consider whether someone else has created something that could benefit your organization. You don’t need to be the inventor of everything — just the one who can implement it in a new way.
