In 2019, more than
32 million businesses existed in the U.S. alone. For today’s entrepreneurs, founders, and CEOs, that means it’s harder than ever to stand out from the crowd.
A strong digital product goes a long way, but the competition is stiff there as well. As of 2020, there are
more than 3 million apps in the Google Play store and more than 2 million in the Apple App Store.
So how does today’s CEO give their company that leading edge? By thinking outside the box.
WHAT DOES THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX MEAN?
Thinking outside the box means looking at the problem from a different angle, considering an approach that hasn’t been tried before—basically just coming up with new ways to solve a problem.
Taking a new approach and trying to see things in a different way can help you solve problems, strengthen branding, and provide a better customer experience, among other things.
For example, take Aflac. In the 1990s, CEO
Daniel P. Amos realized that his company needed to rebrand if it had any chance of standing out in the over-populated insurance industry. First, he changed the name from “American Family Life Assurance Company,” to the acronym “Aflac.” Then he hired a New York-based creative agency to pitch a new commercial concept.
One of the marketers thought “Aflac” sounded like something a duck would say, so they came up with a white duck to represent the brand. It was a risky proposal, but they pitched it anyway.
Amos was initially uncertain, but the duck commercial performed incredibly well, so he decided to take a risk and try it. The rest is history.
A white duck certainly isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of insurance, but somehow it worked. Thinking outside the box helped Aflac stand out from the competition.
