Changing the world is no easy task — entrepreneurs know that more than anyone. But what if it was a little more fun?
There are lots of things we know we ought to do — recycle, take the stairs instead of the elevator, not litter — but they’re kind of a pain so we don’t always do them. Enter the fun theory: that making things fun can change people’s behavior. You might have seen Volkswagen’s videos before. They tested the theory in a series of public experiments, like making subway station stairs more enjoyable, and filmed the results. But the campaign doesn’t just promote environmentally friendly cars (by showing people the fun side of acting responsibly). It’s also a great avenue for exploring innovation.
Here’s one video. Watch the others here.
In addition to the three viral videos Volkswagen created, they also opened up a contest. People from all over the world have come up with a host of ways to turn mundane tasks into a good time. (I kind of wish I had a magnet system like this at home…)
The Fun Theory and Entrepreneurship
Could any of these be viable products? Is fun a good starting place for changing the world? For product development?
People have plenty of bad habits and businesses spend billions of dollars trying to fix them for us (just think about diet foods). But the trick is making a fun product. Framing the product as something neat, new, and entertaining in terms of advertising is old hat. It’s like the difference between the mouthwash that turns kids’ teeth blue so they know where to brush (a product that could actually be fun) and saying your brand of car is fun to drive by showing someone taking high speed turns on the Autobahn (real people don’t get to drive like that). What do you think?
Customers
What does this say about how VW views its customers (as compared to say, Toyota)? And what about the advertising aspect of it? Is this a good way to educate people about a company? Or is the brand placement too subtle (there aren’t any VWs in the videos at all)? When the creator, DDB Stockholm, won the Cannes advertising grand prize, a judge noted: “For us, that campaign was about creating a culture for a later conversation to happen. I think if they had driven that product story in at the very beginning, the work wouldn’t have been as powerful, and I don’t think it would have been that sticky.” What do you think?
Applying the Fun Theory In Your Life
Even if you don’t invent the next Slap Chop, here’s how you could implement the fun theory in your own life:
1. Honestly assess your behaviors and make a list of the ones keeping you from greater health and happiness.
2. Create a fun alternative to each behavior.
3. Involve friends and family and implement your new behaviors.
4. Keep track of your progress. Try a new approach if you’re not having fun.
What task do you wish was more fun?
Photo courtesy of Kharied.
Tags: Behavioral Economics, Innovation, Viral Video
Posted in Entrepreneurship, Life of Meaning
I love the videos. Great ideas for inspiring change in people. I know I would use the piano stairs. I just wonder if it’s the “newness” that really gets people? Will they really continue to put trash in the bin after they’ve heard that noise dozens of times? Or continue to play the bottle game once the novelty has worn off? I think fun is a good place to start, if it fits with your business. However, it seems to me, the fun can’t be the only thing going for it – which is the impression I get from the examples above (except maybe the magnet wall). If that is the case, does it make sense to invent a new “trick” to make your product appealing every time the novelty wears off? Or can that get too expensive?
Consumers seem to have shorter attention spans these days. Once the newness wears off, you’re still just hauling your bottles to be recycled. I wonder if the numbers of recyclers dropped off after a while. I bet they did.
Personally, I’m not so attracted by fun as I am by convenience. If a company makes a mundane task convenient and easy for me, then I am more likely to do it. If I have to haul my bottles to the corner to be recycled, bells and whistles are not going to be more motivating for me than say someone who comes picks them up for me.
I couldn’t help but remember the F.A.O. Schwarz scene in “Big” when I first saw that VW piano stairs experiment.
I love the idea of fun. And it’s a burgeoning topic in for pop business books and other nonfiction. (After looking at Amazon, I can’t find the business book I was thinking of, but there was no shortage of nonfiction titles on the topic: “Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul ,” “Einstein Never Used Flashcards: How Our Children Really Learn–and Why They Need to Play More and Memorize Less.
I just worry that the idea will become diluted once it stars trending even heavier. But, even then, on a product development level, a product that’s fun to play with (and, crucially: also useful and functional), will trump a boring product any time.
There’s a great blog (doesn’t look like it’s updated much anymore) called Design With Intent (http://is.gd/dsa9f), that talks a lot about how design (urban, commercial, whatever) can influence behavior (for good and for bad).
Love this article. As the Mother of two boys who attend Acton Academy it makes SO much sense to make everyday tasks and chores fun and surprising. Thanks for the article – I intend to add a little fun to our summer!
Such a different approach on various issues I feel like so many people are trying to squeeze into their lives!! I think this is a great start and a refreshing approach, but I also think convenience comes before fun. If something is convenient, then you are way more likely to do it, adults especially because of the schedules they have. I am recycling…but I have to drive somewhere to do it and it definitely would motivate people even more if they would have bins in the buildings alongside the trash chute!
But, I think Volkswagen has a good spin on the topic and I can’t wait to see if there are some ideas that people come up with that I could actually implement! Neat article
What a great article! This truly embodies what Acton is all about- entrepreneurship, constant innovation, and of course creativity. While it’s true that the newness of some of these products may eventually wear out, this is a challenge that businesses and marketing firms must face every day. Companies must always focus on engaging the consumer, whether this be by adding a new twist to a product or coming up with a new product all together. I would love to try some of these out- especially the magnetized wall to get kids to clean their rooms!
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