BIG ACME Toy Company: Innovation Simulation
This half-day program is designed to provide an overview of skills for
innovative thinking, with a practical group exercise in which
participants create a new toy idea to save the Big ACME Toy Company.
Participants must generate an original idea, develop the idea, present
the idea to the group and then judge a final winner.
This simulation starts with a scene from the Tom Hanks movie, “BIG” in
which executives brainstorm a concept for a new toy: a transformer bug.
The scene sets up the challenge to save the company. The group must
use an Idea Box to create an idea for the toy. The objective is to use this
tool to create a new and unique idea.
Each group (the CreateToy Design Teams) must take their idea through
several steps. During the process, participants start to get excited about
their concept and the need to out perform their competition…and find a
better idea!
The focus on a toy idea is to ensure that participants use the given
process and skills for finding an idea. Also, toys are a concept that all
participants understand.
The final element of the simulation is the presentation. Each group must
present its best idea to the Board of the company who evaluate all ideas
and select the one that they feel has the most profit potential. As such,
presentations must be convincing.
Stage of Simulation
Create a new idea using an “idea box”. A briefing
document would be provided to each team.
Related skill
Generating
Ideas
Develop the basic idea into a full concept (options,
features, name, and product extensions). Six Thinking
Hats will be used.
Judging that the idea has merit – the theory of IT.
People will be given a technique for judging ideas.
Prepare to present the idea to a group of potential
investors. They must create something visual.
Developing
Ideas
Judging Ideas
Presenting Ideas
Present the idea in competition to other groups.
Selling Ideas
People vote for the best idea.
Judging Ideas
Ed Bernacki
The Idea Factory
big
ACME
Toy Company
Design locally – Make locally – Sell Globally
BIG ACME Toy Company is in trouble. For seventy years BIG
ACME licensed some of the most popular toys from designers
around the world. It manufactured these for sale locally.
The Challenge for BIG ACME
The pressure is on for the BA’s 300 jobs. The toy market has
changed and BA has not kept up.
Executives have now decided to shift strategies: from
copying toy designs to creating its own. “Design locally –
➀
The first objective for CreataToy teams is to conceive, develop
and present new toy ideas. The company’s investors are being
Make locally – Sell Globally” is now the strategy.
asked for money to keep the company afloat. Each CreataToy
It has formed CreataToy Design Teams to conceptualise new toy ideas based on insights and starter ideas
from the Board. These insights provide direction for
the toy concepts that BIG ACME is capable of
manufacturing. You will see a briefing video from a
recent Board meeting. The big theme for this year is a
toy that transforms from one thing into another.
Team must deliver one “great” marketable toy concept.
➁
The second objective is to create a promotional program that
will create word of mouth excitement among the youth market
for the new toy concept. TV advertising is not possible.
Budgets are extremely limited. New ways of reaching the
youth consumer must be found. The objective is to find new
ways to build “relationships” with the youth.
The final step is to pitch your idea to Shareholders and the Board
of BIG ACME Toy Company. Your goal is to win financing for your
concept. Your presentations must excite and enthuse investors to
win their support. Only one toy idea will receive funding. As such,
the winners will take the “funding” spoils!
CreataToy
design teams
Each CreataToy Design Team should have 6 to 8 people.
What you have to do:
➀
Create a totally new toy concept. Your insight must come from
the use of an Idea Box. The toy must target children under 13
and be reasonably low cost to produce. It must be cool in the
eyes of your target consumers.
➁
Develop your idea into a marketable concept. You should
organise a session of Six Thinking Hats to develop your idea.
Keep in mind that your concept must target children under 13
and the parents who pay for the toys.
➂
You must “judge” your idea – using whatever criteria you
feel is important. The key is to ensure that you believe it
is a great idea.
➃
Your Role on Your Team
At different times you must play these roles:
➀
Professional product development
brainstormers to conceptualise new ideas.
Marketing Communication experts to
Prepare a five minute presentation that will convince a
create ideas to sell your toy concepts to your
sceptical audience that your idea is the best – in terms of
target market.
originality, marketability and production. Investors will decide
which idea moves forward. You have FIVE minutes, not six
Professional presenters to pitch your
minutes. Sell the sizzle of the idea – develop some visuals
idea to investors.
e.g. poster, prototype, etc. to aid your presentation.
➃
Entertainment is OK too! Your presentation can involve
one person or the entire team.
➄
➁
➂
At the end participants become Investors.
Each team is an investment Syndicate. You
must decide on the company’s future by investing
Your team is also an investment group. During the
your money into one or more of the winning ideas.
presentations, you must evaluate the best of the OTHER ideas.
You can pool your resources and invest as a unit or
Your must decide whether to vote as a group or an individuals.
you can invest as individuals for different ideas.
You will have time after all presentations for a brief meeting to
decide your strategy. Your team should set some investment
criteria to judge the idea with the most potential.
Some participants on your team will have specific
jobs – the Observer and FaciLeader.