| WD-40 Faces a Growth Challenge | | | | showed there were several issues: |
| WD-40, a well-recognized brand faced the growth | | | | 1. The WD-40 was in the garage -- the can was not |
| dilemma -- the chairman put out a goal to grow the | | | | convenient to store in the house. |
| business by $100 million from new products (or product | | | | 2. WD-40 didn't smell very good. |
| innovations) introduced during the next three years | | | | 3. The WD-40 can sprayed too much for the indoor |
| (Gary Ridge, Wall Street Journal, May 23, 2006). This | | | | application -- it got all over everything when a spot |
| would be difficult for a product like WD-40, which has | | | | application was required. |
| been in existence for over 50 years. What could be | | | | The team was happy to hear that the product was |
| new? In order to meet the challenge the WD-40 | | | | needed inside the house and set about making the |
| Team Tomorrow looked for new and/or underserved | | | | product indoor-friendly. They developed the pen |
| customers. They knew that WD-40 was present in | | | | application idea -- actually before Tide perfected it with |
| many households, but primarily a mainstay of the | | | | its Tide to Go(TM) product. But the idea was the |
| garage -- where it is used to solve a variety of | | | | same -- a pen-like product that could deliver WD-40 in |
| problems. According to the web site WD-40 fulfills five | | | | a small dose at a specific point. According to the |
| basic functions: | | | | web-site: "The WD-40 No-Mess Pen delivers the |
| 1. CLEANS: WD-40 gets under dirt, grime and grease | | | | same trusted, multi-purpose product users know and |
| to clean. It also dissolves adhesives, allowing easy | | | | love, with the precision of a pen-shaped applicator. It is |
| removal of labels, tape and excess bonding material. | | | | pocket-sized, fitting everywhere from glove boxes and |
| 2. DISPLACES MOISTURE: WD-40 displaces moisture, | | | | desk drawers to backpacks and purses. The WD-40 |
| it quickly dries out electrical systems to eliminate | | | | No-Mess Pen can lubricate hinges, doors, and drawers, |
| moisture-induced short circuits. | | | | remove sticky labels, remove gum and crayon...it can |
| 3. PENETRATES: WD-40 loosens rust-to-metal bonds | | | | do everything a regular can does without messy |
| and frees stuck, frozen or rusted metal parts. | | | | overspray and with minimal odor!" Since it was not an |
| 4. LUBRICATES: WD-40's lubricating ingredients are | | | | aerosol it did not have the smell associated with |
| widely dispersed and tenaciously held to all moving | | | | WD-40. It did not drip if you were using it to take |
| parts. | | | | crayon off the wall. It worked upside down if you |
| 5. PROTECTS: WD-40 protects metal surfaces with | | | | were trying to take the squeak out of a ceiling fan. |
| corrosion-resistant ingredients to shield against moisture | | | | The No-Mess Pen(TM) is now a global product for |
| and other corrosive elements. | | | | WD-40 with many years of growth expected. The |
| But what about inside the house -- were there no | | | | new pen delivery mechanism enabled increased |
| applications inside the house? Are there no cleaning | | | | product acceptance -- what can you do to |
| issues in the house? Is nothing stuck inside the house? | | | | re-invigorate one of your 50 year-old products or |
| Are there no squeaks in the house? | | | | services? Look for potential applications in a different |
| The Team Tomorrow set out to find the answer. Yes, | | | | environment and see what needs to change to make |
| they found that inside the house there were many | | | | your product work for that specific environment. |
| potential uses -- oven doors that were stuck, ceiling | | | | © Copyright 2007 by Center for Simplified |
| fans squeaking and crayon marks on the walls. But | | | | Strategic Planning, Inc., Ann Arbor, MI -- Reprint |
| why was the product not used inside? Research | | | | permission granted with full attribution. |