1. UNEARTHING SALT OF THE EARTH

2. A research brief…
XXX, the leading condiment brand captures
70% share of the TABLE SALT market. But data
shows that table salt usage keeps gradually
decreasing each year, due to several reasons:
- Increasing frequency of dining out
- Micro-wave offers (soup, dishes, meal box)
substituting home-made food
- Health concern imposes control on salt usage
Moreover, the margin of table salt business
erodes because of the commodity nature of
the category

3. And the client said: WE NEED TO INNOVATE!
Higher margin, capture more share…(as
expected)
A big bunch of people, from
different backgrounds, all
intelligent…
Let’s BRAINSTORM!
GREAT, EXACTLY LIKE THE SITUATION NOW
SO, WHY DON’T WE TRY IT HERE!?

4. PLEASE, let’s try, it can be fun!
Just divert our thinking
first…anything is possible…
Absolutely no judgment, no
criticism…
…
Would anyone like to try?
…

5. I’m the magician, reading your mind…, are you
thinking like this…?
“Yes, brainstorm, divert
the thinking…yes…
I’m trying…
…Emmmm…sorry…lost…”

6. Or like this…?
Salt…table salt…
I’m diverting, diverting…
bloody…salt…
Can’t go
further…

7. Or this…?
Well, easy. Flavored
salt, sea salt, rock
salt…etc.
Errrr…Like these in the market?
Nice , better ideas will
come sooner or later

8. How about this idea for salt?
Salt Capsules
- Salt in liquid or
powder, outer dissolves
during cooking
- Easy to control dosage
amount
- Easy to use
- Clean, easy
storage, protection from
humidity

9. How about this idea for salt?
Salt Spray
- Liquid salt in spray bottle
- Easy control of dosage
amount
- Easy to use and no
uneven distribution
- Clean, easy storage

10. How about this idea for salt?
Salt Biscuits
- Small pieces in various
different shapes
- Easy to control quantity
- And let’s make cooking
interesting!
- Further differentiation by
different NaCl
level, nutrients for different
peoples’ health needs

11. How about this idea for salt?
Salt Glass
- Sand glass bottle and
pouring mechanism
- With special design for
volume control (TBD)
- Easy usage and control of
quantity

12. Who came up with those ideas?
Him?
Him?
Them?

13. Who came up with those ideas?
THEY!

14. How did we do this?
4-people sessions
Why “4”? You knew it…
A magic number that allows close
and rich dynamics

15. How did we do this?
4=2+1+1
Friendship Pair of Average Consumers
- In our case, 30-45 year olds, average income
housewives
Friendship pair to empower the mass
consumers to speak up and balance
the possible dominance from the
other 2 participants (professionals)

16. How did we do this?
4=2+1+1
Art & Design Professionals
- In our case, students from art & design disciplines
Helps to visualize the ideas
Artistic touch on raw ideas

17. How did we do this?
4=2+1+1
Client Side Professionals
- In our case, nutritionist to imitate a more
scientific, rational perspective
Fine-tune the ideas and balance the
practicality with technical and market
limitations
Also an immersion experience

18. How did we do this?
1. U & A sharing
• No comments from “clients”, but
questions allowed
• Allows the respondents to
“prepare” their minds for category
“examination”
2. Innovation Introduction &
Games
• Funny examples of new ideas –
prepare the respondents and
lighten up the atmosphere

19. How did we do this?
3. Stimulating Ideas
• Share 5 directions of innovation 1-by1 that encompass all possible new
ideas
• Perfectioning / Customization
• Maximization / Minimization
• Reversed Thinking
• Combination / Separation
• Fusion / Crossing Over
• Each with definitions, live
examples, games, and / or relevant
basic human motivations to keep
respondents involved and interested
in ideation – keep the ball rolling!

20. How did we do this?
3. Stimulating Ideas
• During this process, each respondent
jots down their thoughts immediately
on a paper:
• Capturing those “flashes” in our
mind
• An individual exercising
preserving the most original ideas
• Output – a list of initial raw
ideas

21. If we don’t stimulate with those
5 directions…(a control group
conducted)
• Art & Design professional dominated the
ideation process contributing majority of
the initial ideas (vs. in other sessions, the
consumer pairs contributed more than
half of the initial ideas)
• Reduced diversity of ideas – only 6 big
categories of ideas in the control group
versus 9+ big categories each in other
sessions

22. How did we do this?
4. Sharing, Selecting &
Expanding Ideas
• Each to share their initial raw ideas
• Each respondents given 5 votes to all
the ideas
• 5 winning ideas selected
• Group discussions to expand, fine-tune
(with visuals)
•Output – 5 “full
concepts”
Consisting of consumer insight, benefit & RTB

23. Why this Model?
12 people, 23 new
ideas, in 7 big
categories, 15 subcategories
(after de-duplication)
For TABLE SALT!
Rich diversity of concepts which
stretches as far as salt sculpture and
salt related iPad apps
Easier, less costly to manage (vs.
normal co-creation workshop which is
not uncommon to involve 20+ people
each session)
And time efficient. From identified
client needs to full concepts, it only
takes around 4 weeks time

24. Why this Model?
Relevant to the
“consumers”
Are you sure the
“intelligent and
creative ones” can
do so?
Professionals dwelled on ingredient types
and origins (vitamin salt, calcium salt, sea
salt, rock salt…etc.)
IE PRODUCT FEATURES
(Well, you have seen similar ideas in the market
earlier…at least this proves that “great minds think
alike…”)
But Consumers focused on easy
usage, easy storage and, last but not
least, making salt INTERESTING (come
on, day-to-day cooking is boring)!
IE PRODUCT BENEFITS

25. Why this Model?
Not necessary a big
bunch of people
Not necessary those
“creative people” /
“trendsetters”
Not professional centric
nor over stretched ideas
Client
• Comes away with rich new ideas which are
practical and relevant to actual consumers
• Has a much bigger pool of “talent” for
ideation – virtually anybody
• Less costly
Research Agency
• Easier logistical arrangements
• Hassle-free in defining and qualifying those
“creative people” / “trendsetters”
WITHOUT compromising quality

26. The approach for ideation suggested in this presentation is
a patented intellectual property (patent no.: HK1150325).
The patent right covers every aspect of the approach
including but not limited to sample
definition, composition, the actual process, creativity
directions suggested...etc. Application of any part of the
approach only under authorization of the patent owner
thank you