What is Design?

There's been several discussions on this list about "competing on design", -- a
very interesting and useful focus, IMHO.

While musing in the yard the other day, I remembered a story from my college
marketing class on "repositioning" which is really just another form of
competing on design. The story I remember (and I am dating myself here) was
about Johnson's Baby Shampoo. Sales went from $800,000 a year to $10 million
(add a decimal point to compare to today's dollars) when they got NFL football
quarterback Fran Tarkenton to shampoo his hair in commercials and talk about how
much he liked the shampoo. And of course the tag line was something like
"Effective enough for a man, mild enough for a baby."

Anyway, so you know I am going somewhere with this -- while watching my cats
play in the yard, the many uses of a bird feeder caught my attention. Just a
bird feeder? Not if you are competing on design, and in this case, through
re-positioning.

USES:

A) Feeding birds might be completely altruistic, but is popular mostly because
people love to watch wildlife, including tweeties (bird watching), which is --
after all -- one of the fastest growing recreational pursuits in the US.

B) While watching my cats, I noticed that other creatures like to watch birds.
So bird feeders are ways for cat lovers to ENTERTAIN THEIR CATS!

C) A bird feeder just out of reach is also a good way to EXERCISE YOUR CATS! Can
you see the ads?... On Sale, the Tweetie Bird Feline Health Kit, featuring a
bird feeder, collar, and Tweetie Bird t-shirt (for your cat!)

D) Then remembering how much I was spending on pet food, I thought... what if I
lowered the bird feeder just a bit? Yes, CAT FOOD! A bird feeder is a way to
feed your cat and cut your ancillary grocery bill.

E) Then of course, while OUR dog gets along with cats, not every yard is so
peaceful. Chasing cats becomes an interesting event, so you can use a bird
feeder to attract birds, which if properly designed will attract cats, and then
you can also use it creatively to ENTERTAIN YOUR DOG! You can now sell a "doggie
exercise and play kit" to include a bird feeder, retractable dog chain, hiding
cover, etc. NO MORE WALKING THE DOG! With enough bird feeders you could even
start an exercise kennel business!

E) Unfortunately, the food chain stops with the cats, since I do not know of
dogs that devour cats, thereby reducing your dogfood bill. However, with all
those cats and dogs now in your yard, you can pick up dog and kitty morsels that
decorate the yard, and resell them. At least one enterprising web site I know
of, offers cat and doggie manure in paper or other bags, for use as gag gifts at
Halloween, bachelor parties, divorce correspondence, in-law Christmas presents,
or other practical jokes, etc. Your bird feeder investment could be an entry to
your own Doo-Doo Supply business! Another website, I believe
www.EndangeredFeces.com makes figurines from the excrement of endangered
animals. Perhaps pet owners would want to enshrine the memory of their pets with
a replica of Fido made from the dogs own ....

F) And there are several other potential business design options with all those
cats and dogs in your yard. Since you are now probably attracting pets from
other homes, several potential businesses come to mind -- some illicit -- so
these are ONLY for purpose of illustration -- do not try these yourself! Your
business kits would now include live traps, as well as appropriate creative
advertising.
a.. Pet-Napping. Sell people back their pets for a fee. Include a bag of their
pet's feces at no charge. "Pet detective" spin-offs!
b.. Used Pet Store (used books, used clothing... why not?)
And if you saw the movie Beethoven, you might guess where I am going next:
a.. Sales to animal testing labs (again, just for the sake of creativity)
And of course, each of the above options could include the sale of business
opportunity books, audio programs, instructional DVDs. Or you could do
consulting for bird feeder/catfood/doggie exercise programs, either as a
landscape architect or business development professional.

G) Combine your feeder with a remote-control shock system, and supply birds to
taxidermists, zoos, pet stores. We get quail in our bird feeder... they are
great with mashed potatoes and corn or beans. You could cut your own food bill
(note sparrows are not worth the effort!)

H) Put up lots of feeders, including hummingbird feeders, and charge for bird
watching tours. Your business kit now includes lawn chairs, binocs, floppy hats,
Metamucil, and music CDs from the 1940s.

Just a bird feeder? Naw. Compete on design. And we have barely scratched the
surface with this list of uses for a bird feeder. I bet there is another 200
ideas floating around on this list.

Malcolm

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