In the bustling headquarters of Philips, a revolutionary idea was taking shape. The year was 2004, and the company was on the brink of a transformative shift. Philips had always been at the forefront of technological innovation, but they realized that to truly make a mark in the ever-evolving market, they needed to pivot their focus.
Philips’s slogan until 2005 was “Let’s make things better”.
Their new mantra? “Sense and Simplicity.“
This wasn’t just a catchy slogan.
It was a promise.
It was a commitment to their customers.
From technology-driven innovation to innovation to solve the client’s needs, desires, and aspirations
Gone were the days when innovation was solely driven by technological advancements. Philips recognized that to truly resonate with their audience, they needed to understand them, to empathize with their needs, desires, and aspirations.
The company’s website proudly proclaimed, “Philips products improve people’s lives through technology that makes sense. Technology is designed around the way people live and work. Technology that’s easy to use. In other words, technology that’s pure simplicity.”
But how could they ensure that this ethos was ingrained in every product they developed?
How could they guarantee that every innovation was not just advanced but also user-friendly? The answer lies in the creation of the Value Proposition House (VPH) framework.
The VPH wasn’t just a tool; it was a philosophy. It provided a blueprint for incorporating the customer’s and user’s perspectives right from the inception of a product. It wasn’t enough to just create; Philips wanted to create with purpose, with understanding. The framework meticulously outlined when and how customer and user research should be conducted. It emphasized the importance of understanding the users’ needs and integrating those insights into the product development process.
A significant component of the VPH was the concept of “platforms” and “end-user insights.” These weren’t just buzzwords; they were the heart and soul of the framework. Platforms refer to themes or need areas, often represented by mood boards or keywords. End-user insights, on the other hand, were brief textual snapshots of the customers, painting a vivid picture of their lives, needs, and aspirations.
Philips wasn’t just content with developing this framework; they wanted to test it and refine it. They turned to empathic design, a design approach that prioritized understanding and addressing the users’ emotional needs. At Philips Research, experiments were conducted to see how empathic design could bridge the gap between technology and user experience.
In essence, the creation of the Value Proposition House framework was Philips’ answer to a changing world. It was their way of saying, “We hear you. We understand you.” It was a testament to their commitment to not just create but to innovate with empathy, with a deep understanding of what their customers truly wanted. And in doing so, Philips didn’t just reinvent themselves; they set a benchmark for the entire industry.
Here you can read about the Value Proposition House framework that laid the foundation of the modernization of Philips – taking them from technology innovation to a more user-centric, innovative company.
PS! Philips has later moved on from “Sense and Simplicity” to “Innovation and you”. You can read more about Philips’ brand values here.
Here are a few more interesting articles about Philips and their first move to “Sense and Simplicity” as well as an article about building a culture for winning value propositions and business models, and finally the core piece about business models.
Photo Credits: Philips. The photo is slightly modified (removed menu text and magnifying glass) from the Philips Engineering Solutions website.
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