Anytime you make a decision, or buy something, you travel along what we call “The Journey to Yes”.
The journey, often subconscious, is both a psychological framework and marketing theory that drives much of our work and the success of our clients.
You can see that journey below, but the truth is, buying a pack of gum when you’ve chewed gum a thousand times before is very different from buying something that represents a completely different way of doing things. 
While the key steps in the journey stay the same, reaching “Yes” varies for each audience. Bringing a groundbreaking idea to market requires a vastly different approach.
The ironic problem we see is that incredible innovators don’t always recognize that difference. They approach marketing as a generalized discipline rather than a specialized craft, assuming that marketing a lightbulb is the same as marketing an entirely new way to illuminate a room.
But, when you take that traditional approach, here’s what happens:
You target the wrong people
Mass marketing is for chewing gum. Innovation marketing doesn’t waste time with everyone, it targets the early adopters and trendsetters that mass consumers follow. Focused research to understand this crowd sets the tone for highly-specific and personalized campaigns that aren’t trying to sell the product out, they’re trying to sell the product in. Once the innovation is adopted by these amplifiers, the crowds will follow.
The innovation is lost
The best thing your innovation has going for it is its newness. But when it comes to novelty and market-changing potential, context matters. We’ve found that just before people make a decision they visualize their future - often subconsciously. They picture what their life will be like with the new product, using the new service, or in a new situation. The key (and challenge) to marketing, is ensuring that the context around that visioning is accurate and powerful. If the decision-maker thinks they’re buying the same old thing, they’ll picture the same old thing. For innovators, that’s a problem.
Mistrust is created
Everyone understands the purpose of a lightbulb and its value. But when it comes to your innovation, its impact probably isn't as clear. Marketing a new product like a familiar one creates confusion—people feel like they should understand it, but they don’t. This disconnect breeds discomfort, uncertainty, and even distrust. Successful innovation marketing builds trust through small, meaningful moments. To do that, your innovation must feel tangible and directly address real problems. When it feels authentic and solves a need, your audience will be more inclined to trust and embrace it.
Innovation is a skill. It’s learned from years of study and practice. Reps matter. Marketing those innovations is the same thing. Reps matter and it’s very hard to achieve success without an approach that’s built specifically for new, game changing ideas.
So don’t ask us to market your chewing gum. If it’s spearmint, if it’s chewable, and if you can blow bubbles with it, then we’re not the expert for you. But if you’re building a new kind of gum that’s going to rock our world, let us know.
