LBG

INNOVATION

TWO

CO★STAR
EXAMPLES

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Say you are an employee and have one of those “aha moments.” You come
up with a brilliant manufacturing idea that will dramatically cut lighting costs
while also being better for the planet. It could be the start of new product
line which you name Bright Bulb. You contact the company’s innovation
program, and they suggest you develop a CO-STAR for your idea. An early
draft of your value proposition might look like this…

Who is the CUSTOMER and what is their unmet need? Consumers and businesses who are eager to
reduce their electric bill through more sustainable illumination. Research shows shoppers prefer LED light bulbs
because they last longer and save energy, but they often are reluctant to buy them because the bulbs are so
expensive.

What is the OPPORTUNITY? Lighting is a $100 billion industry worldwide, where sales of traditional
incandescent light bulbs have steadily declined over the last 10 years. Semiconductor costs are going down so the
Bright Bulb will get cheaper at a time when the world is looking for more efficient and sustainable energy solutions.
Governments around the world have passed measures to phase out incandescent light bulbs for general lighting in
order to promote more energy-efficient lighting. Customers have to find new lighting solutions.

What is your SOLUTION? The Bright Bulb is a special, high-performance light bulb based on light-emitting
diode (LED) technology, where the semiconductor made of one negatively charged layer is bonded to a positively
charged layer. When electricity is introduced, electrons leave the negative layer for the positive layer to combine
with atoms that have a missing electron. Light is emitted through the combination.
We have found a novel layering technique and circuit board construction that allows us to manufacture this bulb at
half the cost of other LEDs.

Who needs to be on the TEAM? We have a senior team with years of experience in the lighting industry. I
will provide project management and product design expertise; Anna P. will lead the LED product development
team; Jessie D. will lead the manufacturing team; and Terry K. will be our point of contact with distribution and sales.

What is the competitive ADVANTAGE? Over incandescent bulbs: The Bright Bulb is more durable than
standard incandescent bulbs, which have fragile filaments, and it lasts much times longer. Also, the sale of 110 watt
incandescent bulbs were banned by January 2012, and all incandescent bulbs over 40 watts were banned in 2014.
Over compact fluorescent lights (CFLs): The Bright Bulb contains no toxic mercury, is dimmable, and lasts many times
longer than CFLs.
Over other LEDs: The Bright Bulb is 40% - 60% cheaper than other LED bulbs for the same performance.

What RESULTS will you achieve? Our special manufacturing process cuts the price of LEDs substantially
(40% - 60%), making them much more attractive to customers and businesses. In addition, without making any
changes to a business’s infrastructure, the long lifespan of the Bright Bulb reduces labor costs due to fewer
purchases and installations.
A family could install Bright Bulbs in their home and enjoy its light for ~100,000 hours. The family also would have
prevented 870 tons of carbon dioxide from going into the atmosphere, as the bulbs use much less electricity to
produce light.
In addition, we have already made substantial capital investments in
our lighting business. This is a chance to really maximize our return. Potential hook for a pitch: “Imagine
a world in which a family could install
Bright Bulbs in their newborn’s
bedroom and not need to replace the
bulb until that child went to college.”

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A CO-STAR for Learning CO-STAR
You can apply CO-STAR to developing the rationale for
investing in non-technical ideas as well. Consider the
value proposition that was given to researchers during
the kick-off of an innovation training at a US national lab.

HOOK: Raise your hand if you have ever had a great idea? Keep
them raised if one of your great ideas was not approved by management
or adopted by industry or funded by an agency?

Who is the CUSTOMER and what is their unmet need? Most good ideas that fail to get
support suffer from poor communications, where key decision makers don’t really get the
full potential of the idea.

What is the OPPORTUNITY? Since you are in the business of developing bold new ideas
and presenting them all the time, being able to communicate them effectively is a critical
skill.

What is your SOLUTION? The solution to this challenge is a simple and easy methodology
that helps you develop your thinking around the value of your idea and present it in a clear
and compelling manner.

Who needs to be on the TEAM? My colleagues

and I derived these techniques through researching
innovation practices and from collaborating with
startup founders, TV producers, venture capitalists,
R&D pioneers, and corporate visionaries. The
methods are being used in over 40 countries
around the world..

What is the competitive ADVANTAGE? Having a

straightforward, repeatable approach to crystalizing
the value of your idea is certainly better than starting
from scratch every time or winging it.

What RESULTS will you achieve? It is my hope that

the techniques you will learn in this session will
increase your proposal success rate by at least 40%?

REQUEST: All I ask is that you give me your attention for

the next 2 hours, and I promise it will be well worth it.

www.LBGinnovate.com