Time’s Best Inventions of 2023…
Are you searching for some fun new examples to use in class? Innovation and new products are an important outcome of good marketing. The Time list spans a wide range of categories, including accessibility, AI, apps & software, AR & VR, beauty, consumer electronics, design, experimental, fitness, food & drink, green energy, household, medical care, outdoors, parenting, productivity, reuse & recycle, robotics, sustainability, transportation, and wellness. Some of the notable inventions in this article include the following:
- Accessibility:
- Music: Not Impossible: Concertgoers wear haptic suits created for the deaf.
- LEGO Braille Bricks: An innovative way to teach Braille to the visually impaired.
- AI:
- OpenAI GPT-4
- Adobe Photoshop Generative Expand and Generative Fill: Advanced image editing using AI.
- AR & VR:
- Apple Vision Pro: Apple’s venture into AR/VR.
- Consumer Electronics:
- Sony Access Controller for PS5: Making gaming accessible for all.
- Apple Watch Ultra 2: The latest in Apple’s smartwatch lineup.
- Experimental:
- NASA MOXIE: An experiment focused on generating oxygen on Mars.
- Food & Drink:
- Next-gen Avocado: Luna UCR: A new type of avocado being researched and grown.
- Green Energy:
- Antora Thermal Battery: An innovation for cleaner heat storage.
- Medical Care:
- Sanofi Tzield: A potential new treatment for diabetes.
- Eisai & Biogen Leqembi: A promising treatment for Alzheimer’s.
- Robotics:
- NASA OSIRIS-REx: Related to asteroid sample retrieval.
- Sustainability:
- Dalan Animal Health Honey Bee Vaccine for American Foulbrood Disease: A vaccine to protect bees, essential for pollination and our ecosystem.
- Transportation:
- Lockheed Martin and NASA X-59: Innovations in aeronautics.
This is just a summary, and there are many more inventions listed, each contributing to various sectors of society and showing how technology and innovation are advancing.
Using this article in your marketing class
Incorporating this article into a marketing class offers practical, real-world examples of how marketing principles apply to current and emerging products, making theoretical concepts more tangible and engaging for students.I asked our friend ChatGPT for some ideas about how this could be used in a marketing class and it offered many good ideas. I have selected some of the best (my opinion) below.
- Innovation Analysis: (Chapters 1 and 9) Highlight the importance of innovation in marketing. Compare products from similar sectors and discuss how companies have differentiated their products through innovative features.
- Target Audience Identification: (Chapter 4) Have students select specific inventions and identify the target audience, discussing demographics, psychographics, and pain points addressed by the invention.
- Market Positioning: (Chapter 4) Discuss how these products could be positioned in the market, and how companies can create a unique selling proposition (USP) based on their innovative features.
- Marketing Mix (4 P’s):
- Product: (Chapters 8 and 9) Analyze the features, benefits, and potential improvements for selected inventions.
- Place: (Chapters 10 and 12) Identify suitable distribution channels for these products.
- Promotion: (Chapters 13-16) Brainstorm promotional tactics suitable for launching these inventions.
- Price: (Chapters 17 and 18) Discuss pricing strategies that could be adopted, taking into account the innovative nature, target audience, and perceived value.
- SWOT Analysis: (Chapter 2) For chosen inventions, conduct a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis, emphasizing how marketing can amplify strengths and opportunities, and mitigate weaknesses and threats.
- Ad Creation: (Chapter 15) Assign students to create mock ad campaigns for selected products, emphasizing their innovative features.
- Digital Marketing Strategies: (Chapters 13, 15, and 16) Discuss how digital platforms could be leveraged to promote these inventions. This could include influencer partnerships, social media campaigns, SEO strategies, and online advertising.
- Consumer Behavior Analysis: (Chapter 5) Analyze the potential consumer behaviors that these products might elicit. Why might a consumer be drawn to them? What might hold them back?
- Branding: (Chapter 8) Discuss potential branding strategies for these innovations. How can companies create a strong brand identity and story around their product?
- Ethical Considerations: (Chapter 1 and others) Delve into the ethical implications of some of these inventions, especially those related to AI, health, and environment. How should they be marketed with transparency and responsibility?
- Market Research: (Chapter 7) Highlight the importance of market research in the innovation process. How might these inventions have stemmed from identified consumer needs or gaps in the market?
- International Marketing: (Chapters 5, 6, and 8) Discuss how some of these inventions might need to be marketed differently in various global markets, considering cultural, economic, and legal differences.