3 Creative Solutions To Big Problems Faced By Top Brands.

5 min readMay 22, 2024

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Creative Power Solving

Creative problem solving, the art of solving problems or identifying problems when conventional thinking has failed, is a must have skill for anyone building a business or brand.

While there is more opportunity today than ever before, there is also more competition and standing out is a non-negotiable for 21st century businesses and brands.

How they solve their problems or bring in new ideas to their market will determine most of their success (or lack thereof).

Fortunately for us, we have plenty of examples of creative solutions to challenges faced by top brands to learn from.

Today, let’s take a look at three.

1. LEGO’s 2000s Turnaround Through Open Collaboration & Innovation

Lego had a huge problem in the early 2000s: Declining sales and relevance.

Speaking from personal experience as a kid during those years, there was a time when it felt like Legos were boring and “not cool”.

It wasn’t until around 2001 that I remember Lego sets becoming appealing again. Bionicle was the biggest hit amongst all the boys in my elementary school, and every one of us competed to complete (and build) their collection first. Fun times!

But it wasn’t their Bionicle line in particular that saved Lego from sales slumps of 40%, there were plenty of factors, including:

Hiring a diverse and multi-talented staff.
Embracing open innovation and engaging with the fan community for new ideas.
Getting rid of bloat. Lego licensed or sold entire divisions, including their famous Lego video games to partners and collaborators who were better suited to handle these projects.

The takeaway

Listen to your customers and collaborators frequently.

Outside perspectives from people who have a vested interest in your brand can provide valuable perspectives and ideas which you might miss going it alone.

2. Starbucks’ Digital Payments/Rewards and Mobile Ordering

Starbucks’ tremendous popularity gave the company a big problem: Long queues and customer inconvenience.

On top of this, the 2008 recession significantly impacted their bottom line as customers sought out cheaper alternatives.

Their solution? The introduction of mobile ordering and digital payments via their app.

While this is something that we take for granted today, with the biggest coffee chains to local coffee shops having digital payment and rewards systems available, Starbucks’ digital payments and rewards system was seen as an innovative solution at the time.

Their implementation of it in 2011 led to:

Reduced wait time
Increased order values (a notable achievement during the recession)
Enhanced customer satisfaction

The Takeaway:

Leverage technology to streamline processes and enhance your customer experience.

3rd party services such as Cashapp for business and Fivestars rewards allow small businesses and brands to create relationships with their customers by giving them a direct connection through their “digital touch points”.

By facilitating customer experiences, businesses create a positive image through convenience.

I will admit that I usually don’t mind spending some extra money on a product/service if it makes my life a little easier and saves me time (to my girlfriend’s chagrin).

3. Airbnb’s Professional Photography Service

Airbnb is no stranger to issues.

You could say that any business which involves putting a roof over someone’s head will always have a problem to solve.

As a long-term real estate investor myself, it is rare that a week goes by without an issue at one of my units. Solving these issues is part of my job and responsibilities as an investor.

Now imagine being a platform with 7million listings?

While Airbnb doesn’t own any of the properties on their platform, they have a significant stake in their host’s success and at many times they have had to invest their own time and resources into making sure that their hosts are doing the best job possible (notice how collaboration is always a significant theme when it comes to solving problems creatively?)

One of Airbnb’s first hurdles to overcome? Low booking rates due to poor-quality photos from hosts.

Airbnb’s solution? Offering free professional photography to their hosts.

This simple but creative solution led to the improved visual appeal of listings on the platform, which led to higher booking rates… and the rest is history.

The Takeaway

Invest in high-quality visuals to boost the appeal of your product/service.

Studies have shown that people will pick an inferior but “better looking” product/service over one that is superior but not as visually appealing.

For my own unit listings, I have noticed a significant difference in interest for units with good lighting compared to those with less. It’s always interesting to note what a difference some simple lighting can make.

Creativity Is Key

The importance of creative problem-solving or power solving, as I like to call it, cannot be understated.

There is no brand or business that has made it to the top of their industry without investing time and resources on creative solutions to the challenges they face every day.

The company I work for has led our industry over 3 decades because of our emphasis on R&D and constant collaboration with stakeholders. Everyone, from regional reps to the newest customer, is heard and their feedback is considered.

I would also like to emphasize that innovative solutions can come from unexpected places. Anyone who is getting started in their entrepreneurial or professional journey can implement creative solutions to their everyday challenges. This isn’t something that is exclusive to multi-million dollar brands.

Let me know: What types of creative solutions have you implemented when facing challenges in your own journey?

Thank you for reading!

Follow me for more insights on creativity and growth from my 10+ years in content management & marketing.