Creativity vs Innovation

While highly integrated, creativity and innovation are not the same thing.

Creativity is the spark, the flood of new ideas that get us excited.

Innovation, on the other hand, is where the rubber meets the road—it’s about transforming those ideas into real, tangible value for your customers or organization.

‍

Let's look at Lego as an example - a brand that’s cracked the code on turning creativity into innovation:

‍

RAPID GROWTH in the 1970s-1980s

Lego’s introduction of minifigures and fantasy playsets led to 15 years of steady growth. The company was doubling in size every five years. Ideas were flying, and Lego was thriving.

‍

LOSING FOCUS in the 1990s

Then came the digital wave, in particular gaming. Big-box retailers were pushing cheaper toys, and Lego tried to keep up, pivoting to electronic gadgets and digitally connected action figures. They lost sight of their core strength— construction-based play.

‍

NEAR BANKRUPTCY in 2003

By 2003, Lego was staring bankruptcy in the face. They had wandered too far from what made them great. The solution? A sharp pivot back to the basics—the iconic plastic brick.

‍

EMBRACING OPEN INNOVATION in 1998

Lego understood that customers had valuable insights and it was easier than ever to tap into their creativity, especially in the digital age. Enter LEGO Ideas, a crowdsourcing platform that turned fans into product developers.

Lego also doubled down on R&D, focusing on what customers really wanted. And it paid off! Think Star Wars franchise sets…a match made in toy heaven.

‍

CREATING A CULTURE OF INNOVATION from 2012 ONWARD...

Lego focused on what they did best and simplified the customer experience. They also launched the Lego Future Lab, exploring the future of play and consistently looking for growth opportunities.

‍

Lego’s innovation culture didn’t shy away from failure; it embraced it. They encouraged their teams to be creative, experiment on a small scale, and only scale up what truly had the potential to bring new value (a.k.a. innovation).

So may the Force of innovation be with you—because even in a galaxy far, far away, creativity alone isn't enough. You must harness those ideas and consistently turn them into new value. (Like a Lego Chewbacca. Legendary.)