Embracing The DIY Economy: How To Win Big By Thinking Small

In my latest article for Brand Quarterly, I would like to challenge you to take note of the changing times and suggest how you can adjust so that you don’t get left in the dust.

Today’s businesses will find fierce competition from hobby rooms in suburban dwellings across the globe. The competitive advantage in the future will go not to companies that provide the best products, but to those that provide the best experiences.

Think back to your childhood. You are in the fourth grade and you’ve been invited to the birthday party of a classmate. You anticipate the typical party elements: cake and ice cream, presents, and in all likelihood a fascinating game of “Pin the Tail on the Donkey.” Now advance to present day. My niece, Taylor, recently attended a modern-day children’s party. The theme: 3D printing. The kids designed their own toys on a user-friendly CAD system (TinkerCAD), printed them on 3D printers, decorated those toys and took them home as party favors. In a near disaster, one of their 3D printers went down during the party. No worries – they simply printed the replacement part from the second printer…

Read the full article here.