Client Goal

Develop 4–8 product concepts — a mix of quick hits and bigger bets — with at least 4 ready to share at the company’s annual trade show within three months.

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Background

The client needed more than a burst of creativity. It needed concepts across three platforms — Thrill Rides, Kid’s Play, and Multi-Generational Interactive — that met customer criteria, fit the economics of the business, and could move quickly toward commercialization. At the same time, the company was beginning to build internal innovation capability and needed a stronger process for generating, evaluating, and advancing ideas.

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Decision at Stake

Which concepts were strong enough to move forward in the near term — and how could the company build a more disciplined internal process for innovation over time?

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What We Did

In five weeks, The AND Group completed an environmental scan of relevant ideas and analogs outside the waterpark category, developed a concept template that included operational specifications, and designed and facilitated two half-day workshops focused on ideation, evaluation, and prioritization in the context of ROI. We also summarized the lead concepts and created an action plan to support next-stage development.

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What Changed

The work generated 37 product ideas, with 9 advancing to the next stage and 4 showcased at the trade show. It also contributed to multiple new patents and new distribution-channel opportunities. More importantly, the engagement helped lay the foundation for the company’s internal innovation hub. In year one, we trained the hub leader on our process; in year two, we worked in tandem with internal staff; and by year three, our role had evolved into coaching. The result was not only stronger concept decisions in the short term, but a more durable internal capability for innovation over time.