Why Frames matter
A frame is a way of seeing that tells you what’s important. It’s a way of ordering the world and making it understandable; it highlights some things and hides others. An organization’s frame about how consumers live and experience aspects of life will inevitably need to shift over time because culture and behavior are moving targets. We find that they often need to be honed, fleshed-out, and sometimes completely rebuilt to align with real lives.
Reframes can become a lightning rod in a company, leading to a completely new portfolio of products and services or causing a sharp turn in strategic direction. Reframe examples from Point Forward’s work include:
- By making diapers more like clothing and celebrating the child’s developmental growth, Huggies Pull-ups reframed diapers from “manage bodily waste for babies” to “reduce parents’ anxiety around successful toilet training for toddlers.”
- Expanding the symbolic meaning of pickup trucks from traditional masculinity (hard work, strength, independence) to include new masculine values (authenticity, flexibility, and helpfulness).
- Evolving the 12-pack of soft drinks from “easy to purchase at the store” to “easy to consume at home because it fits into the fridge.”