Breakthrough Ideas Aren’t Accidents. They’re Built.
There’s a certain myth around the “breakthrough idea” — the kind of concept that reinvents a product, captures the imagination of a market, or creates something entirely new. We treat it like lightning: random, rare, and impossible to harness. But the truth is, real breakthroughs — the kind that move companies forward and shift customer expectations — don’t come from luck.
They come from process.
Why Breakthroughs Matter Now More Than Ever
The cost of sameness is getting higher. In every sector, from consumer retail to B2B services, audiences are bombarded by messages that blend together. Standing out isn’t just a marketing challenge — it’s an existential one.
Breakthrough ideas are how brands get unstuck. They capture attention, redefine categories, and invite people to see a future they hadn’t imagined. But they only work when they’re grounded in something more meaningful than a clever stunt.
Breakthrough Is a Brand Strategy, Not a Tactic
Here’s the first principle: breakthrough ideas aren’t standalone tactics — they’re manifestations of your brand’s mission, vision, and positioning.
They emerge from clarity. Clarity about what you stand for, the future you’re building toward, and how you’re different from everyone else in your category.
When we’ve helped companies in retail and B2B services unlock breakthrough ideas, it always starts with this internal alignment. If you don’t know your long idea — your unique and bold view of the future — you’re not ready to break through.
Tunheim’s Breakthrough Method: A Process that Works
Here’s the framework we use and adapt:
- Define Breakthrough for You
Breakthrough must align with your brand’s positioning — not just a new idea, but a bold expression of your core purpose. It should be recognizable as you even if it’s something you’ve never done before. - Share Your Particular Future
Great brands don’t just respond to trends — they define them. Be willing to articulate the future you believe in, even if Wall Street isn’t ready to put it on a calendar. Whether it’s the future of sleep or the transformation of care delivery, that future becomes the foundation for ideas with impact. - Leverage Your Differentiators
You likely already have the ingredients. Your tech. Your data. Your insights about customers or the market. These are your competitive advantages — but only if you use them to craft ideas no one else could credibly execute. - Address What Customers Really Care About
Every sector has its burning issues — the problems your audience wakes up thinking about. Use your research and insights to address those head-on. That’s where breakthrough ideas resonate most deeply. - Use What You’ve Already Got
Breakthroughs don’t need new budgets or blank slates. They need new thinking applied to existing platforms. One retail client built a high-impact activation campaign by reimagining how to use their store footprint during the holidays. A B2B firm developed an award concept that turned client partnerships into category leadership. - Find the Right Tone and Voice
Even the best idea will fall flat if it sounds generic. The tone of your breakthrough should surprise, delight, or provoke — whatever matches the essence of your brand. But it must cut through. - Measure and Refine
Not every idea hits. That’s okay. Breakthrough organizations treat innovation like a lab: test, measure, learn, and try again. Over time, this becomes a muscle — and a strategic advantage.
It’s Not Just About One Idea, It’s About Building a Machine.
The goal isn’t to have a breakthrough. It’s to build an organization that can generate and sustain them. That means establishing a process, creating the conditions for creativity, and empowering teams to think beyond what’s easy or safe.
Done right, breakthrough becomes part of the culture — and the brand.
Breakthrough is Not Magic, It’s Method
And it starts by asking better questions — not “what’s a big idea?” but “what’s our big idea?” and “what does our future demand?”
When you can answer that, the breakthroughs begin.
Curious what a breakthrough process looks like for your organization? We would love to show you.
