Honda Odyssey Sucks!

Here's an idea to file under "what took so long?"

The new Honda Odyssey minivan has a built-in vacuum!  Brilliant or what?!?  Particularly for a mini-van that presumably is being used to cart around kids (and the messes they make).  The online video demonstrates how the vacuum can quickly pick up spilled Cheerios.  Yup.

One could assume that this brilliant idea came from a bench strength of design engineers at Honda who have been working on this innovation for years.

Nope ... it came straight out of the mouth of babes ... one of the engineer's daughter thought of it, so Honda partnered with Shop-Vac to make it come to life.  Proof that ideas can come from anywhere and that a good partnership can speed it to market.  Also proof that the more simple and obvious, the more brilliant.

What's your experience?  Jim.

Jim Joseph
- President, Cohn & Wolfe NA
- Author, The Experience Effect series
- Professor, NYU
- Contributor, Entrepreneur