Lindsey Laughlin’s Post

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Marketing Consultant specialized in Marketing Strategy, Brand Experience Design, Content Marketing, and Marketing Team Operations

How do fish swimming upstream in the spring get through a lock? By ringing the doorbell, of course! This may sound like a kids' riddle, but it was actually a real-life problem for the small Dutch town of Utrecht. Each spring, fish swim upstream to spawn and need to pass through the Weerdsluis lock. The problem was that the lock was rarely ever open in the spring, and fish that were stuck waiting for it to open were a prime target for predators. The solution? An underwater camera and a live stream (literally - haha) video. You can watch the live stream online, and if you see a fish, you can press the doorbell button to alert the lock operator to open the lock and let the fish through. Genius! Had I been in their shoes, I don't know that I ever would've thought of a fish doorbell. And I love that the solution not only solved the problem, but it also built community - people from around the world have watched the live stream for a chance to ring the bell and help the fish. What's the "fish stuck at the lock" problem that you're facing? How could you look at it from a different angle - or even involve others - to get to a creative solution? PS - I'll leave a link to the fish doorbell in the comments #marketingoperations #marketing #problemsolving #designthinking

David R Frick

Storyteller | Experience Crafter | Brand Definer | Revenue Generator | Strategy Builder

6mo

What a brilliant solution! A mentor would notoriously and frustratingly spend a full hour with me only asking some version of … “and what happens next?” Or “what needs to happen before this” The exercises helped me to think about solving problems/challenges both upstream and downstream. We never would have come up with the fish doorbell

Kathryn Tuttle

I help teams turn good products into great brands. Advisor | Mentor Brand Strategy, Planning & Execution Marketing, Innovation & Sales

6mo

Just read about this last night, I think it is hilarious.

Carol J. Alexander 🏡

Content Marketer for the Home Remodeling Industry | Residential Construction & Building Materials

6mo

Mind blowing! We need more mind blowing solutions to so many of life's problems.

Dana Herra 🍊

Gain authority and recognizability with strategic thought leadership content | VIP Ghostwriter for Industry Leaders Ready to Get Noticed | Content Strategy | Copywriter

6mo

Laura Zug, I think you'll like this

Karen Nicholas

Corporate Communications | Writer | Employee & Internal Communications - Helping companies engage with their employees and clients

6mo

I saw this story, and I LOVED it! I also love that you can see how many people are online waiting to ring the doorbell for the fish. What a creative, brilliant solution!

Steve Gilman

Brand Strategist / Host of the Brand Story Podcast / President, Gravity Group

6mo

What a great story and a reminder to look at challenges a little differently. Great post Lindsey Laughlin !

Linda M.

Conversion copywriter for B2B health & fitness brands | Podcast host

6mo

Lindsey Laughlin *fish rings doorbell* "We've been trying to reach you concerning your car's extended warranty." 😁  

Matthew Gray, CFP®

Avid disc golfer, forensics nerd (not about dead bodies) and hockey fan. I'm a financial planner because I'm too small and slow to play pro football.

6mo

What a creative solution! Also, a neat way of "crowdsourcing" with limited resources.

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