FLMCC stands for Fragmentation, Localization, Modification, Clustering, Cyclicality – five methods of lateral marketing innovation that break out of traditional vertical segmentation to generate breakthrough ideas. In saturated markets, conventional strategies (price, place, promotion) often fail to stand out. FLMCC provides an alternative route by deliberately reframing products and services. Rather than iterate incrementally in the usual way, FLMCC encourages creative leaps through lateral thinking: it fragments offerings into parts, localizes them for new contexts, modifies attributes, clusters features or audiences in novel combos, and then repeats cycles of testing. Together, these methods support innovation and lateral marketing by uncovering needs and connections that established processes miss.
Defining Goals and Choosing Your Focus (“Link”). Before any ideation, set a clear goal for the session. Decide what you want to achieve (e.g. boost brand awareness, launch a new line, enter a market) and by when. Then choose a “link” or focus area – this is the point of lateral connection or perspective shift. For example, you might link your product to a new usage context (holiday, event, activity) or to a different user group or partner. In Kotler’s Lateral Marketing framework, one step is “linking the product to an event” or occasion. In practice, choosing a link means picking a specific market segment, occasion, channel, or partner as your innovation pivot. By defining this link (focus area), you create the context for the FLMCC methods to act upon.
How FLMCC Works: Once goals and link are set, you apply one of the five FLMCC methods to reframe the situation. Each method poses different questions and exercises (detailed below). You can iterate through methods repeatedly in any order – the idea is to stimulate lateral shifts in thinking, not follow a rigid sequence. In practice, you may first fragment an offering, then modify components, then cluster promising ideas, etc. The final principle, Cyclicality, ties all ideas into a continuous loop of testing and refinement (see “Iterative Testing” below).
Fragmentation: Break It Apart, Reframe the Parts
Fragmentation means dissecting your product, service, market, or problem into smaller pieces and examining each part. The classic Attribute Listing technique exemplifies fragmentation: you list all attributes of the product or situation (components, features, steps) and then brainstorm alternatives for each. For example, an electric toothbrush could be broken into: handle, bristles, power supply, motion, cleaning modes, charging, etc. Then ask: “Can we improve or replace any part?” – swap materials, change shape, add sensors, redesign packaging, etc. Michael Michalko notes that dividing a challenge changes your perception of it, leading to new ideas.
Practical questions/exercises: “What are the main components of our product or process? If we split it into two or more parts, what new feature or mini-product could each part become?” Try drawing a block diagram of the system and labeling all elements (materials, touchpoints, channels). Then systematically ask “How else might this work?” for each part. Exercise: Map a customer journey into steps and explore ways to change each step independently. Brainstorming directives like “What if we only sold one component alone?” or “What if we eliminated this part altogether?” can yield many variations.
Business example – New product launch: A food delivery startup fragments its offer (menu design, delivery vehicle, app experience, pricing, promotions). By isolating “menu” alone, it spawns a spin-off meal-kit service. By isolating “delivery” it tries drones instead of bikes. Each fragment becomes a mini experiment. Many minor innovations across fragments add up to a competitive advantage.
Localization: Tailor to Context or Niche
Localization is adapting or focusing your offering for a specific context, niche, or locale. Rather than broad appeal, you hyper-target a subset or situation. Ask: “Which specific market segment, culture, season, or use-case might open new opportunities?” For example, convert a global ad campaign into localized versions for regional humor or holidays. In product design, it might mean making a version of your software that meets the needs of, say, teachers instead of a general audience.
Practical questions/exercises: “What if our product only served one micro-market (e.g. pet owners, kids, seniors)? How would we change it? What local event or place can we connect our brand with?” Try imagining your product in 5 different countries or cities – what adapts? Or target five sub-groups (e.g. premium customers, budget buyers, DIYers) and sketch a tailored version for each. Use exercises like personas or empathy mapping for a niche audience. Consider “day-in-the-life” scenarios: e.g. for commuters, for remote workers, for festival-goers. This can spark ideas like bundling services or special editions.
Business example – New market entry: An online fitness brand “localizes” by creating a Spanish-language version of its app, with workouts by local trainers and playlists of Latin music. It also launches a campaign tied to Día de los Muertos, linking its product to a cultural event. This contextual twist lets it stand out among generic global offerings.
Modification: Change Attributes or Mix-and-Match (SCAMPER)
Modification means creatively altering existing attributes of your offering. This is akin to the “M” in SCAMPER: Modify (and Adapt). You ask how to change things like size, shape, color, functionality, price point, distribution, etc. In practice, you borrow from SCAMPER’s questions: What can we substitute, combine, adapt, modify, put to another use, eliminate, or reverse?. Focusing on Modify, you might add a feature, change the material, or give the product a new twist.
Practical questions/exercises: “What existing feature can we tweak? Can we combine two functions into one? Can we use the product in a new way?” Example questions: “Can we make it smaller/larger? Faster/slower? Cheaper/more premium? Eliminate any part? Rearrange steps in the process?” Use guided SCAMPER brainstorming: pick one idea and ask each SCAMPER question in turn. Exercise: Sketch a “Morphological chart” where one axis lists components (e.g. material, color, user action, context) and the other lists possible variations. Then mix-and-match cells to create concepts.
Business example – Increasing brand awareness: A coffee chain modifies its loyalty program by bundling unrelated offers. For example, every 5th coffee purchase (a core product) now comes with a voucher for local gym trial (combining coffee and health). Or it adapts its packaging: a to-go cup now has interactive AR art on it. Each modification connects the brand to new interests.
“The SCAMPER technique … allows us to explore solutions by altering the current product through seven different approaches: Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put in Another Use, Eliminate, and Rearrange.” Using these prompts ensures the team systematically considers many modifications.
Clustering: Group Ideas and Bundles
Clustering involves grouping or bundling elements in new ways – either bundling product features/services, or grouping customer ideas. It’s the opposite of fragmentation: you aggregate similar items or themes. In idea generation, cluster after generation is key: once ideas are on sticky notes or a list, cluster like ideas to spot patterns. Alternatively, cluster features to create bundles or packages that make a new product offering.
Practical questions/exercises: “How can we bundle different fragments or features into a new package? What themes emerge among our ideas?” After a brainstorm, write each idea on a note and physically group similar concepts. Tag clusters (e.g. “eco-friendly”, “convenience”, “premium”). Use an affinity diagram: have team members silently group and name clusters. Then brainstorm around each cluster: for example, “Cluster A is ‘Digital Engagement’ – what can we develop to amplify this?”.
Business example – Customer loyalty: A retailer clusters product categories into themed bundles (e.g. “Home Cafe” bundle of coffee, mugs, and pastries) to encourage higher spend. Or a subscription service clusters user segments (e.g. “young professionals bundle”) and tailors a single package of products to each. Clustering can also mean creating loyalty clubs or social communities around shared interests (e.g. “Runners Club” for a sports brand).
“Once the ideas have been generated, the facilitator can … try clustering similar ideas together, categorizing the ideas into different groups… or prioritizing the ideas based on their potential impact.” This highlights that clustering is a key step for making sense of brainstormed ideas and uncovering bigger concepts.
Cyclicality: Iterative Testing and Refinement
Cyclicality means running repeated cycles of planning, testing, learning, and improving. It’s the heart of continuous innovation. After generating ideas, you treat them as hypotheses: design quick experiments or prototypes, gather feedback, and refine (or pivot) before full implementation. Think of the classic Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle. In lean startup terms, it’s Build-Measure-Learn; in agile, it’s iterative sprints. The key is not to let perfect ideas gather dust – instead, launch an MVP and learn quickly.
Practical questions/exercises: “What is our next experiment? How can we test this idea cheaply?” For each promising concept, plan an experiment: who will we show it to, what metric counts as success, and how to collect data. Example exercise: use a feedback grid – list “what worked, what didn’t, next steps” after each test round. Create a “learning log” and score each idea on feasibility and impact each cycle.
Business example – New product rollout: A tech startup tests its new app feature (e.g. dark mode) on 1% of users first, measures engagement, then iterates on design based on usage data. They run weekly sprints: in each cycle they refine the interface and survey users, gradually improving before a full launch.
As the Lean Enterprise Institute notes, companies use PDCA to “propose a change, implement it, measure the results, and take appropriate action”. Leading firms (even in hardware) rely on overlapping iterative cycles – constantly refining designs based on real-time feedback. By adopting cyclicality, you ensure FLMCC isn’t just creative brainstorming, but a disciplined innovation process that learns and adapts continuously.
Running FLMCC: Individual vs Team Use
Solo use: An individual strategist or creative can apply FLMCC alone by scheduling focused ideation sessions. Start with research: gather data on goals and constraints. Use timers (e.g. 15 minutes per method), sketch or write freely, then move to the next method. For example, draft a quick sketch of product fragments (fragmentation), then imagine the product in five new contexts (localization), then scribble 10 “what ifs” (modification), etc. After ideation, set aside ideas for a day before refining. Personal tools like mind maps, journals, or templates (SCAMPER worksheet, etc.) help keep the process structured.
Team use: Teams often generate richer FLMCC insights through collaboration. A facilitator should:
- Define the problem and link clearly. Begin by explaining the goal and chosen focus area to all participants.
- Encourage divergent thinking. Start with silent idea generation (brainwriting on notes) to give introverts space, then share. Use round-robin or brainwriting to ensure everyone contributes. Follow rules like “no criticism” during idea generation to keep creativity flowing.
- Use visual tools. Have a whiteboard or digital board where ideas (sticky notes) are placed. After initial ideas, cluster the notes (see Clustering above) to spot themes.
- Time-box and rotate methods. For example, spend 10–15 minutes on one FLMCC method, then switch (maybe in sub-groups). Changing activities prevents mental blocks.
- Encourage wild ideas. Especially during modification or localization steps, push for “absurd but amusing” concepts – sometimes crazy ideas spark viable ones.
Facilitation Tips: Keep sessions short (1–2 hours max) to maintain energy. Assign roles if needed: one person can be scribe, one timekeeper. Begin and end with convergence: clarify decision criteria (e.g. market fit, brand fit, cost) before concluding. If ideas flood out, use a parking board to record and return to less urgent ideas later. Always capture all ideas – even “bad” ones – in a shared document or board for evaluation.
Capturing, Evaluating, and Prioritizing Ideas
After ideation, capture every idea in an organized way (e.g. spreadsheet, backlog, or Kanban board). Categorize them by theme, and note which method (F/L/M/C) spawned each idea. In team settings, have someone (or rotate) act as the scribe or use real-time tools (digital whiteboards).
To evaluate and prioritize, apply clear criteria. Early-stage ideas should not be immediately judged by ROI alone; focus on value and fit first. Key questions (adapted from innovation thought leaders) include: “Does this fit our strategy and brand? Can we bring it to market without impossible technical breakthroughs? Is there a champion inside or outside who will drive it?”. Score ideas on factors like strategic alignment, customer benefit, ease of implementation, and novelty. Frameworks like MAYA (“Most Advanced Yet Acceptable”) encourage balancing innovation with user-friendliness: an idea should be advanced enough to differentiate, yet still familiar enough for customers to accept. (For example, a redesigned packaging might be striking, but if it completely confuses loyal buyers, it may violate the MAYA principle.)
Other heuristic models can guide evaluation. Some teams adapt the “3Rs” (for marketing): Relevance, Reach, Resonance. For each idea, ask: Will this reach our target audience effectively? How relevant is it to their needs? How strongly might it resonate or engage them? (These 3Rs are commonly used for content/influencer campaigns.) You might also frame each idea as a “Job to be Done” (JTBD) and score how well it does that job. Ultimately, use a shortlist of top ideas (typically 3–6) to move forward.
Document the reasoning for dropping or advancing ideas, and map out the next test or prototype for each. For example, if Idea A is promising, plan a quick customer survey or low-fi prototype to gather evidence.
Iterative Cycles: Testing, Reflection, Refinement
Having selected ideas, run iterative test-learn-refine cycles. This is the practical use of Cyclicality in FLMCC. Each cycle (often weekly or monthly) should consist of: (1) Plan: define what you’ll build or test, (2) Do: execute the experiment (prototype, pilot, A/B test), (3) Check: gather data/feedback and analyze results, (4) Act: decide to persevere, pivot, or drop. In lean terms, build a minimum viable product (MVP) of the idea, measure customer response, and learn.
Keep short learning loops. After each cycle, update the idea backlog: integrate successful tweaks into the concept, or spin off a new FLMCC sub-idea if needed. For example, a pilot “localized” campaign might reveal a messaging flaw; the team goes back (Cyclicality) to modify the slogan or try a different channel. A “fragmented” product prototype might show one feature is superfluous; plan the next cycle to remove or replace it.
In practice, use simple tools: track metrics (KPIs) for each experiment (e.g. click-through rate for a marketing idea, or time-on-task for a UX tweak). Hold brief retrospectives after each cycle to record lessons. This ensures FLMCC isn’t a one-off brainstorm, but a continual improvement engine. As noted, the PDCA/iterative approach is the foundation of continuous improvement. Over several cycles, the idea will evolve from “crazy brainstorm” to concrete, market-ready innovation.
Real-World FLMCC Scenarios
To see FLMCC in action, consider these scenarios:
- Launching a New Product: Define the goal (e.g. “Hit 10,000 trial signups”). Choose a link (perhaps the use occasion or user persona). Apply Fragmentation: break the product into features and brainstorm variants (e.g. modular add-ons). Use Localization: target specific segments (e.g. early adopters vs mainstream) and adapt messaging for each. Apply Modification: try color/material/packaging changes or bundle combos. Clustering: group top features into starter vs premium kits. Cyclicality: prototype a minimal version in one region or customer segment, measure traction, and iterate (PDCA) before a full rollout.
- Increasing Brand Awareness: Goal might be “+20% mentions on social media.” Link could be a trending event. Fragmentation: list marketing channels and isolate each (e.g. blogs, ads, influencers). Localization: customize content for platforms (e.g. memes for Gen Z, webinars for professionals). Modification: repurpose existing content (turn a blog into a TikTok). Clustering: bundle related messages or partner with complementary brands for joint campaigns. Then test small campaigns (Cyclicality), gauge which got attention, and refine creative and targeting in the next cycle.
- Entering a New Market: Say a US company moving into Europe. Set the goal (launch by Q4). Link: choose one country or cultural event as a focus. Fragmentation: break the product/service into parts that might need adapting (currency, language, features). Localization: adjust for local tastes (e.g. flavors, color meanings), or enter via a local partnership. Modification: maybe offer a subscription model instead of one-off sales if that’s common locally. Clustering: create regional bundles or joint promos with local firms. Run small-market pilots (Cyclicality): launch a beta in one city, collect user feedback, refine.
- Growing Customer Loyalty: Goal: “Increase repeat purchase rate by 15%.” Link: choose the customer lifecycle or occasion (e.g. first anniversary of signup). Fragmentation: analyze touchpoints (welcome emails, feedback calls, rewards). Localization: personalize messages or offers to customer segments (e.g. coupons for frequent buyers vs premium gifts for VIPs). Modification: try new loyalty perks (e.g. co-branded experiences). Clustering: build a community (club) around product categories, bundling perks (combine digital forum + in-store events). Test loyalty initiatives in cycles: send a new perk to a subset, measure retention, refine for the next cohort.
In each scenario, the FLMCC steps (Goals → Link → chosen method → iterations) provide a structured yet flexible framework. Business leaders, marketers, and creative teams can apply this in meetings or even solo planning. Use headings and bullet lists as above to guide sessions. Facilitation tools (mind maps, whiteboards, digital Kanban boards) help capture ideas and progress. The result is a practical, engaging process that sparks innovation in an American business context – blending creativity with marketing smarts.
