The historic battles between Athens and Sparta or between the Hatfields and the McCoys are nothing compared to the battle royal fought daily by parents determined to make their children eat their vegetables. After years of alternating between cajoling and threatening our children, we now learn that the right thing to do is to try some rebranding. According to a recent Cornell University study, “giving vegetables catchy new names – like X-Ray Vision Carrots and Tomato Bursts – left preschoolers asking for more.”  In fact, when plain carrots were rebranded as “X-Ray Vision” carrots, the children ate twice as many carrots.  And, they continued to eat 50% more carrots on subsequent days when they were served ordinary carrots.

Before you enjoy a chuckle at the expense of gullible children, take a look at the following finding from the same researchers:

Similar results have been found with adults. A restaurant study showed that when the Seafood Filet was changed to “Succulent Italian Seafood Filet,” sales increased by 28% and taste rating increased by 12%. “Same food, but different expectations, and a different experience.”

So what does this have to do with law firm knowledge management?  Well, do you have KM initiatives that seem dead in the water?  Are you trying to get the lawyers to eat their carrots and draft some model documents?  Good luck!  Perhaps you should consider a little rebranding.  Should those dull drafting projects be rebranded as business development opportunities that are critical to the health of the firm?  Or strategic learning opportunities?  Think about what matters to your lawyers and then find your equivalent of X-Ray Vision Carrots.  You might find participation (and consumption) rates soaring.

[Photo Credit, FotoosVanRobin]