“A good intention with a bad approach often leads to a poor result.” - Thomas Edison
If necessity is the mother of invention, it follows that something might be necessary for it to be a success. That hasn’t always followed in business and is surely the reason for so many flops.
Cases in point: Google Glasses. That disaster was the result of the impractical product not being fully tested and released in prototype mode with lousy software. Last century, there was the Ford Edsel. It was a “bulge-mobile” with gadgets that went wrong right off the assembly line. No focus groups were convened to determine what people wanted in a car.
Apple’s “Lisa” computer was a complete mystery as was the “Arch Deluxe” burger by McDonalds. The latter was merely a Big Mac costing a dollar more. The public shunned both. I won’t even get into the DeLorean motor car or “New Coke.” That last one almost destroyed the entire company....
In fairness, a good intention is fine if due diligence is behind it. At the turn of the 20th century, it was recognized that unbridled hunting was decimating our wildlife. In particular, waterfowl were disappearing in staggering numbers. If continued, very little of once abundant American wildlife would be left to see much less hunt. Something had to be done.
By the 1930s, a plan was in place. The government would regulate hunting and bolster the breeding of waterfowl.
Because government programs are historically poorly planned and executed, or simply unnecessary, hopes weren’t high. Nevertheless, in 1934, it was declared all waterfowl hunters would need to purchase and carry a “Duck Stamp” affixed to a license. The cost was $1.00. In theory, the proceeds would go to purchasing and protecting waterfowl habitats. Best of luck with that.
But, wait. Sensible hunters considered it wise. Those that didn’t faced steep fines when caught. Hunters also liked the oversized stamps. Over the next few years, designs on the stamps varied and became more detailed. Artists competed to have their work used on them. Hunters and wildlife conservationists and fans of outdoor art lined up to collect them as well.
By 1959, someone decided to print the stamps in multi-colors. That too worked. The cost had risen to $3.00. It didn’t matter. People bought them and revenue soared. Thousands of acres of wetlands were purchased. Ducks and geese flourished well into Canada. It is still considered one of the most successful government programs of all time.
Since then, the price for the stamps has risen to $5, then $10 and $15. In 2014, and probably without focus groups, ill-advised ideas crept in. Overnight, the stamp price jumped 66 percent, from $15 to $25. Printing had also changed from detailed and textured engraving to flat lithography. The stamps were no longer issued in sheets but peel-and-stick singles. The high cost and flat printing turned off collectors. Sales slumped. Then, again without consulting those who purchase them, someone in government mandated that new duck stamp artistic submissions had to include a hunting element. Competing artists had no choice.
One stamp included live ducks with a decoy in the background. Another was issued picturing a spent shotgun shell in the water next to a swimming duck. Stamp fans were underwhelmed. Sales continued to slump.
Cooler heads have tried to prevail. After next year, artists will no longer be required to include a hunting element in the design. Printers even added back a coated element that gives the stamps a slight engraved feel. The cost is still $25. Good luck pulling that back.
The most current stamp for 2021/2022 features an image of a colorful Lesser Scaup duck resting amid reeds on the water with morning light casting on its feathers. Attached to a reed in the foreground is a lanyard with two duck calls floating on the water. It’s not intrusive and will be one of the last images with a hunting connection.
For the record, the wholesale success of the stamp program is clear. Since inception, the stamps have raised over $1 billion resulting in over six million acres of wildlife nesting and breeding habitat. It’s proof positive that, once every 200 years or so, an intention of the government just may work.
But, wait again. The government’s intent is to now make the stamp and license digital and “virtual” on smart phones. What in the world is “smart” about that? And, why mess with a proven winner? Hello New Coke.
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