In the world of branding, innovation is about fulfilling a consumer need or want, perhaps one that the consumer doesn’t even know that they have yet. A few weeks ago, my colleague Kaitlin wrote a post on the importance of innovation and how it can affect a brand’s future. It’s something brands struggle with quite a bit.

But every once in a blue moon, a company comes out with a new product or service that not only changes the lives of consumers – it ends up transcending its originally intended purpose.

At the risk of mentioning Apple too often in my posts, I give you the iPad as an example. It has changed the lives of couch potatoes, commuters, salesmen, and scientists. But there has been some recent press about a far greater purpose that likely never crossed Steve Jobs’ mind.

It turns out the iPad is changing the way autistic children communicate. Which is a major revolution for the growing number of kids who are diagnosed and their parents, who struggle to communicate with one another about the most basic things every single day. Changing the way people do business is one thing. But changing the lives of struggling families is nothing short of amazing.

I’m not saying your company needs to eradicate poverty, solve the world’s economic problems, or revolutionize healthcare. But the more we innovate to help out consumers, the better chance there is that a “happy accident” might happen.

We can only hope this starts happening more frequently.

On that note, I wish you a Happy Easter, Passover, Spring – whatever you may celebrate. May your celebrations of freedom and rebirth inspire new ideas this weekend and throughout the year.