5 Massive Barriers to Innovation

Published on 02.22.2012 in Dynamics of Innovation, The Power of Collaboration and The Tenets of Innovation. 0 Comments

If you are an Innovation manager, you will testify that, contrary to popular belief, you don’t spend most of your day brainstorming, doodling and browsing websites in search of inspiration. Instead, you are advocating new ideas to your skeptical managers, you are recruiting your elusive colleagues for in-house brainstorming sessions and you are fighting for more resources. Why is it that, despite the fact that everyone admits the importance of Innovation, your job still feels like an uphill battle? Below, we have listed five of the main barriers to Innovation in most companies. See if you recognize any of them.

  1. Fear. It’s human nature to fear what we do not understand. Although many managers proclaim that Innovation is vital to their company’s success, when the time comes to truly embrace Innovation, these same managers hold back. There are many Innovation-related questions they can’t seem to answer. What exactly is defined as Innovation? Who do you hire to “do” your Innovation? How do you evaluate the employees working on Innovation? How do you measure success? Indeed, Innovation is not as straightforward as the core business and its impact can’t always be measured in hard numbers. Still, there are management methods to ensure that Innovation serves the practical needs of the business, while preserving its creative and spontaneous nature.
  2. Short-term focus. Most businesses are in a constant race against time. There is so much to do that is due tomorrow that dedicating time to Innovation, which will “pay off” in a year or two years, seems like a luxury. Yes, your Innovation efforts can be dedicated to a big, far-away-in-the-future product launch but Innovation can also serve your immediate business needs. It’s totally up to you. Innovation is not just a process, it is a way of thinking and can be infused into everything – that’s the beauty of it.
  3. The intimidating “creativity factor”. Although they won’t admit it, many people, including your managers and your colleagues, believe that they are not very creative. This is why, every time your managers encounter a creative challenge, they outsource is to their agency partners. This is also why, when you ask a peer to attend an ideation session, they try to squirm out of it. However, whether they realize it or not, and regardless of function or tenure, all employees have a lot to contribute to their company’s Innovation efforts. Continue reading ’5 Massive Barriers to Innovation’

Speed Up the Purchase Decision Process with QR (Quick Response) Codes and Microsoft Tags

Published on 02.22.2012 in Dynamics of Innovation, End-User Experience and Multi-Sensory. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

According to a study by Forrester Research, 5% of U.S. adults scanned a bar code with their smartphone in 2011, up from 1% in 2010.  In other words, QR codes are on track to reach a critical mass of usage over the next year, making them a truly viable marketing medium.

The advantage of these scannable codes is speed:  instead of reading and typing in a long web address, you just open the code-reader app on your smartphone, hold your phone over the code as if taking a picture.  The app reads the code (which is just a link to a specific web page) and instantly displays that web page on your screen.   Now that we understand how the technology works, let’s take a look at some of ways you can employ QR codes to move consumers through the purchase decision process.

Assist consumers with information gathering, to move them more quickly from awareness to interest – A magazine ad or point-of-purchase sign can generate awareness of the new product, while a QR code can then link an interested consumer to a video that provides more information – for example, a demo on how to use the product, a scientific expert’s view of the product, or user testimonials.  This is an efficient way to educate consumers about highly innovative or technical products.  Here are three great examples that are likely to speed up the buyer decision process significantly.

EXAMPLE 1:  A print ad for Columbia’s new Omni-Heat Electric jackets shows us a fashionable jacket being worn by a skier, which linked to a video showing how you operate the jacket’s heating system.

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4 Innovation Lessons We Can Learn From Entrepreneurs

Published on 02.22.2012 in Dynamics of Innovation, The Power of Collaboration and The Tenets of Innovation. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

It is safe to say that the business community has a soft spot for entrepreneurship. Large companies declare that they strive to be entrepreneurial. Startups vow not to lose their entrepreneurial spirit no matter how much they grow. Recruiters court candidates with an entrepreneurial mindset. What makes entrepreneurship so special? Quite a few things, actually.

Every successful new venture is a triumph of an idea or a series of ideas. It is a celebration of the desire to make life better, easier or more interesting. It is made of fresh perspectives, clever solutions, drive and determination. Entrepreneurs are the ultimate innovators. They play with ideas, create value and drive the business forward. Let’s take a closer look at what entrepreneurs do differently and how it can be applied to the world of corporate innovation:

1. Entrepreneurs see clues everywhere. Entrepreneurs look at reality differently. Hungry for fresh ideas, they see opportunities even in the most mundane daily activities. A city dweller’s occasional need for a car led to the car-sharing concept of Zipcar, and the hassle of lugging groceries after a busy day inspired Peapod. An innovator’s mind functions in much the same way. Often, the most ordinary things can spark an idea. If you and your company are on the hunt for a big idea, perhaps you don’t have to look too far. Instead, look at things from a new, fresh perspective. Ask questions more often. Observe closely. Can a shopping cart better accommodate a baby car seat? Is there a way to instantly track your lost luggage? (Or whatever question applies to your industry.) Once you find your idea, run with it.

2. Entrepreneurs don’t fall in love with an idea too soon. Few ideas remain unchanged in the development process. Usually, as product prototypes are created and the first consumers share their reactions, the original idea goes through many iterations. Entrepreneurs know this process all too intimately. In his book, “The Lean Startup,” the Silicon Valley entrepreneur Eric Ries talks about the process of modifying an idea through many course corrections, or “pivots,” to end up with a final successful offering. Innovators, especially those operating in a large organization, should take notice. Having room to pivot is crucial to the success of an idea, so it’s important not to get hung up on the idea’s original version but to allow it to evolve naturally.

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3 Ways to Boost Your CQ (Creativity Quotient)

Published on 02.22.2012 in Dynamics of Innovation and Multi-Sensory. 0 Comments Tags: , .

If we are to find the most dreaded tasks an employee ever gets, coming up with a creative solution will be one of them. “We are going to come up with something creative here” your boss declares and the blood drains from your face. Of course it would. “Coming up with something creative” implies that you are, no, that you are expected to be creative. And you are not. You would swear you are not. Never have been. That’s why you chose to do what you do and not write novels or create TV advertisements.

We hear you. And completely disagree with you. You truly are creative, just like everyone else. There are millions of creative ideas (some useful, some not so much) your mind can conceive. You can tease them out when you are solving a specific challenge or just for fun. Here are a few tips and techniques to help unlock your creative mind:

  1. Change your perspective. Whatever challenge you have in front of you, there is more than one way of looking at it. Try seeing the problem through fresh eyes. Clear your mind from the details you already know and from the frustration you have accumulated. Pretend you are an independent consultant. Or your boss. Or your kid. Pretend this is the first time each of these people hears about the challenge. What will they think first? What are the questions they would ask? Who would they call? Scribble down these ideas and make these calls. Chances are, by the time this “exercise” is over, you will have uncovered a new resource and will be down a path to an idea that never occurred to you before.
  2. Create when you are tired. No wonder you don’t feel creative during the 9-to-5 grind. Because your mind is so tightly wound during this time— you are juggling projects, taking calls and running from one meeting to another—this is the worst time to produce creative ideas. A recent study by Mareike Wieth and Rose Zacks established that people are better at solving creativity problems at a time when they are most tired. Think about it; where do you usually come up with ideas? In the shower? Right after waking up? Right before going to bed? In the middle of the night? These are all times when you are relaxed and your mind is in sort of a mid-state, perhaps half-asleep. This is when the most peculiar thoughts may occur to you and you may even surprise yourself with your creativity. So stop beating yourself up for having trouble being creative at the office and spend a little more time in the shower instead. Continue reading ’3 Ways to Boost Your CQ (Creativity Quotient)’

Backyard Gardening Raises Vegetables AND Marketing Opportunities

Published on 02.22.2012 in End-User Experience, Multi-Sensory and What's New. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

An important first step is to understand WHY food gardening is on the rise.  Research from the National Gardening Association indicates that the recession is one major factor:  consumers are motivated to grow their own food to cut their grocery bills.  An equal number are focused on eating healthier and getting fresher, more flavorful produce than they can get at the store.  Others are interested in sustainable living or getting their families more involved in outdoor activities.

Next, we have to wonder whether this is a trend that will last or fade away quickly.  There are several indicators we can look at for this.   First, as noted above, there are multiple converging factors driving the consumer behavior, and that’s always a good sign of a trend with longevity.  Second, we see retail sales trends involving numerous products across multiple categories – that’s another good sign.  Third, the Home Depot Garden Club website’s monthly poll for January 2012 shows that the number one gardening goal for 2012 is Growing My Own Vegetables with 41% of the votes  (admittedly, not the most scientific research, but still an indicator).  Let’s take a look at some of the new products that are capitalizing on these opportunities.

According to leading seed vendor, Burpee, sales of vegetable seeds and gardening supplies have grown substantially in the past few years, with the trend continuing into 2012.   Whereas tomatoes were the hottest product in 2010, herb gardening was on the rise in 2011.  Burpee offers some interesting new products targeting consumers interested in increasing their vegetable consumption for nutritional reasons, but who don’t necessarily have much gardening experience.  One example is their Healing Hands Lettuce Mix, a combination of four varieties of lettuce in a single pellet, which can be planted in a 10” container (if you don’t have an in-ground garden) and harvested every 3 weeks all summer long.  This salad mix promises 20% more lutein and 30% more beta-carotene than the average salad mix.

Continue reading ‘Backyard Gardening Raises Vegetables AND Marketing Opportunities’

Retail Reinvention: How Retailers are Staying Relevant to their Shoppers. Part 2: Levi Strauss

Published on 12.01.2011 in Dynamics of Innovation, End-User Experience, Multi-Sensory and The Tenets of Innovation. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

As consumer interests and priorities change over time, retailers need to update — or even reinvent — their marketing strategy to stay relevant.  In this series of articles, we’ll review the success stories of several retailers in different industries.

In the highly dynamic and ever fickle world of fashion – where popular colors and designs changing as fast as the seasons – Levi Strauss has been a icon for over 150 years.  So — how has Levi’s achieved its status as a top global brand with FY 2010 net revenue of over $4 billion, +7% over prior year?

In addition to maintaining the ever-popular 501 jeans series, the company’s research into evolving consumer segments and their specific needs has led Levi Strauss to create very innovative line extensions that fit both the company image and modern consumer needs.

  • For women, the Curve ID jeans system recognizes that women vary dramatically not just in their waist size (the typical basis for jeans sizing), but also in the shape of their hips and seat.   Combining these three measurements places one into the Slight, Demi, Bold, or Supreme curve category.  The side seams and waistband are uniquely shaped to flatter each fit.  Levi’s even created a special measuring tape so that store staff can quickly determine the right fit for each shopper, as well as an online app explaining how to measure yourself at home.  Did you know that more than half of all women try on at least TEN pairs of jeans to find one pair they will buy?  Not only does the Curve ID system make the shopping process easier, the fit is so flattering that women rave about how good they look in these jeans.  Confident in shopping and in wearing – that’s a big win.

Innovation with Impact: Augmented Reality

Published on 12.01.2011 in Dynamics of Innovation, End-User Experience and Multi-Sensory. 0 Comments Tags: , .

Imagine visiting the Tower of London and, instead of seeing 21st century tourists and barren stone rooms, you see 5 centuries worth of monarchs (from William the Conqueror to Henry VIII to Queen Elizabeth I) and prisoners (including Sir Walter Raleigh, Sir Thomas More, and Queen Anne Boleyn in the Bloody Tower) telling of their lives and times in rooms fully furnished in period items down to fires in the fireplaces.

Or imagine walking through the Colosseum in Rome, first seeing it in 21st century ruins, and a minute later experiencing it as if you’d traveled back to the year 100 BC, in full 3D glory complete with battling gladiators.

Time travel?  No, not yet.  This type of experience is now possible using augmented reality video, already being used in a number of major tourist sites around the world.  Wearing special video goggles, you can see your own view of the world around you – or a pre-made video of it –  on top of which a computer superimposes additional images; for example, the ruins of a historic building or garden can be overlaid with an image of its original appearance.  Added text and voice-over can help you interpret what you’re seeing, on your own schedule, as you move around.  Imagine how much better this could be than an other-controlled group tour or a prerecorded audio tour.  A similar experience can be had on a mounted device similar to a tourist telescope.

A variety of simpler augmented reality apps are already available for smartphones.  For example, with the Wikitude World Browser, just point the camera at a building or object and the app overlays the camera image with wiki-type information and interactive content such as store locations and bus stops.

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The US Needs Innovation: Why Innovation Could Address Some of our Nation’s Biggest Challenges

Published on 12.01.2011 in Dynamics of Innovation, The Power of Collaboration and The Tenets of Innovation. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Resisting the temptation to see innovation as a panacea, we can nonetheless identify the tenets of innovation as providing a solid blueprint to drive strategically sound, creative and actionable solutions across so many diverse categories – from Consumer Packaged Goods, to Health Care, not-for-profits, finance, entertainment and so on. Because of its’ malleable approach, innovation has proved highly effective in addressing so many of the challenging obstacles to marketplace success – including fragmentation, globalization, and slow and ineffective commercialization.

The United States is certainly facing all these issues – and then some. With the increasing perception of government ineffectiveness, partisan gridlock in Washington, economic stagnation, and the Tea Party and “Occupy” movements reflecting a growing discontentment amongst the electorate with both economic realities and government’s role. However, for the country that almost defines innovation – the land of Benjamin Franklin, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Steve Jobs – a lack of imagination has seemingly stalled our leadership, operations and policies.

The deeper causes and potential ramifications of the current state-of-the-union has been brilliantly framed recently by TIME columnist and CNN international affairs program host Fareed Zakaria in an article entitled “Are America’s Best Days Behind Us?”

In his provocative essay Zakaria questions whether these challenges are more than a simple rough patch, but the indication of an inevitable downward slide. Make no mistake: this isn’t US or capitalism bashing. The piece clearly acknowledges what makes the US truly exceptional, but also examines why those strengths are neither inevitable nor unassailable.

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Sleep Your Way to Success

Published on 12.01.2011 in End-User Experience, Multi-Sensory and What's New. 0 Comments Tags: , .

If the popularity of the 2011 book Go the F*#$ to Sleep is any indicator, American adults are desperate to get some sleep.  And manufacturers in industries from textiles to electronics are waking up to this need and responding with helpful products.  As we head into the holiday shopping season, here are a few of the latest and greatest innovations to put on your sleep-deprived wishlist.

  • Bedding made of the latest temperature-regulating fabrics isn’t cheap ($150 – $250 for a set of sheets), but it does promise to help you sleep better at the perfect temperature and objective reviewers generally back up the manufacturer claims.  If hot flashes, night sweats, or hot-to-cold temperature shifts are disturbing your sleep, look for brands like Sleep Number’s In Balance, Outlast, and Sheex for sheets, mattress pads, and blankets.
  • The Zeo® personal sleep coach ($150) is on display at Best Buy stores now.  Go to sleep wearing the wireless headband and the base station will record and graph your sleep patterns.  When you wake up, the base will display your ZQ score (a summary of sleep quantity and quality).  Pull the memory card from the base station, upload your data to the Zeo website, and get coaching tips for better rest.  The system will even help you determine your optimal wake-up time.
  • Wear the Jawbone UP wristband ($100) to bed, and (combined with an iPhone app) it will automatically track your hours slept, deep vs. light sleep, and overall sleep quality.  Tell it your desired wake time, and UP will wake you with a gentle vibration of the wristband at the ideal moment in your natural sleep cycle.  This device also provides diet and exercise support for an overall healthier lifestyle.

These technologies supplement (rather than replace) traditional sleep aids like ear plugs and sound machines to block disturbing noises; light-blocking eye masks and curtains; and oral sleep aids like Lunesta, Ambien, and melatonin.  Food science offers possibilities as well, with milk, bananas, and oatmeal all cited as sleep aids.

Take-Aways for Marketers and Manufacturers: Lots of opportunity remains for both internal and external solutions to maximize sleep-time.

6 Inspiring Ideas from Inspiring Conferences

Published on 12.01.2011 in Dynamics of Innovation, End-User Experience, Multi-Sensory, The Tenets of Innovation and What's New. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

While fresh thinking and ideas can come from anywhere – and oftentimes from the most unexpected places – we are certainly fortunate when inspiration comes in a focused, intelligent and highly-concentrated package. Such was the case this past month when Chicago Ideas Week and TEDxMidWest 2011 landed in the Windy City – creating quite a buzz in the Midwestern innovation community. The opportunity to meet and hear a dynamic range of entrepreneurs, community leaders, authors, scientists, and artists, was enough to satisfy the desires of any glutton of food for thought. The following are six meaningful nuggets that emerged from our sampling of the inspirational delights:

  1. Confronting Fear: Alison Levine, is an adventurer, explorer and mountaineer. Having climbed the highest peak on every continent, and currently the Team Captain of the First American Women’s Everest Expedition, Levine is also an inspiration. She spoke about the intense preparation to reach the summit and the trepidations along the way. “Fear is okay,” expressed Levine, “complacency will kill you.” It’s a tenacity that applies to business as well. It’s okay to be afraid, Levine communicated, but it’s essential to confront that fear, to take action, and move forward.
  2. Vision: “Vision without action is a daydream,” says Pablos Holman, world-renowned hacker and futurist – but adds quickly: “Action without vision is a nightmare.” While Holman’s career has taken some curious twists, it has been a strong and unwavering vision that has set his course.  Currently he is working to minimize the impact of hurricanes by modifying ocean circulation patterns, to reduce malaria by zapping mosquitoes in Africa, and to slow global warming. While these challenges might seem daunting, by starting with a strong vision, it creates the platform from which even problem with global impact can be conquered.
  3. Resilience: Tim Westergren, Pandora founder and Chief Strategy Officer, knows that the path to success can be unpredictable and treacherous. When initial funding and potential venture partners dried up in the early 2000s, Westergren was left with the brilliant notion of an application that allows listeners to create their own radio stations based on their own musical preference – but no money. “We were in a pretty deep dark hole for a long time,” said Westergren in a recent New York article. Belief and resilience – along with maxed-out his credit cards and employees working for free – allowed Westergren to persevere. He pitched his company 348 times before he got necessary funding. Ultimately emerging as a hugely popular iPhone app helped Pandora turn the corner. Continue reading ’6 Inspiring Ideas from Inspiring Conferences’