Brand Central Station

I’ve seen this before, but it’s still cool and deserves to be shared …

(Company Press Release)

BOSTON – Innoveer Solutions, an award-winning customer strategy and solutions consultancy, today announced the availability of its most recent white paper, “The Pursuit of Partner Relationship Management,” which details how companies can expand their reach, reduce costs, and minimize risks by sharing more sales-related responsibilities with their business partners during uncertain economic times. The paper is now available in the white paper library on Innoveer’s website.

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From the folks at the MIT Media Lab, here’s a very interesting take on the future of technology – specifically wearable technology.

Think Minority Report, only much cooler …

Thanks to Jeff Johnson from The Team (Ozark, Missouri’s largest marketing firm) for the link to the video!

This is from a great post directed to freelancers on the Freelancefolder blog.

Freelace writer Laura Spencer provides a list of 45 questions for every freelancer to ask a new client (the entire list is posted after the jump).  Looking over that list, though, it occurs to me that many (if not all) of these questions are relevant things for an account manager to ask an agency – or internally – for a marketing manager to ask a new “client” inside their own company.

Some of these questions might be considered a bit mundane.  In my experience, new client relationships are often filled with the excitement of the “win” for the agency and the high expectations of a client who has been wooed by great creative and charming personalities. 

Questions like “Which is more important, quality or speed?” seems to have the potential to take all the romance out of the relationship right away.  (Double entendre intended.)

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We love it when a brand extension hits it big-time or crashes and burns. It’s exciting. It’s dramatic. It’s also not about the product/extension itself.

As a business strategy, deciding to extend an existing brand is sound but wrought with potential disaster. With every brand extension, you are putting all of your chips on the table and betting against the house.

Anything short of a home-run could be construed as a defeat. Successes, like the Apple iPod or Kellogg’s newly revitalized Eggo’s are noteworthy. But the failures, like water-filled bras from Evian, can be devastating. (more…)

Very often, when it comes to presenting out-of-the-box, creative thinking to clients, the biggest sales job has to happen inside the agency.

It’s a shame, really. Clients love to see innovative thinking but many times the folks that work back at the agencies (both PR and advertising-focused) get into a project mindset that is great for getting work out the door but not so good when it comes to generating the next big idea. Clients often refer to creative burn-out as a reason for initiating new agency searches.

The benefits of unsolicited innovation for a client can be difficult to define on the P&L and even harder to find with the account team. Creating new advertising campaigns, conducting unsolicited research or pestering vendors for new ideas or special deals takes time and effort. An effort that is often minimized or overlooked entirely by the account manager.

It’s tough enough to do the work; to do it with very little information, no client input and limited resources is almost impossible. To then have the effort dismissed by an account executive is often the final straw. The only consolation for those team members who get diss’d is the realization that AE’s who commit this error against the account team are hurting themselves worse than they can imagine.

It’s time to turn this situation around and lead the team to victory.

Account managers first have to understand the value of having a client perceive the account team as interested, engaged, passionate and knowledgeable about his business. The easiest – and best – way to do this is to present new ideas, concepts, research and programs to the client for his review and comment. There shouldn’t be a separate charge for this service. If you manage your budgets right, there should be plenty of opportunities for the team to think about the client’s future and then use available knowledge assets to conceive possible executions.

The account team has to recognize the value of having a client who is convinced of their interest, passion and knowledge of his business. Clients who love their agencies don’t leave them. And with an average shelf-life of 3 years, any client who is happy with the nature of the partnership he has with his agency is likely to stay past that deadline. That spells job security and more for all the members of the account team, not just the AE.

Initially, unsolicited ideas should be presented to the client as a teaching opportunity. Present the ideas to the client with a request to learn why it is or is not a good idea for him. This soft-sounding procedure will help you identify where the client sits politically inside his organization as well as how much the client knows and understands about the state of his industry or profession. This is a border-staking expedition and everything you learn about the client (i.e. his likes and dislikes, his areas of interest and expertise, the budget and political challenges he faces) should be relayed to the account team for future reference.

As time goes by, the ideas and concepts generated by the account team will come closer and closer to the strategic goals of the client’s organization and (hopefully) will fall within the client’s expectations of budget and production timelines. That’s when, as the account manager, you’re able to start making the change from just presenting the work to selling the work. If you do your job well, new ideas will create referral opportunities for you within the client’s own organization. That business expansion strategy can be both profitable and tremendously satisfying.

Both to the client and to your account team back at the agency.

Why are solutions to problems called “Silver Bullets”?

I suspect it has something to do with the old, traditional legends that demons, giants and (after 1941’s The Wolf Man) werewolves could be killed by the shot of a single, silver bullet. In the 1930’s and 40’s, The Lone Ranger shot silver bullets at the bad guys and did good deeds for everyone else. (more…)

There is no question that innovation is important. The participants in our BCS polls agreed (as we suspected they might). More than 80% of the companies we surveyed said their businesses were more innovative than they were just one year ago.But why?

“It’s the key to being competitive,” explained Denise Dorman of Write Brain Media in Chicago. Dorman works with a variety of clients located around the country, helping them to spot the innovative and creative, then bringing it to people’s attention.

Her statement was echoed by several others survey participants. “Change can bring success on many fronts,” wrote one manager from a national retail chain. “Merchants, marketing and our stores have the responsibility (for innovation).”

But businesses must be careful to avoid innovation without reason. Product innovation without suitable backing of customer insights can lead to some unpleasant consequences.

Consultant, author and speaker, Reva Nelson puts it this way:

“… what happens with innovation gone wrong, innovation for its own sake?

It forgets its roots, it moves too far away from the main trunk, it tries to disconnect and communication gets shot to hell. There are some consultants, managers and CEO’s who forget about connection and communication, and think innovation is an end to itself. It’s not. All innovation, like all change, must be well-communicated. It needs to take its time, and stay connected to the source.”

Nelson uses the example of downsizing as a perfect example of innovation run amok. The backlash from losing some really good people and vital institutional memory can quickly erase the financial benefits of the business decision.

It’s also possible for technological innovation to outpace the ability of the users to learn and adapt. The result is frustration, a loss of productivity and the possible loss of talent due to frustration.

The key to making innovation work is to make sure there is plenty of communication both internally and externally. Expectations need to be set and managed and, most importantly, benchmarks need to be clearly set so those living with the innovation can recognize the progress they’re making.

Technorati Tags: Marketing, Advertising, Branding, Brand, Leadership, Client Management, Innovation, Creative Thinking

This information is (c) 2006, Brand Central Station, all rights reserved. If you are interested in receiving news and analysis directly from BCS, please log onto our website.

Staying focused on your own enterprises innovation efforts is important, sure, but how do you keep track of what your competitors are up to? Competitive intelligence is an important facet of any innovation program – and your contacts in the media can help.

Competitive intelligence programs are on-going efforts and are intended to give owners and management an on-going look at the marketplace so they can make decisions regarding new product developments, marketing, customer retention programs and the like. The media can play a big role in these programs – both in terms of what they report and what reporters actually know when contacted.

Here are some ways to do that:

1) Set up competitive clipping protocols. If you use print or online clipping services, set up searches for key competitors or their brands. Be careful when selecting keywords or search terms because you don’t want to have to search through the searches when you get them back at the office.

2) Create a historical view of your competitors’ media presence. Look at where they’ve been running ads and announcements in the trades and then compare those placements to the publications’ editorial calendars. It’s likely you’ll find some patterns. In the B2B space, especially, it’s common for advertisers to try and time their advertising creative with editorial coverage to increase the effectiveness of their ad. Knowing these patterns may help you predict where the competition is likely to strike next.

3) Use Google Alerts and other online search-oriented tools to scan the web. These tools are free and easy to use. There’s no excuse not to.

4) Engage in an active media relations program. The more time you spend with reporters covering your industry, the greater the likelihood you’ll hear about new market developments when they occur. Reporters have a job to do and sources to protect, of course – you’re not going to get them to violate those cardinal tenants. But being on good terms with a reporter can mean that you’re one of the first to be called when a new idea (a.k.a. a trial balloon) gets floated by the competition.

5) Work with the media to establish benchmark research (and follow-ups) on your sector or on key issues related to your sector. This kind of effort takes time and money but is generally very useful. In most cases, if the client pays for it, the results are kept confidential although the media generally gets the rights to publish an overview of the findings.

Remember, it’s the media’s job to uncover and report the news. It’s your job to find a way to stay on top of it (or, ideally, one step ahead). A good overview of competitive intelligence programs can be found here.

Not all innovation is technology-driven – sometimes re-thinking how things are done can bring real value. And the best inspiration for finding that new line of thought is the customer (whether they are external or inside your own company).

Charlotte Sibley, with Shire Pharmaceuticals, uses customer reaction as a barometer of innovation inside her own company. “… if I get a lot of pushback from internal customers, I know I’m pushing the innovation envelope,” she says.

Blogger Dave Pollard provides a list of non-technological ways of looking for innovation (from his How To Save The World blog:

• How you design your core offerings (e.g. the Mercedes Smart Car’s unique and imaginative attributes)
• Product system: How you link and/or provide a platform for multiple products (e.g. the Microsoft integrated productivity suite)
• Core processes: How you create and add value to your offerings (e.g. Wal-Mart’s reinvention of retailing as shelf-space leasing)
• Enabling process: How you support the company’s core processes and workers (e.g. Starbucks’ premium wage and benefits packages to attract superior staff)
• Service: How you provide value to customers and consumers beyond and around your products (e.g. Singapore Airlines’ thoughtful and pampering extras)
• Delivery Channel: How you get your offerings to market (e.g. Martha Stewart’s multi-media ways of getting her ‘home’ stuff to your home)
• Brand: How you communicate your offerings (e.g. Absolut vodka’s “theme and variations’ advertising concept)
• Customer experience: How your customers feel when they interact with your company and its offerings (e.g. the Harley Davidson owners’ community)
• Networks and alliances: How you join forces with other companies for mutual benefit (e.g. Sara Lee sticking strictly to branding and outsourcing all manufacturing)
• Business model: How you make money (e.g. Dell’s pay-in-advance for a custom-made PC model).

If you’re interested in investigating the concept of customer-driven innovation further, you may want to check out this white paper by Howard Moskowitz, Ph.D.

Why do we get the inspiration for innovation? I think it may be part of the human condition – that we’re always trying to make things better. Sometimes it’s a personal challenge to see if we can outdo what’s been “done” before. Other times, it’s a more practical reaction to a need expressed by someone we care for … a customer, a co-worker, a family member.

My concern, however, is that sometimes we seem to innovate without thinking about the consequences.

Look back on “breakthroughs” like New Coke, the Apple Newton, the DeLorean and others and the effect of innovation on brand value is pretty obvious. But innovations inside the enterprise can have just as dramatic impact on the brand without all the public whoopla that typically follows a new product introduction or a brand extension.

The innovation process
Inside the organization, innovation typically emerges in the persona of a “champion” (one of those unfortunate 90′s, corporate buzzwords that has stuck with us). Whether it’s a change to internal processes or a strategy for entry into a new market, the champion begins the campaign process in an attempt to create a breakthrough that could impact the company.

In the best case scenarios, the champion has taken time out to evaluate the various business issues surrounding the innovation. Is it something customers need? Is it likely to fit within the business’ production capabilities? Does it open up an under-performing market? The answers are likely to be a mix of positives and negatives.

Sometimes, however, the negatives go unheard.

In her HBJ article on “When Bad Ideas Won’t Die”, Isabelle Royer writes that bad ideas often result from “a fervent and widespread belief among managers in the inevitability of their projects’ ultimate success. This sentiment typically originates, naturally enough, with a project’s champion; it then spreads throughout the organization … reinforcing itself each step of the way.”

Innovations require more than just a great idea, however. The viability of the innovation must be reviewed and reaffirmed at each step in the development process. And for those companies who don’t innovate (either themselves or their products) on a regular basis, a development process may be completely absent.

Paul Graham (bio), one of the co-creators of ViaWeb, provides some insights into how to spot winning ideas. He suggests the following:

1. Make sure your idea is something people will pay for.

2. Don’t go with the first idea that comes to mind.

3. Don’t be timid when it comes to taking your idea to the market.

The relationship between innovation and brand value
It’s important to understand how innovation can effect the perceived value of your brand. Done right, innovations can keep your brand fresh and relevent to those people who already know and understand it. Innovation can also open your brand to new market opportunities.

So how do you take advantage of them? Go back to what built your brand’s value in the first place – stay on message.

In fact, it’s the need to stay on message that most often vexes brands. The natural tendency is to brag about the innovation – and why not? It’s new. It may be newsworthy. But what happens, in many cases, is that brands foresake everything to tout their new development.

This matters because in a marketplace of millions of messages, your brand needs to stand as tall as it possibly can – and the only way to do that is to use the awareness, knowledge and goodwill it’s accumulated over the life of your external marketing efforts. Taking off on a new message, look and feature/benefit could (in a worse-case scenario) be no more than an unintentional “launch” of a new or competitive product in the market.

In cases where brands introduce more significant innovations to their product or service/support package, a brand re-alignment or re-positioning might be in order. This is a significant change with very real (and measurable) implications to the bottom line and should not be taken casually.

Connecting the innovation to the brand
Most innovations are, in some way, related to how the brand currently relates to its customers and those people who interact with the brand on a regular basis. The most important thing to do when introducing the innovation, then, is to understand how these relationships will be impacted and plan accordingly.

In short, you have to establish clear and obvious connections between the innovation and the brand.

You might find it helpful to break the brand and the innovation down into their core/basic values and then look for the overlap. Those overlapping values are your points of strength – harmony between the innovation and the brand – and will give you the foundation you need for your external and internal messaging efforts (whether they consist of advertising, PR, conferences, etc.).

For grins, you might want to check out some of these innovations that did little, if any good, for their brands. Go here, here and check out a book on the subject.

Later.

This information is (c) 2005, Brand Central Station, all rights reserved. If you are interested in receiving news and analysis directly from BCS, please log onto our website.