http://community.maddockdouglas.com?src=forums_rss The Innovation Engine Community - Latest Forum Threads Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:38:28 GMT admin@maddockdouglas.com The Innovation Engine Community 60 http://community.maddockdouglas.com/brand/witness/community.gif http://community.maddockdouglas.com?src=forums_rss http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16511/Selling-air-innovation-in-communication/?src=forums_rss Just saw this great little spot from Hong Kong - ">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmH3xCpOSW8 A well-known actor delivers an infomercial on pre-packaged air, as a means of getting a younger target market to watch their polluting ways. Is it successful? Viewership of the Cantonese version is well over 100,000 after just 6 days. So yes, someone is paying attention. Will it work? Ultimately, I believe, you need to present people with a viable better alternative, not just fun communication. But it's a start. And definitely easier to watch than the standard doom and gloom message Sustainability Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:38:28 GMT Marc Stoiber http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16511/Selling-air-innovation-in-communication/#discussion?src=forums_rss http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16503/Brother-can-you-spare-a-solar-panel/?src=forums_rss Sustainability benefits incredibly from connectivity. The latest story to reinforce that comes to us from New York... http://springwise.com/weekly/2010-08-25.htm#energyincommon People in developing countries rely on dirty power. Through Energy in Common , you can connect directly to these people on an individual level, and lend them money to buy a clean energy source - solar, wind, geothermal, etc. When enough lenders have been lined up, the recipient gets their clean energy setup - along with a schedule of repayments to the lenders. I wonder why we're not doing this right in our own backyard? We still run on coal and oil. Isn't there a company willing to introduce lenders to folks who want green power, but can't afford it all in one payment? Would be interested in hearing about anyone engaged in this sort of work. Financial Services Wed, 25 Aug 2010 16:57:37 GMT Marc Stoiber http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16503/Brother-can-you-spare-a-solar-panel/#discussion?src=forums_rss http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16495/One-man-s-trash-is-another-man-s...trenchcoat/?src=forums_rss In the UK, outdoor concertgoers usually leave behind hundreds of tents and temporary shelters - an unnecessary landfill clogger. But now, ingenious entrepreneurs have figured out a way to turn those tents into eco-chic clothing. Check it out at... ">http://springwise.com/weekly/2010-08-18.htm#withintent Makes me wonder, how many things around US are prematurely consigned to the dumpster? And what sort of innovative way could we repurpose them? The all time champions of super-reuse are the Africans. Look at http://www.afrigadget.com/ and prepare to be astounded. Would be interested in hearing your ideas on items that deserve a second, or third life. Marc Sustainability Wed, 18 Aug 2010 22:36:31 GMT Marc Stoiber http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16495/One-man-s-trash-is-another-man-s...trenchcoat/#discussion?src=forums_rss http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16494/The-Hunt-For-Miracles-is-this-sustainability-s-Apollo-Project/?src=forums_rss Just saw an inspiring piece of news - ">http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/19/business/energy-environment/19fuel.html?_r=... It reminded me of the sort of big (no, HUGE) picture thinking that JFK put forward when he announced the Apollo mission. I believe the 'go for it' mentality is inspiring and will produce results. But will this sustainability leap forward be positioned properly to get the traction that Apollo did? Would welcome your thoughts. Sustainability Wed, 18 Aug 2010 20:34:03 GMT Marc Stoiber http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16494/The-Hunt-For-Miracles-is-this-sustainability-s-Apollo-Project/#discussion?src=forums_rss http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16492/5-Ways-to-Advance-Your-Career-with-Innovation/?src=forums_rss By Pam Baker August 12, 2010 The familiar refrain "reinvent yourself" has never been more sound for those in search of career advancement today. Fortunately for the CIO, reinvention is a relatively easy thing to do given the innovations IT wields every day. It's a matter of looking at those technologies differently and seeing them as much as a means to promote professional achievement as they are to improve the company's efficiencies and profitability. "It has never been easier for CIOs to be viewed as thought leaders in their respective industries and move from positions of relative obscurity to highly desirable," said Nicholas Kinports, Digital Innovation manager at Maddock Douglas , an innovation initiatives firm with a client list that includes 20 percent of the top 100 global brands. There are as many ways to use technologies to build your visibility, credibility and promotability as there are technologies. But here are five ways to get you started while you think of other creative means to highlight your work and build your personal brand: Get social - Social media allows you to come out of the data center and face your public. It is the surest way of building your professional... Culture of Innovation Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:42:08 GMT Nicholas Kinports http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16492/5-Ways-to-Advance-Your-Career-with-Innovation/#discussion?src=forums_rss http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16490/Bringing-the-spirit-of-innovation-not-blame-to-the-oil-spill/?src=forums_rss I've written a number of pieces on the BP spill on this site. There was one thread that carried through each of them: pointing fingers and trading blame is an exercise in futility while we're staring at a growing ecocide. Instead, I believe we need to pull together, and engage our massive collective brainpower to engage both the gov't and BP, and start innovating solutions - fast!! So I was encouraged to read about the X-Prize awarding a million dollars to the team that created the most effective means of cleaning up the oil. Here's the story: ">http://sustainablelifemedia.com/content/story/strategy/xprize_releases_detail... Now, what I would love to see is the networks doing stories on how these folks are making huge strides. What the greater public needs is a story that makes them feel that with brains and determination, innovation can move mountains. Would love your thoughts Marc Stoiber Sustainability Thu, 12 Aug 2010 14:28:57 GMT Marc Stoiber http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16490/Bringing-the-spirit-of-innovation-not-blame-to-the-oil-spill/#discussion?src=forums_rss http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16474/Is-a-garage-really-green-because-it-says-so/?src=forums_rss Just spotted: a mobile car service that 'green' tunes your car. Check it out at ">http://springwise.com/weekly/2010-08-04.htm#greengarage They do make some improvements over the standard garage treatment - using lead free wheel weights, for example. But does that qualify them as green? Or will that kind of positioning just lead to frustrated consumers throwing the 'greenwash' monkey wrench at them? Love to hear your thoughts... Sustainability Fri, 06 Aug 2010 00:15:53 GMT Marc Stoiber http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16474/Is-a-garage-really-green-because-it-says-so/#discussion?src=forums_rss http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16431/The-Good-Guy-Tax/?src=forums_rss Danny Westneat of The Seattle Times wrote an interesting column in yesterday's paper about a local business owner, Stephan Mollmann, who has perfect credit and was trying to refinance his home loan to a lower rate yet facing various roadblocks. Mollman doesn't have clout, but he's got a direct line to food at his gastropub and a great story angle. Read on: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/dannywestneat/2012384300_danny18.html Here in Seattle, as I learned from my brother who I'm visiting (hence all this time to blog, normally I'm writing about my neighborhood) there is a lot of backlash against Chase due to Washington Mutual's strong footprint in the community and Chase having acquired Washington Mutual. What I found really interesting about Westneat's piece was not Mollman's story in itself, but a comment Mollman made about had he of had bad credit and been facing foreclosure, the opportunity to refinance would have been made much easier because Chase has a program for that consumer segment. It also reminded me of a friend in Chicago- another good little guy- who told me he is not eligible for a student loan to go back to school, but if he were a recovering drug addict or coming out of... Financial Services Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:35:23 GMT Aly http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16431/The-Good-Guy-Tax/#discussion?src=forums_rss http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16408/OfficeMax-s-CMO-on-Creating-Innovative-Marketing-Cultures/?src=forums_rss Here's a thought starter on an innovative company: Bob Thacker (OfficeMax's CMO) shares how knocking down department walls, including all stakeholders and celebrating creativity breeds world class marketing organizations. Bob Thacker is SVP Marketing & Advertising at OfficeMax. Some of Bob’s successes include campaigns such as 'Save Money on Ink' tattoo creative, 'ElfYourself,’ a viral marketing phenomenon, 'Schooled,’ a reality back-to-school television show and 'The World's Largest Rubberband Ball’ national media event. Brandon Gutman: How do you create cultures that are generators of marketing? Bob Thacker: I think it begins with the belief that ideas don’t just live in the marketing department. If you find ways to include other minds in the process you show how marketing is, in fact, a distillation of great thinking from a diverse group. In other words, don’t put up walls, open the gates! How did you create the brand essence at OfficeMax? A brand essence isn’t something that’s imposed on a company. It’s a definition of what the company already inherently is and continually aspires to be. We brought key stakeholders together and spent the better part of three days sharing thoughts, drawing analogies, describing attributes of brands we most admire and then brainstorming.... Culture of Innovation Tue, 06 Jul 2010 14:53:32 GMT Raff Viton http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16408/OfficeMax-s-CMO-on-Creating-Innovative-Marketing-Cultures/#discussion?src=forums_rss http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16390/A-wake-up-call-for-innovation/?src=forums_rss A recent article in BNET, http://tinyurl.com/2bjlayc points out that 50 to 100 million people are emerging from poverty every year and that this new market will want goods that are cheap, simple to make in large numbers, and green. If that's not a wake up call for innovation, I don't know what is. According to the BSR Report 2009: Innovating for Sustainability , businesses will need to create solutions that "enable the rising middle classes to improve their well-being without draining the world's already-stressed natural resources. Designing products that meet the needs of these populations - health, mobility, and information - will deliver good business outcomes and good social outcomes." While consumption levels are on the rise in developing countries, the opposite may be true in the developed world. Author Richard Florida forecasts in his new book The Great Reset: How New Ways of Living and Working Drive Post-Crash Prosperity that in the future green products will enjoy more cachet, and frugality will become the new status symbol. Florida writes, "Instead of showcasing logos and material bounty as a mark of achievement in life, people - successful, affluent people - are beginning to wear their lack of consumption...as a badge... Sustainability Wed, 30 Jun 2010 02:40:39 GMT Brad Peirce http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16390/A-wake-up-call-for-innovation/#discussion?src=forums_rss http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16382/Why-won-t-you-listen-to-me-I-am-creative-I-SWEAR/?src=forums_rss I am going to steal a little from MD on this one, the three parts to success innovation: Need/Insight, Idea and Communication. I want to talk about the last part, communication, in reference not to innovation but to employment. As one of the thousands of job seekers in the U.S. right now I have found the market to be an unfriendly world to the likes of us ‘creatives’. We have found that many of our jobs have been slashed and burned and now must take our talents into other avenues attempting to adapt once wonderfully orchestrated skills into serviceable line items on an online job application. Our options are limited and our opportunity to present our unique skills are slim. In a time when a job posting for someone with 5 specific skills sets and exactly 4 years of experience is responded to by hundreds of specifically qualified people our cover letter describing ‘innovative thinking’ is quickly passed aside. Articles on job search sites and CNN give tips on how to ‘stand out’ from the masses seem like old hat to people that are used to coming up with outside that box ideas. Seems pretty hopeless. That was the glass... Off Topic Discussion Mon, 28 Jun 2010 17:31:46 GMT AdamRobertMiller http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16382/Why-won-t-you-listen-to-me-I-am-creative-I-SWEAR/#discussion?src=forums_rss http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16375/Innovation-s-Over-Price-is-Back/?src=forums_rss According to a recent article in BNET, http://blogs.bnet.com/management/?p=2045&tag=nl.e713 innovation is no longer the key driver of new product development but has now become the cornerstone of process development. The article points to ease and price as the two most important factors in consumer purchasing decisions. Do people agree? How about within the context of the emerging green marketplace? Large investments in efficiency and the emergence/resurgence of "systems thinking" surrounding sustainable operations, manufacturing, and supply chain would certainly justify this statement. However, recent studies have also shown that people are willing to pay more for environmentally friendly and cause-related products. What is your opinion? Sustainability Wed, 23 Jun 2010 12:26:11 GMT Brad Peirce http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16375/Innovation-s-Over-Price-is-Back/#discussion?src=forums_rss http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16360/-Why-Are-You-Innovating/?src=forums_rss Why do we go to work every day? Why do our companies exist? Why is our company going to exist in the future? “Why” is the fundamental question every business leader should be able to answer, immediately, with absolute clarity. Without knowing why a company exists and the purpose of the business, the people who work for an organization cannot align their own, individual beliefs and values with their leaders’ in order to create the future. Answering “why” a company exists is much more than stating that the purpose is to generate profits. It is more than meeting the needs of its customers. The vision, the intent, and the higher purpose of an organization is what binds both customers and employees and creates loyalty, trust and commitment. Without these elements, what are people supposed to be innovating? In what direction? Why? Simon Sinek authored a book titled, “Start With Why” that I encourage people to read. He also has an excellent presentation at: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action.html A business, first and foremost is a collection of people connected through some sort of common purpose. In the absence of a clear “Why” a business exists, people fill the void with their own interpretations. Unfortunately,... Culture of Innovation Tue, 15 Jun 2010 17:44:36 GMT Roy Luebke http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16360/-Why-Are-You-Innovating/#discussion?src=forums_rss http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16353/See-me-speak-at-Sustainable-Brands-10-conference-in-Monterey-CA/?src=forums_rss Next Generation Green Brand Research at Sustainable Brands ‘10 --> Mon, 06/07/2010 - 2:10pm MONTEREY, Calif., June 7, 2010 – Maddock Douglas VP Green Innovation Marc Stoiber will highlight his firm's next generation green brand research study at Sustainable Brands ’10 conference in Monterey. As part of the panel Examining the Sustainable Brand Perception / Reality Gap (Wednesday, June 9 th , 2pm) Stoiber will share insights from the MapChange 2010 study released earlier this year. However, he will also touch on the semi-custom study Greenspace 2011 Maddock Douglas is now conducting. Greenspace will examine in depth the green opportunities for your brand – what’s most important to consumers, how well your brand performs compared to competitors, and where the innovation opportunities (the ‘Greenspace’) for your brand lie. The study is due to be released 3 rd quarter 2010. News, Rumors, Gossip, & Trends Wed, 09 Jun 2010 15:14:21 GMT Marc Stoiber http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16353/See-me-speak-at-Sustainable-Brands-10-conference-in-Monterey-CA/#discussion?src=forums_rss http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16329/The-New-Paradigm-of-Advantage-Allocative-Creative-NOT-Extractive-Protective/?src=forums_rss Umair Haque (HBR 3.1.10) Here's something you might not know. There's enough food in the world to feed pretty much everyone . So why are more than 1 billion people — nearly 20% of the world's population — either starving or malnourished? And why, over the last two decades, has global hunger steeply risen? The answer has everything to do with the past — and future — of advantage. Over the last few months, I've discussed in depth the tectonic shifts rocking the macro and micro economy. Let's put it all together. Here's what the 21st century demands from firms of all stripes: a paradigm shift in the nature of advantage. The past of advantage was extractive and protective. The future of advantage, on the other hand, is allocative and creative. I made a little Prezi to illustrate it, below. Let's go through each category in turn. The future of advantage: Allocative. Google's advantage was built on allocating attention to content and ads better than its rivals. Google's real secret? Relevance, media's measure of how efficiently attention is allocated. Match.com is building an allocative advantage in, well, matching people with partners. Allocative advantage asks: are we able to match people... Culture of Innovation Sat, 22 May 2010 02:54:29 GMT Raff Viton http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16329/The-New-Paradigm-of-Advantage-Allocative-Creative-NOT-Extractive-Protective/#discussion?src=forums_rss http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16326/Design-less-get-more./?src=forums_rss I am a big fan of simplicity. Many designers associate this term with being a minimalist, but there are a few subtle differences that separate the two. Minimalists like Mies van der Rohe claim that ‘less is more’ and advocate designs that serve multiple purposes relying on light, lines, and textures to add decoration, but this is far from simple. These designs have a complex sophistication that takes careful thought and planning in order to accomplish its goal of providing a design with depth. Transversely I think a simple design combines basic design elements or design changes to alter functionality with little aesthetic depth. The other day I found a great example of a simple design element that dramatically changes the original object’s function, the lock washer. The washer is a wonderfully simple object that is used hundreds of times a day in a variety of industries. The lock washer is just a simple variation on an already useful product to create an entirely new product. I am sure there wasn’t a brainstorming session at the washer manufacturing plant to design ‘new cooler washers for the younger generation’, but rather someone was tinkering in their shop one day and discovered... Innovation Discussion Thu, 20 May 2010 18:38:54 GMT AdamRobertMiller http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16326/Design-less-get-more./#discussion?src=forums_rss http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16322/10-Innovation-Lessons-From-Steve-Jobs/?src=forums_rss “ 1. Steve Jobs said: “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” Innovation has no limits. The only limit is your imagination. It’s time for you to begin thinking out of the box. If you are involved in a growing industry, think of ways to become more efficient; more customer friendly; and easier to do business with. If you are involved in a shrinking industry – get out of it quick and change before you become obsolete; out of work; or out of business. And remember that procrastination is not an option here. Start innovating now! 2. Steve Jobs said: “Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.” There is no shortcut to excellence. You will have to make the commitment to make excellence your priority. Use your talents, abilities, and skills in the best way possible and get ahead of others by giving that little extra. Live by a higher standard and pay attention to the details that really do make the difference. Excellence is not difficult – simply decide right now to give it your best shot – and you will be amazed with what life gives you back.... Culture of Innovation Wed, 19 May 2010 02:08:59 GMT Raff Viton http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16322/10-Innovation-Lessons-From-Steve-Jobs/#discussion?src=forums_rss http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16318/Idea-and-Innovation-Management-Tool-Roundup-Top-5-others/?src=forums_rss The Issue: The space for idea and innovation management software is becoming increasingly crowded and it is difficult to quickly understand who the main players are and how they are different. The Background: On the surface, idea management companies seemed similar to me and were hard to tell apart. After having spent 8 weeks immersed in the space talking with independent experts like Ron Shulkin , submitting questions on LinkedIn groups, attending the Front End of Innovation conference in Boston, and demoing 8 of the top players; I have come to a conclusion: It IS very hard to tell idea management companies apart - especially on capabilities alone. You must dig deep into the details of the organization and trust some of your gut feelings for the true differences to emerge. All four parts of my research (reaching out to experts in the field, submitting questions online, attending innovation conferences, and completing demos) added value to my search. However upon completing my summary, I realized that everyone I talked with could easily achieve my sample list of desired functionality (see below for the attachment if interested). I had attempted to create a functionality list that would force separation between competitors.... Culture of Innovation Mon, 17 May 2010 16:52:13 GMT Geoff Zoeckler http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16318/Idea-and-Innovation-Management-Tool-Roundup-Top-5-others/#discussion?src=forums_rss http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16315/Why-Brains-Enjoy-the-Paradox-of-LEGO-Chaos-Order-Direction-NoDirections-Alone-Together/?src=forums_rss I woke up to the kids & their continuation of lego fun from last night. I wondered what the possible universal, timeless, psychological draw was to these little building blocks. And, I wonder why the directions aren't in 3-d yet? Curtis Silver had a solid answer for the first question: http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2009/06/lego-love-affair-a-geekological-profile/ Off Topic Discussion Sun, 16 May 2010 12:22:28 GMT Raff Viton http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16315/Why-Brains-Enjoy-the-Paradox-of-LEGO-Chaos-Order-Direction-NoDirections-Alone-Together/#discussion?src=forums_rss http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16305/Ideas-from-anywhere-said-differently.../?src=forums_rss By Sean Silverthorne In an excellent blog post on the concept of leading from behind , Harvard Business School professor Linda Hill emphasizes that innovation in the modern organization is a team sport. The iPad was not something created by one engineer in a Jolt Cola haze at 2 a.m. Hill writes: “ Those in positions of authority have been taught to think that it’s their job to come up with the big idea — but sustained innovation comes when everyone has an opportunity to demonstrate a ’slice of genius’…. Breakthroughs come when seemingly ordinary people make extraordinary contributions.” Here’s the key question. What are the capabilities that you as a manager must instill in your organization to create sustainable, team driven innovation? The first step, Hill says, is building a community around innovation, with a common purpose, values and rules of engagement. The next step is baking in three organizational capabilities: Creative abrasion . This is the ability to generate ideas through intellectual discourse and debate. Creative agility . The ability to test and refine ideas through quick pursuit. Creative resolution . Hill terms this the ability to make decisions in an integrative manner. How innovation teams can be... Culture of Innovation Tue, 11 May 2010 15:07:40 GMT Raff Viton http://community.maddockdouglas.com/forum/thread/16305/Ideas-from-anywhere-said-differently.../#discussion?src=forums_rss