Anyone can be innovative. From macro to micro innovation, a lot of positive things will result. To innovate every day, at work or at home, follow these steps and see where they take you.
Solve problems that need solving
Pets.com solved a problem that didn't need solving. Amazon.com and eBay, on the other hand, solved problems that needed solving. Consider what's frustrating you. Really dig into the problem. Ask "why" at least five times to get to the real problem. Determine if solving the problem will have a material impact on your life and/or work.
Early in my career I worked for the advertising agency that had the Energizer Battery account. I was perplexed by the differences in sales volume reported by the various sources we used. I kept asking "why" until I got to the root of the problem.
Look outside for answers
The answer is probably not obvious, so don't focus on what's immediately in front of you, go outside for the answer. Seth Godin went outside when he repackaged direct marketing principles and called it Permission Marketing. Consider how another industry might look at the problem. Ask someone outside your field what they would do.
When I worked on the Energizer account Boom Boxes and Walkmans were just making inroads into youth culture. Yes, I'm that old. To see where the volume discrepancy came from I had to step outside the confines of the ad agency.
Review with the uninformed
When you think you have an idea, a potential solution for the problem, socialize it among the uninformed, share it with people who have knowledge of the problem but aren't actively involved in solving it.
Most, I'm afraid to say, will provide you with all the reasons why your idea won't work. For you, this isn't a bad thing. Don't defend your idea. Put your ego aside and carefully listen to their objections. Draw out their reasoning. Explore their perspective. This is valuable information you can use to sell your idea when it really matters.
Back to batteries. I crafted an idea to exploit the volume source and shared it with my boss. He didn't think it would work. I shared it with others and got various reactions, almost all negative. With all this information I built my plan to sell the idea. It started with an invitation to the Brand Manager.
"Come and hang out at a school yard with me. I'll buy lunch afterward."
He was skeptical but agreed to go. After all, I offered to buy lunch. What we saw was kids, many kids using batteries to power their portable music devices. All the measurement tools we relied on, except for actual sales, were research based and didn't consider that kids would buy batteries.
Test your way to overnight success
Once you have your brilliant plan, test it in the real world. There is nothing like the crucible of reality to take the edges off an idea. In the real world you will discover many of the nuances needed for success that you didn't understand when it was an intellectual exercise. Keep an open mind and let the market improve your thinking. A diamond requires a lot of polishing to become brilliant.
After our trip to the school yard, and no explanations to the police were required, we discussed how to take advantage of the opportunity. We organized a test in five record stores in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Some time I will describe what it's like to do store checks in Manitoba, in January. The inventory turns we saw were up to 10 times what we expected based on traditional channels. We used the test results to build a sales sheet, which we took to a national record store chain. They agreed to carry batteries. We created a completely new channel of distribution, worth many millions of dollars, for Energizer batteries.
Conclusions
Solve the problems that make a difference. Be sure solving the problem will add significant value to your life and / or work situation. Look outside for the answer. A different perspective will shine a new light on the problem and allow you to see paths not available before. Review the problem with the uninformed. Explore it with others to better understand the problem and the challenges you need to overcome. Test your way to overnight success. Even the most brilliant innovations didn't happen without some experimentation. Before the iPhone there was the Newton.
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James Hipkin, understands the practice of marketing as only someone with decades of practical experience can. His multi-disciplined background and broad exposure to major B2C brands in Europe and the US give him a unique perspective that leaders of businesses, big and small, can benefit from. James is available for consulting assignments and is an accomplished speaker. For more of his thoughts on Marketing Strategy, Customer Relationship Marketing and innovation go to Hipkin's Hip Shots.
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