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Advertising Age, July 17, 2008 — There's a "secret sauce," as a friend would put it, to creating a recipe that works for serving up innovation success. But if businesses have trouble getting it quite right, it's because they're short on a critical ingredient: inspiration.
By Eloy Trevino, June 26, 2008 — In a not too distant past, Blockbuster was on the forefront of a convenience revolution — the transition to convenient, in-home entertainment. As consumers built in-home theater systems that rivaled movie theater quality, Blockbuster offered them “convenience” by launching “always in stock” for the hottest DVD rentals. Blockbuster expanded their footprint with highly convenient locations, and was seemingly on a roll.
However, two innovations changed the industry: (1) Disruptive technologies... continue reading
Advertising Age, March 25, 2008 — The massive bailout of Bear Stearns from the brink of bankruptcy could be the first of many financial rescues needed. Despite double-digit plunges, U.S. housing is still overpriced by historical yardsticks. Retail sales have gone from slow to declining, and the consumer-spending binge that propped up the U.S. economy for years may not return for a long time.
In short, it's a great time to be in marketing.
By Jennifer Dominiquini, March 11, 2008 — More companies are embracing the importance of innovation, but few are happy with the results.
That's not surprising. Turning the rhetoric into action is a challenge. Some businesses think they can "buy" a culture of innovation by holding a few training programs or workshops. They label modest tweaks as major breakthroughs, devaluing the meaning of the word. Or they hire a vice president of innovation in the belief one person will just make innovation "happen".
The reality lies beyond the hype. Even... continue reading
Associated Press, January 14, 2008 — WARRENDALE, Pa. (AP) — At a sleek office building outside Pittsburgh, garlic and vegetable aromas mingle in the air. Chefs handle frying pans behind industrial stoves and lab-coated technicians scoop morsels of food into their mouths.
It's a clinical staging area for what H.J. Heinz Co. hopes will become household favorites — packaged foods and condiments designed to please palates and entice shoppers across the United States and around the globe.
Wall Street Journal, December 20, 2007 — For a century, Kiwi shoe polish remained pretty much the same — just over one ounce of colored wax in a palm-size tin embossed with the image of a kiwi bird.
But about two years ago, Sara Lee Corp., whose predecessor company, Consolidated Foods Corp., acquired the brand in 1984, interviewed 3,500 people in eight countries about their shoe-care needs. What it learned was "a shocker," says Kiwi President Paco Casa: People don't care nearly as much about the shine on their shoes as they do about how fresh and comfortable they are on the inside. On a list of more than 20 attributes people desired in their shoes, shine ranked merely 17th.
By Kevin O'Donnell, November 15, 2007 — Is the luster wearing thin on the innovation imperative? Maybe, according to Business Week’s annual survey. It shows that only 46% of senior executives are satisfied with return on innovation spending, down from 52% in 2006, and only 23% (versus 32%) of respondents call innovation a top concern.
The fact is that, done right, innovation drives growth and both differentiates and adds value to a brand. Apple, Netflix and Boeing can attest to that. But the growing dissatisfaction with returns may be... continue reading
Prophet, September 14, 2007 — In this article that appeared originally in the Wall Street Journal, Dave Aaker argues that to win market share, don’t try to influence what brand of product people buy. Change how they use the product in the first place.
Prophet, September 1, 2007 — Kevin O’Donnell believes innovation’s role as a driver of organic growth and a differentiator that adds substantially to a brand’s value remains as critical as ever. In his inaugural column in the newly relaunched Marketing News, a publication of the American Marketing Association, O’Donnell spells out one solution: Creation of innovation “systems” that foster actionable creativity.
San Francisco Chronicle, August 5, 2007 — A cavalcade of Yahoo Inc. employees showcased Internet products they had built over the previous 48 hours to hundreds of colleagues crammed into a meeting room during this year's "Hack Day," hoping that their ideas would someday make the big time.
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