Who Moved My Cheese, the business book of 1999 that was intended to inspire managers and decision makers to embrace change had it’s 15 minutes of fame and then it was back to business as usual. Now, everyone that has a copy in their office bookshelf should dust it off and mentally prepare for the requirements of business over the next two years. Innovation is definitely king. However, innovation involves two things that scare the hell out of many managers — change and risk.
Trendwatching.com just released a list of “50+ new business ideas that defy doom and gloom.” The list of ideas includes unique ways to engage the consumer, beyond typical marketing messaging of “buy this, it will make you feel good.” The story of the product integrated into the shopping experience, exploiting the “me” generation and making products unique to each individual consumer, connecting with consumer values i.e. sustainability and charity — these are just some of the angles that brand builders and retailers should be considering.
So change is good, but what about risk. Risk is an integral part of innovation because the idea is to do something that isn’t proven. However, where you mitigate the risk is in the expert execution of the plan. Having partners witty enough to temper delightfully creative ideation with researched and fielded understanding of what’s on the consumer’s mind. The ability to communicate with consumers in a way that’s focused, exciting and, most importantly, penetrating is what creates a breakthrough.
