The First Open Innovation?
Today is “Flag Day” in the United States. Since 1960, we have had 50 stars arranged as they appear in the image left. The first flag back in 1777 had 13 stars – one for each of the original states. Since then, according to USA Today, the number of stars has changed 27 times. According […]
Listen to my CODcast
I was recently interviewed for a podcast by Jeff Brainard of “Catch Your Limit Consulting.” His company uses a fish metaphor, hence the “CODcast” name. Clever. In this interview, I discuss the challenges associated with innovation – and tips for success. Enjoy. (interview no longer on website)
LG Electronics Uses Open Innovation
According to a press release I received, “LG Mobile Phones (the fastest growing mobile phone brand in North America) is partnering with crowdSPRING (an online marketplace for creative services) and Autodesk (a leader in 2D and 3D design and engineering software) to hold a new competition to define the future of personal mobile communication.” They […]
How To Build Innovation Networks
According to David Strom, a web/tech expert… “Burger King ran a promotion not too long ago where they asked people to defriend 10 Facebook friends in order to get a coupon for a free burger. They were swamped with thousands of requests, thereby establishing the value of a friend at somewhere around a quarter. That […]
Online Marketing Wisdom
Yesterday I attended the Online Marketing Summit. The day consisted of 3 parallel conversations on various online marketing topics ranging from blogging, twitter, social media, viral marketing, search engine optimization and web page design. During the event, I was twittering some interesting quotes/statistics (follow me on twitter). What was really cool was that everyone else […]
Innovating in Tough Times
I was recently interviewed via email for a Canadian publication. I was asked 5 questions. Given the journalists deadline, I needed to provide an immediate response. Here are “off the top of my head” answers – without editing. 1. What is your own definition of an innovative business? An innovative business is one that continually […]
Pitchmen, Pain and Positioning
My new guilty pleasure is watching the Discovery Channel show “Pitchmen.” On it are two pitchmen, Billy Mays and Anthony Sullivan, who create and star in direct response ads. These are TV commercials that sell you a product and entice you to call now. Each week, inventors pitch their ideas to Billy and Anthony. Two […]
Jazz, Improvisation and Innovation
What do jazz and innovation have in common? Quite a bit. Many years ago, in 24/7 Innovation, I wrote.. “Most businesses are run like classical symphonies – long, with elaborate compositions (detailed workflows) that leave little room for interpretation. Employees are expected to follow these compositions rote. “Unfortunately, by the time they learn the score, […]
What Innovators Can Learn From Poetry
Last night I attended a book launch party to honor Elizabeth Alexander, the poet who spoke at Obama’s inauguration. After some opening remarks, she read her inaugural poem, “Praise Song for the Day.” After her reading, she took questions from the audience of over 100 people. The question (and response) that struck a chord with […]
Climate for Innovation On the Rise
According to a recent study by Chuck Frey at innovationtools.com, 47% of companies say that the climate for innovation has “improved slightly or significantly” since the onset of the global recession. In fact, only a quarter of the respondents felt that the climate for innovation has deteriorated. Surprisingly, only one third of the companies say […]