Social Media Hardly Utilized For Insights: Competitive Advantages Diminish
The figures are clear, Emailvision’s survey shows that just 6,2% of the marketers are using social media to gain insights into customer preferences. According to a study by the Chartered Institute of Marketing only 20% of marketers use Facebook for market research. This means not fully utilizing the opportunities of social media and their data. Social media can provide an unparalled scale of real-time data, help identify unmediated consumer opinion and competitor perceptions or offer the ability to connect with those 'creative consumers' to co-create the solution with and strategically embed the outside-in perspective in the organization.
Innovation’s Silent Killer
If they want to compete successfully in the future, companies should hold off on rapid ideation and faster commercialization until they take an unflinching look at what is truly stifling breakthrough innovation. In this article, Soren Kristensen provides insight on how honest self-reflection can free you from your biggest impediment to growth.
Observe and Learn
Getting fresh insights is a crucial step in the ideation process. Gijs Van Wulfen shares his suggestions on sourcing inspiration.
Asking the Important Questions: A Guide to Design Thinking And a Better Way to Serve Customers
Design thinking should be a way of life for senior managers. Melba Kurman spoke to Sara Beckman, design and innovation expert at Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, about how to apply design thinking to the innovation process.
Embrace Collaboration and Co-creation: They are here to Stay!
Diversity of usage and increased exposure are sure-fire indicators to determine whether a particular business practice is destined for faddish despair, or for more enduring glory. Using these indicators, the new and emerging platforms of marketing and innovation - customer collaboration and co-creation - are here to stay. Though still in the early stages of growth and adoption they are fast becoming mainstream business practices, as the following examples illustrate.