I was out to dinner with a friend last week, when I suggested he try something new.
He proceeded to tell me that he’s a creature of habit who likes to know what he’s getting and doesn’t see a need to branch out. So, I told him that he ought to try stepping outside the box. He replied, “I like the box.”
There’s something to be said about boxes. They’re uniform, they’re easily replicable, and they’re predictable. In the business world, these are traits highly prized by quality, finance and manufacturing professionals at enterprises large and small.
The challenge? How to manage the box without sacrificing innovation?
How many of marketers and sales professionals are stuck in “the box?” Do they know they’re in a box? Do they have any idea what forces created the box in the first place? Do they desire to get out? Do they know what to do to get out of the box?
In our innovation work, (market research, new product development, market communications and channel strategy) we’ve identified some factors that can help with the box situation. By keeping these in mind, you’ll avoid being one of so many businesses that struggle with innovation.
- Recognize you’re selling solutions. Yes, you make a product, but ultimately, your customers buy your product because it’s a solution. The challenge is to keep your team focused on customer solutions versus incremental line extensions. At Axiom, we use video to illustrate voice of customer (VOC) and voice of retailer (VOR). Our clients have commented that these video briefs are easier to share internally, more captivating and informative to teams, and more actionable than a typical market research report.
- Identify and embrace market disruptors. Your market, your customer base and your channel partners will be disrupted; you can count on it. The challenge is to figure out how to embrace the disruption and challenge your team to manage it. At Axiom, we use data from federal governments and the U.S. Patent Offices to help us identify market and technology factors which have the potential to disrupt. The real secret is to understand market velocity. We use a variety of highly predictive modeling methods to help our clients prioritize which factors merit further investigation.
- Communicate and empower. Much of the discussion about market disruption, new product development focus or market strategy typically resides at higher levels in organizations. What if this information was shared throughout the organization in a meaningful way? At Axiom, we use a couple of tools to help our clients achieve this. The first called Product Innovation Charter (PIC) is a three-page strategic marketing brief that helps our clients harness the collective power of groups that are not typically included in the innovation process. The second called Situational Outlook Questionnaire (SOQ) helps our clients understand the barriers to innovation as viewed by these groups. In this model, we benchmark findings against 14,000 different enterprises worldwide to provide further details to management about how to unleash everyone in the organization so they can contribute to innovation.
At Axiom, we don’t mind if you don’t like trying new foods. But, we will urge you to strive for innovation in all aspects of your business, because the risk is worthwhile, the results are tangible, and the reward is unparalleled. Remember: friends don’t let friends stay inside the box.
For more information, please contact mreiber@axiomcom.com.