Innovation Unleashed

 

The velocity of innovation is increasing.

Q: Do you know what that means?

A: Creative Destruction *Look it up

Bloomberg: "Does the Apple iPad Make Strategic Sense?"

It's hard to bet against Apple. The two things I admire most about the company are its ability to think holistically about business models (iPod + iTues, iPhone + the App store, iPad + iBookstore) and its willingness to keep innovating. Imagine how different it would have been if Apple stopped at the first generation iPod, or just rode the iPod for as long as it could. Its willingness to step out and enter into new categories is an important lesson for all companies.

via bloomberg.com

Apple is certainly one of the five most innovative companies today. They make consumer friendly products that do new as well as old tasks (email etc) for consumers. They have been seemingly able to raise the bar continually.

If one is not risking failure, one is not making the movements that lead to innovation. For the most part, it looks like Apple got past most of the challenges they came across in the development of the iPad.

Posted via web from admore's posterous

Coca Cola Bottle Innovation

Coca-Cola Co., under fire from environmentalists for using plastic bottles, has introduced a new packaging material made partly from plants. The container has "the same weight, the same feel, the same chemistry, and functions exactly the same way" as a regular plastic bottle, a Coke spokeswoman says.

via online.wsj.com

Beverage manufactures are under pressure on multiple fronts.

Environmentalists want things like carbon removed from the CPG supply chain. According to the article plastic (PET) is not recycled at a high rate. Here in Michigan there is a ten cent deposit on beverages that are carbonated. The redemption rate on recyclable containers, including cans, is reported as between 95% and 99%.

The lighter beverage makers can make containers, the more that is saved on fuel costs that are part of distribution. It's a delicate balancing act. Strength must be maintained and the package must protect the contents from changing when exposed to environmental conditions that vary. Heat and light being two that may affect the contents.

Posted via web from admore's posterous

Apple Grows iTunes Store Revenue

via online.wsj.com

Apple has done a really effective job creating a digital distribution model. Quarterly sales in the iTunes store have increased from $300 million five years ago, to over $900 today million.

Posted via web from admore's posterous

Think Outside The Box: Break Down

 

The phrase, ‘think outside the box’ has become commonplace.

The box represents the imaginary limitations or parameters for a situation. These “Dimensions of Value” are leverage points that create value to the customer.  Think of the box as having three or six sides. Each side is a value point to the consumer.

For any particular product or service there is a standard that represents the current market. As that market gains new entrants, there will be an increase in competition and a decrease in operating margins. An organization is challenged to increase innovation.

Innovation is or may be achieved via moving one of the walls of the box. Consumers change over time. What is optimal for consumers today, is suboptimal for customers tomorrow.

Organizations must challenge themselves with innovation that increases consumer value as well as returns to the firm. This must be done even if it destroys the old business. The organization is better off destroying itself via innovation than to be destroyed by an outside force with no alternatives available.

The Wall Street Journal Leaves Out Something Important

Questions:

• Who wrote this article?
• Should one buy a subscription with the anticipation that the writer is a regular and that their writing and analysis is enlightening and valuable?
• If the most important asset of the firm is the people who work there, why not promote them?
• Is the writer on Twitter or other social networks?
• Why not have a link to past columns?
• How about having links to all the articles on the main topics of this article? Like an index for the day, week, month, with all mentions on important people and topics.

Commentary:

There is so much room for innovation in business. The problem is that people still expect cheese to appear at “Cheese Station C” even after it clearly is not returning. Reference from the book “Who Moved My Cheese?”

The world is changing and we need to change too:

• Recognizing that change is actually occurring.
• Self motivation to change ourselves.
• Take actions to recalibrate the situation.

 

What are your thoughts?

The Flow of Information

The cycle of information. Where it starts, where it leads.

This is not always the process but how it sometimes works. Compelling content creates positive chemical reactions. These reactions can be captured. See below how it all played out.

 

1. Email from Smart Brief ---> Leads to article on CNNMoney.com: “Garbage mogul makes millions from trash”

2. Search on Twitter for TerraCycle

http://search.twitter.com/search?q=TerraCycle

BTRfeatures: Come listen to the Innovative Business Model: TerraCycle show by Planet Good Radio on BlogTalkRadio LIVE at http://tobtr.com/s/437950

 

3. Top result from BlogTalkRadio Link leads to…

Planet Good Radio
Show Name: Innovative Business Model: TerraCycle

4. Listen to show…

3.5 Before listening… see an Amazon book link… visit site to see book. Added book to Wish List.

Results/Takeaway:

• Information that is compelling drives decisions and actions.
• BlogTalkRadio gets more mind time
• Amazon gets the sale
• TerraCycle gets a positive reference point in mind
• Tom Szaky gets recognition and searches. [seems like an innovational entrepreneur]

What are your thoughts?

Hiring?

Who is Hiring?

People with money are hiring. Who are these people with money?
We call them customers [or prospects in sales speak].

Find their wants and needs. Serve them. Create a customer. Market to them, then innovate your product or service. Innovation drives prosperity.