John Winsor

Shifting Sands

What happens when an industries consumer behavior paradigm radically shifts:

Some of the video game industry’s smartest minds thought that couch potatoes wanted richer graphics and more challenging virtual worlds. It turns out that a lot of potatoes simply wanted to get off the couch.

(via The New York Times)

Do you know your customer's well enough to intimately understand their unarticulated needs? No matter what your brand does, there is no substitute for gaining deep knowledge through cultural archeology and immersion. It's all about an intimate conversation between the brand and it's customers.

Prize Fighters

What effect does offering a prize for innovative ideas? It turns out, a lot.

For a wonderful account that offering the prize of $1million is having on Netflix's goal of innovating their Cinematch database check out David Leonhardt's Economix column in inthe New York Times.

What is Community? #5

From Scott Bowers at Oakley:

As human beings we have an innate need to bond with others.    May it be for love, protection, self expression, a reason for being, or cause we need to bond. In bonding commonality is the first step.  Bonding can be achieved individually, or within the safety of a larger group.  Communities are based on commonalities, therefore they give us instant access to being part of what it is we want to bond to.  Communication is “key” in driving communities as it is the basis of sharing the reason for existence and identifying others who have common interests. 

With the advent of the internet, communities are multiplying, cross pollinating and thriving more than ever in our history.  From a marketing perspective marketers must recognize the potential in communicating to the communities that most align with the direction of their business.  Targeting communities will become more beneficial than simply targeting individuals.  But, to be successful the communication must connect with the community in an authentic way.

The Co-Creation Wave

"Today, customers aren’t just voicing their needs to companies that are willing to listen; they’re inventing and often building what they want."

- Eric Von Hippel, reporting on research that shows that the 70% to 80% of new product development that fails does so not for lack of advanced technology but because of a failure to understand users’ needs.

The era of co-creation has just begun.

(via Emergence Marketing)

What is Community, #4

From Jake Mckee:

A community is a group of people who form relationships over time by interacting regularly around shared experiences, which are of interest to all of them for varying individual reasons.

What Is Community?, #3

From Alex Bogusky at CP+B:

I've been thinking about this a bit, and it's not easy to add to the existing definition of community.

The most obvious change that has occurred is proximity is not a limiting factor anymore. The web has changed all that and it has been interesting without a doubt. But the fact is it's just not interesting to me right now. My physical move from one community to another has placed the notion of a more traditional form of community more front and center. Since I have come to Colorado, I've commented that I never belonged to a community in Miami and it's so fun to be a part of one. But as I look at all the Webster definitions of community, it appears that Miami has all the factors needed to be defined a community. So for me there is something missing in these definitions. And it seems to have something to do with the awareness people have of the larger community and the sacrifices they are willing to make for the community. The community almost has to be cared for to exist. It has to be seen as offering a good that is more important than what a single individual may offer. I think that may be what is missing from so many "communities" today.

For example: The business community becomes sick when the culture in the community is all about the individual. Too rarely does the self get put aside in the business community for the greater good of the community. And so for me it is a community mostly in name. And the inverse seems to be true. The more often the self is put second to the community the more vigorous the community becomes.  For the first time in my life, I'm part of a community that inspires me to the point where I think about the community and what it might prefer before I make personal decisions. I'm anxious to get my walk shoveled. I'm anxious to keep up the historic look of my home even though it means some personal sacrifices, etc. And it feels really good because it's a choice. A choice to put the interest of the group right along side your own. I can only hope that as communities evolve in real and in virtual ways we see more of this.

Keeping Up With Co-Creation

It's been heartwarming to see more momentum around co-creation. Case in point, John Bell over at Ogilvy PR has been writing some really good stuff. Check out his blog.

Quote of the Day

"He's an icon. Imagine that: Al Gore, Mr. Straight and Narrow, Mr. Dull on Wheels -- now he's culturally cool."

- Frank Luntz, the Republican consultant who advised George W. Bush to dispute global warming during the 2000 and 2004 elections.

What is Community?, #2

From Ian Yolles at Nau:

In its simplest form I think of community as a group of people who share a common set of interests and values. What intrigues me though is the relationship between the individual and the community. I think the deeper, more important subtext is identity based in that the social interactions and structures of the community begin to define one’s sense of self, one’s place in the world and one’s relationship with others.

What Is Community?, #1

As I mentioned in my last post, I've asked a few respected colougues the question, "What is Community" and will be sharing them in a series. Here's the first from fellow blogger and improv maestro, Johnnie Moore:

A group of people whose sense of identity is made up, to wildly varying degrees, by shared values/interests/passions. 

The varying degrees feels important.  It could range from religious sect or cult at one end to two people sitting on a plane comparing notes on flying experiences…