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Sometimes, innovation happens by accident. A couple of days ago, my six-year-old son, Charlie, decided to decorate my iPhone. The smiley face sticker has made the phone more fun to use. Instead, of not allowing people to try things, like Charlie sticking my phone, it's good to let go and allow for things to unfold.
The consumer gods have chosen to smile upon a select few in San Francisco. That, or Carrotmob has infiltrated another company.
The SF based and socially-responsible organization, Carrotmob, is trying to make companies more environmentally friendly. Rather than apply negative pressure – threaten to boycott or sign a petition – Carrotmob offers a “juicy carrot,” a token of sorts that could potentially yield high profits for the companies involved.
As creator Brent Schulkin says in his blog:
We will create a large network of consumers. We will form partnerships with other larger advocacy groups to use their research and infrastructure. Together we will identify opportunities for improving corporate behavior. For example, let's say there's an environmentally harmful chemical in common brands of soap. We would approach several competing soap companies. We will explain the problem, and see which of them is willing to eliminate the harmful chemical. They will bid for our support. Each company will raise the bar with how much good they are willing to do. Perhaps Company X pledges to remove the chemical. Then Company Y pledges to remove the chemical and reduce factory emissions 20%. And so on. The bigger our network, the further they will be willing to go. We accept the best offer. Company Y agrees to take the steps that we want, and then we make it worth their while with a carrot: Everyone in the network buys millions of dollars worth of their soap, and in the process Company Y gains a wealth of reputation capital as well. The most responsible business decision also gets the most profit. Delicious!
Putting theory into practive, Schulkin approached roughly two-dozen shops and asked if they were willing to dedicate a small portion of sales to an energy-saving initiative. K&D Market won Carrotmob’s business, pledging 22% of their profits. In return, Schultz utilized a array of social networks – MySpace, Facebook, Carrotmob blog, and a number of online videos – and was able to get 300 people to “mob” the Market on a predetermined day. The store pulled in an estimated $10,000, four times as much as a typical day.
I've got a weakness. You've got it, it's chocolate. I just love the stuff. Another thing I dig are brands that create cultural tension. Fat Pig Chocolate certainly does that. And it's even Oinkganic! I'm predicting a big success here.
via Josh Spear
I always love to find products that are interesting mash-ups. More brands need to think about the context of what their customers are doing when they are using a product and try to increase the pain points. 3M's Post-It got it right with the pen above.
David Armano has a wonderful post on becoming a Digital Anthropologist.
It occurred to me that companies really need to be looking at the social revolution for possibly one reason over everything else. Insights into human behavior that can lead to future innovations or even product/service improvements.
What I noticed while writing Beyond the Brand: Why Engaging the Right Customers is Essential to Winning in Business and focusing on anthro-journalism at Radar for so many years is that many people tend to stop at collecting the insight on the information ladder. As Einstein said: “Any fool can know, the point is to understand.”
Information has leveled the playing field; everyone now has access to the same data to drive insights in our digital world. The key is transforming insights into relevant innovation. Companies must actively develop bottom-up tools, digital ethnography being one, to understand and transform information into action.
To find meaning in what they learn about their customers, they must identify what keeps the community balanced: its center of gravity. By deeply understanding this center of gravity, any company can move more quickly in driving relevant innovation for their customers, and not spend time or energy going in the wrong direction.
The key is to truly listen to the stories that customers and non-customers alike are telling about their lives, their cultures and how they really feel about the company and its products. It is crucial to understand, on an intuitive level, what the community needs and wants.
In the end, pursuing a bottom-up strategy, by connecting with customers digitally, means seeking enough inspiration and input to find the magic to drive innovation. It means breaking out of categories, words, and definitions. It means focusing on developing a renewed sense of wonder. It means really getting to know your customers, and suppliers, as people. Whether you connect with them digitally or face to face.
From Fellow CP+Ber, Todd Walker.
