Dancepants
From Innovationclass
Maggie's Innovative Organization
Making any organization truly innovative is difficult no matter its size. However, I believe dealing with a smaller group like 25, is much more manageable and realistic. I would like to base my innovative organization off of a PR firm in Boulder that I interned for. They are a relatively small firm and seem to have a special quality that I haven't yet seen in other work places.
I believe that one of the most important elements of making a workspace innovative is the actual office atmosphere. Having an office that is cozy, creative, and untraditional looking helps to add to this ambiance. The firm I interned for uses an array of bright colors in its office including the colors of the walls and even the materials that each employee's workspace is made out of. There are also no cubicles in this office. Each desk is a complete open space, which allows the employees to talk to one another as they are working and shout out comments to one another as needed. This helps to create a team- oriented vibe and allows the employees to bond over their work. The refrigerator in the office is always stocked with a variety of nutritious foods for the employees to choose from and munch on whenever they feel like it. A large kitchen with bar stools is also a big part of the general office space. This helps to provide a fun meeting place for the employees and allows them to work and socialize over food which makes what they're doing seem less like work.
Another important part of making an organization innovative is trusting the employees and giving them the opportunity to get their work done when they are most focused. Not to say that there shouldn't be deadlines in the work place, however, I don't agree with a workplace that stresses out its employees so much that they have no time for breaks and are stressed out to the point that they can't think clearly or produce their best work. This firm has flexible hours and generally lets employees come in when they want to and leave when they want to. Their timeline is up to them as long as they get the work done. They have the time to take lunch breaks and throughout the day if they feel like leaving and going for a walk, for example, they are free to do so.
Producing innovative and interesting work is of course one of the most important goals of any organization. I believe that if a workspace is designed to be innovative that producing innovative work just comes naturally. Remaining calm, relaxed, smart, healthy, focused, and hardworking are characteristics that employees of an innovative organization should have. As long as the basic structure of a space remains creative and different, then everything about the organization should continue to be innovative, as well.
What were you surprised by?
First of all, I thought it was really interesting to look at a list of the top 100 most innovative companies. It was cool to see the different brands that made it on there. But yes, I was very surprised at the rankings!
It is no surprise that Apple and Google are #1 and #2 as they have both sort of changed the face of technology and have made it seem more "attractive," user-friendly, and fun. However, just behind these ranked brands are 3M, Toyota, General Electric, and Nokia (?). I don't understand why these brands are ranked so high. My first reaction was "what is 3M? " I completely understand why Toyota is on the list because of their "moving forward" campaign and the creative ads that go with it, however, I believe that some of the other brands on the list are more innovative than they are. To me, General Electric has not really done anything innovative. When I think of them I think of light bulbs and they haven't done anything to make light bulbs exciting. Also, why Nokia and not Verizon? I think Verizon has done some really good work with their "can you hear me now?" campaign. It's humorous and memorable. Everyone can recognize the guy with the glasses and everyone knows it's "the network." I didn't even see Verizon on the list at all.
Another aspect to note about this list is the fact that some of the hottest, and most innovative brands out there today were much lower down on the list than I think they should be. These include Starbucks, Target, Nike, Whole Foods, and McDonald's. I would expect most of these to be at the top of the list. Each of these brands have created a niche in the market and have found a way to show consumers that what they sell is important. They have created a need. And they are all creative. And just to note, Wal-Mart was ranked higher than Target!? And McDonald's is one of the most recognizable brands in the world and it was ranked last!
Questions for Bogusky
1. What does innovation mean to you?
2. How does CP+B think about/perceive innovation and how do you all go about carrying this out in your daily work?
Innovative Companies
There are three companies from the Top 100 list that I am most interested in. These include Apple, Google, and Target. Obviously technology in general is growing and growing these days and becoming a much bigger part of our lives. So many of our interactions are done by the use of technology rather than face to face and we get the majority of our information online, it seems. I believe that the success of both Apple and Google have had a lot to do with this movement. They have really played a role in the transformation of our society. I think it would be really interesting to delve deeper into the ideas behind these companies (like how they operate and where they are headed in the future, for example). Target has been a popular company for a while, viewed as the "high end" of the super stores. I think Target has been able to take the super store, "sell everything" model and make it cool. Target has some wonderful branding and advertising and I would like to look further into how this has contributed to the brand's success and aura.
Innovation Blogs
1. www.joshspear.com - Blog on trends and what's current in all sorts of different categories (art, books, design, fashion, music, travel, to name a few). Relevant because this site allows user to discover what's new and what is "now" in pop-culture.
2. http://imbringingbloggingback.blogspot.com - Blog on celebrity gossip. Observing celebrities and watching how they behave is really relevant to our culture and society and it's perhaps indicative to what we will do/how we will act.
3. http://voicethread.com - People commenting on random things by showing pictures and creating a voice recording describing the given topic/thing. Really cool new way to blog about something in a more interactive way. This site gets people involved in different topics in a new way.
4. http://imaginatikresearch.blogspot.com - Daily weblog focusing on innovation, knowledge management, and idea management. It includes articles, info, and insight on innovation with an edge towards business. This site is an interesting way to examine business and new ideas in terms of being innovative.
5. www.innovationtools.com/weblog/innovationblog-detail.asp - "The most innovative and smart blog community is here." This site has articles, books on innovation, and examines innovation in the news.
6. http://blog.fastcompany.com/faq.html - Fast Company magazine's staff weblog. Each day staff members comment on ideas, business news, current events, and useful web resources.
7. http://outsideinnovation.blogs.com - About designing business, products, services, and business models. This site teaches people to look at their customers for innovation-- customer led innovation.
8. http://visionarymarketing.wordpress.com - Marketing, strategy, innovation, and internet blog. This site discusses how companies market online and how this is effecting consumer behavior. It is very nontraditional and an interesting way to look at the market and where it and its consumers are going in the future.
9. www.blogcatelog.com - Looks at blogs by country, language, or by user. This site is great because it has more information than one could ever imagine. It includes many different categories/topics that people can comment on, provide info on, and say whatever they want on.
10. http://appleinnovation.blogspot.com - Innovations at Apple. This site includes news, articles, case studies, best practices, insights, ideas, and success stories. Apple is one of the most innovative companies today and it is interesting to read about innovation in the company, as well as innovative practices surrounding the company.
HBR.org Breakthrough Ideas for 2008
There were three ideas from the HBR's "Breakthrough Ideas" that I found to be really interesting.
The first idea, "Here Comes the P2P Economy," is discussed by Stan Stalnaker. He discusses the idea of production, buying, and selling between smaller businesses or individuals. "Peer to peer" illustrates the idea that a consumer would also be a producer, for example. I think this is interesting to think about and quite smart. It's true that the consumer is the biggest "advertiser" out there in terms of getting out information through word of mouth. People know what they want and what better way to get products out there than to have these very people who are purchasers also be producers?
The second idea, "Task, Not Time: Profile of a Gen Y Job," is discussed by Tamara J. Erickson. She suggests that employees should be praised/compensated for what they actually are doing, as opposed to however many hours they have logged in. It seems with so many companies today that employees are not getting much attention for the work they are doing. In some cases with larger companies, employees are just a number and not a name. All that is made note of is how much time they spent in the office and this becomes what they are compensated for. How can any change or real work come about without actually paying attention to what is being done?
The last, and most interesting idea to me, "The Board Meeting of the Future," is discussed by John J. Medina. This idea seems to be truly innovative to me and goes along with the very ideas our class has been discussing with our innovative companies. Medina proposes a "brain-friendly" workplace. This is not the typical work place with cubes. This is thought of as a hindrance to the brain. Medina suggests a workplace with work out machines and comfortable, moveable clothes to be worn. This does sound kind of silly and perhaps unprofessional, but it does have a good point.. how can being limited to the typical workplace be good for innovation and in turn, business?
John Seely Brown
On the HBR's "Breakthrough Ideas for 2008," John Seely Brown and Douglas Thomas discuss "The Gamer Disposition." They suggest that the workplace of the twenty-first century should be similar to the principles of an online game. They discuss the idea that online games are different and innovative. They focus on creativity. They are also fun and stress learning new things. What a great model to base your business off of? This kind of place would be conducive to handling things in a new way. Perhaps employees would place more value on different perspectives. Teamwork would probably improve. And people would not simply look for the easy way out to solve a problem. They would search for the most creative and effective way to solve the problem. I think this idea should really be implemented into some businesses to see what would in fact really happen. My guess is that employers and employees would be pleasantly surprised. And it would be fun to base the work place off of a game.
Notes on IDEO
Ideo is THE "innovative" organization that we have been basing our class environment on. On their website they list different goals that they have for running their business, which has helped to guide us in making our manifesto of goals for our class. Ideo is ranked as one of the world's most innovative companies and they basically act as a consulting firm for product innovation and design. Ideo helps businesses in 3 ways: Identifying opportunities by revealing ways to support people, design, and by enabling organizations to transform their cultures. They have employees from all different backgrounds working for them in order to provide a different perspective on different issues that come up. Their team members observe, brainstorm, create prototypes, and implement.
Innovative Individuals.. Interesting Note
I was searching on Google for "innovative individuals" and I found a list of "50 People Who Matter," created by CNN Business 2.0. On this list are big timers, Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey, however, also on this list is Alex Bogusky, which I thought was worth noting. Pretty cool that someone who does advertising right in our neck of the woods is on this list. Bogusky is rated #32 and the main reason why "he matters" is because he has helped to redefine what advertising is. Due to his work on revamping some of the most troubled clients, if he keeps this up, Bogusky is predicted to be named one of the "greatest talents in the history of the ad business," according to CNN.
Our Own Innovative Minds
One of the things we were asked to think about in class is our own innovative minds. Last week when we were asked to think about items to add to the manifesto I found it interesting to see what people suggested. There were some items that all of us agreed on, yet there were several items that others had suggested that people really didn't like. It got me thinking about how we each have our own idea in our head of what "innovative" means. There are obviously going to be basic things that everyone will agree on, however, taking it further, it seems that there are some aspects of innovative thinking that some value while others do not.
Agencies Reforming Advertising
How will advertising be re-invented for the future? Where has advertising been versus where is it going? These are interesting questions to think about and in order to answer them it helps to examine some of the agencies today who are truly changing the face of advertising. Two of these agencies include Wexley School for Girls and St. Lukes. Wexley and St. Lukes both have incredibly interactive and fun websites. Wexley displays all of the work they have done on their website and they do this in an interesting way by allowing the user to click on different animated condiment pictures (each condiment takes the user to a different category of work). Wexley has the traditional categories of different kinds of advertising, however, they seem to take them to a new level. Instead of just print ads, they have print that's thought provoking. It's specifically created to make you stare at it for a while before you understand fully what is going on. They also have film, guerilla pieces, and interactive web pieces. St. Lukes seems to be known for their work on Ikea by coming up with the line, "be brave, not beige." One of the things that's interesting about their site is that they do not simply showcase their work but they discuss their philosophy on good advertising. They discuss how it's important to create a brand that has a deep understanding of the consumer. It is only this way that an ad becomes resonant and important. Similar to our manifestor idea, "go for quantity," they also believe that it is important not to push one idea on a client when dealing with them. Instead they prefer to explore a broad range of ideas. There are also some websites worth examining when thinking about how advertising is changing. These include firebrand, ads of the world, and adfreak. All of these sites allow the user to be able to watch different ad spots. They also include different interactive games that the user can play and they allow the user to upload their own content if they would like. There is even commentary provided on some of the spots. After exploring a bit of what's being done today, it seems that today there are no boundaries with advertising. It's almost like anything goes. And like we discussed in class, any work that's put out there with a message is a form of media, no matter what it is. I think this is great for advertising. Advertising itself is jumping out of the traditional "box." It's not as defined anymore into specific categories but rather much more open ended. I believe that advertising needs to continue evolving and as long as it keeps connecting with the consumer in mind, it can really do anything.
How Would You Change Advertising?
This is another one of the many thought provoking questions that we have been asked in class. What would we keep in advertising? What would we toss? What would we introduce? And how would we structure an agency to do good work and if it is in fact good work, does it matter in what form? I believe that at the heart of advertising is a passion for creativity. I feel that this is something that advertisers have strived for for years in their work. Being able to put something out there that is unique and speaks to the consumer in a lasting way is the core of advertising. I believe the very basic values of advertising should remain. I think the motivation for creating good work should stay the same. However, I would try and throw this idea of "tradition" out the window and allow advertisers to introduce new forms of work to us; different forms of media. Media is already rapidly changing today and I believe that it can continue to change. The important thing is just keeping those core values behind the work that's made. There is nothing wrong with tradition but there is most certainly something to be said for creating a piece of work that gets the consumer to think about something in a new way; a way that they have never thought about or seen before. And if there's success, it will motivate them to act.
3 Innovative Agencies
From the long list of advertising agencies that our class came up with, there are 3 that I believe to be truly innovative: Strawberry Frog, Wexley School for Girls, and TAXI. One thing that each of these agencies has in common is a fun, creative, attention grabbing (yet simple) website. However, they each have their own ways of being innovative.
Strawberry Frog:
This agency prides themselves on sparking cultural movements for their brands and creating a cultural connection between these brands and the consumer. Their name and logo both stand out and represent exactly who they are: a blossoming trail of energy, creativity, and fresh ideas. Momentum. Strawberry Frog strives to differentiate themselves from the “dinosaurs,” their less-than-favorable nickname for the big corporate ad guys out there. They are small but they think big and they think with a purpose. Similar to Ideo’s guiding principles, as well as our class’s manifesto, Strawberry Frog has “frogisms.” My favorites are “believing you CAN outwit the dinosaurs,” “creating perpetual motion, one step at a time,” and “in a world full of dinosaurs, it’s good to be a frog.” What a great way to encourage thinking, continuity, and differentiation.
Wexley School for Girls:
This agency seems to scream “fun!” to me. My favorite part about them is their creative work. Wexley divides their work into four sections of four pertinent forms of media. They create thought provoking print ads that make the viewer sit back and ponder the idea for a while before they know what’s going on. They are also involved in the creation of experimental marking, interactive websites, and short films. I haven’t seen anything quite like this agency’s work.
TAXI:
When one first enters TAXI’s website, the first thing one reads is, “where do you want to go?” which makes one ponder the question, as well as lures one further into the site and into who TAXI is as an agency (how clever). TAXI uses integration to build their brands and with a few simple steps that they follow, it is clear that TAXI knows “where they want to go” and what they are doing. These steps include, “direction,” “process,” “mission,” and “culture.” TAXI has two guiding principles that they live by, “doubt the Conventional” and “create the Exceptional.” What better way to throw out all limits?
How did we get to be where we are in the ad program?
At the beginning of the program I didn’t know much about advertising at all, actually. I decided to major in advertising for the creative aspects that it holds and I thought it would be interesting. About to graduate in May, I now know an incredible amount more about advertising and how it works than I did when I first started out. Given that the main reason I got into advertising was because of its creativity, in the beginning of the program I wanted to be a creative. With the Intro to Creative Concepts course, I soon realized that coming up with a truly creative, different idea is much more difficult that one might think. I had kind of imagined it as all fun and games but in order to create “good” advertising, one must exert a huge amount of effort and thinking. I also discovered that in order to be a creative in the ad world, one has to think about things differently than the average person does (in my opinion). Creatives seem to be a whole different type of people. While I love to come up with new ideas and though I found this type of work to be interesting, I realized that it wasn’t for me. After taking the Branding and Positioning course, I found that I liked the analyzation process of advertising more. I found it fun to look at different audiences and to try and figure out what they want and how a brand can be built to cater to a given audience. I decided to go with the Strategy track of advertising because it seemed more broad to me and I felt that I could do more with it in the future. Now that I am about to graduate, I am not certain that I want to work in an ad agency. I do know that I would like to work in a field where I can draw upon what I have learned in my major, however. I have really enjoyed my time in the ad program; the classes are fun, you learn a lot of relevant information, and the faculty is great. Advertising seems to be a really fun field and it’ll be interesting to see where it takes me.
Ideas for a Creative Thinking Course
Slayden had mentioned the thought of introducing a Creative Thinking course as part of the ad program and in turn doing away with the Intro to Creative Concepts course. I definitely think what’s learned in the Creative Concepts course is valuable but perhaps the course could just be made to be more extensive and more in depth. When we presented our ads to the class, I really enjoyed seeing the different ideas that people would come up with for one product. It enabled me to think about the product differently than I had thought about it before. However, students never really discussed their ads and why they went the route that they did. Adding an element such as this to a creative course would add a whole new element of “thinking” about the ads and why they work to sell the product.
Foundations, Concepts, and Executions
As far as thinking about foundations, concepts, and executions, I believe that the ad program does a really good job at all three. I think it is really important to take Principles of Advertising, as well as Principles of Journalism and Mass Media. Although the Intro to Journalism and Mass Media courses may not seem as relevant to the ad sequence as opposed to some of the others, I definitely think they are important and that they are really good foundations to have before moving on further throughout the program. I also think the concept courses, Branding and Positioning and Intro to Creative are also very important. Once students reach those courses they already have a basic foundation of the ideas behind advertising. Those classes just take those ideas more in depth. They help to broaden the mind of the student. Someone mentioned in class that they feel that execution should be part of the process all along, as opposed to just at the end of the program. This is something I agree with and I feel that the ad program is doing this. In both of the concept courses that I already mentioned, as well as in Ad Media and Intermediate Creative, I feel that students are most definitely given the opportunity to execute their ideas, through creating actual ads or writing case studies of ideas. Lastly, the main execution course in the ad program is the Campaigns course. I believe this to be hugely important and I feel that it really gives students the idea of what it might be like to work in an agency. I think working with a real live client is really valuable and it’s not something that students get to do in the other courses. I also think it’s really important to be able to work with other students in a group to be able to pull together strategic, as well as creative work into one final product. A campaign is in no way one sided and needs elements from both sides in order to work. Slayden’s suggestion to begin an actual ad agency in the CU ad program as opposed to having the Campaigns course, is also an interesting idea. I believe that the important elements from the Campaigns course could be taken and used in a student agency format. I think giving students the opportunity to create an agency and to allow them to come up with a name for their agency and a feel, would be really cool.
