Page 66 - Free the Idea Monkey

Solution: Want to bet? When was the
last time you did extensive voice of the cus-
tomer work? We’ve never (never, ever, ever ... )
presented qualitative video clips without
senior management being shocked at what
their consumer/customer—who “we know so
well”—was saying about their company.

Where there is real understanding about the
consumer, there is true possibility for innova-
tion. Where there is a big insight, you can create a big innovation.

Extra Credit: And who are you listening to?
For example, look at what is happening with tweens. It used to
be that moms made most of the buying decisions. Today, armed with
smart phones and the Internet, kids have much more to say about
what gets purchased.

4. The Challenge: We’re getting our asses kicked.
(And we can’t get out of our own way.) This may be
due to politics, apathy or even lack of talent.

The way the complaint is usually presented:
The only people who say this are senior manag-
ers (and we only hear it after we have been out
to dinner with them, and they have had a
couple of drinks). Then they say, “We’re sick
of our competitors successfully launching
ideas that we had in our pipeline years ago.”

Solution: The best innovators have a system in which they
rotate innovation teams (Idea Monkeys) to get fresh eyes on old
ideas. These new innovation leaders are often required to test old
ideas along with their new ones.

Extra Credit: Too often ideas favored by the boss get undo con-
sideration. (Hey boss, I know that innovation is fun, but unless you
are willing to be a good Monkey and play by your own rules, hands
off!) All concepts must meet the prescribed innovation criteria, all
must address a quantified need, and all must live on only if the con-
sumer says so.

51C H A P T E R 3