Posts by Mari Anixter
Business Anthropology
Traditional market research and connection tools only take insight so far. To build a real bridge for innovation and new product efforts, new applications and approaches were needed to supplement the old mix.
Read MoreBusiness Becomes Human
An R&D scientist once said to me, “We need to always begin new product development projects this way,” after sifting through more than 20 in-depth consumer narratives of their condition. These people went into great details about their lives, their struggles, their rituals, and their beliefs. As we unpacked their learnings, the scientist understood the complexities of having…
Read MoreThe Right ROI of Innovation for Your Firm
Innovation as investment is a simple three-step process. First, figure out the risk-tolerance level, which allows you to get real with your expectations, roles, resources, and metrics. Second, come up with a mix based on the risk-tolerance level of your culture. Third, formalize the assignment – and kick off all projects with visible executive leadership support. This executive support is critically important.
Read MoreInnovation: A Journey of Discovery
Innovation gets defined so many ways that it can be confusing. While there is a repeatable framework for creating new value, the iterative nature of front end discovery work can perplex those who believe that work should be linear.
Read MoreTarget, Walgreens, Google – who will win?
Huge players are scrambling to make an impact: Walgreen’s, Google, Time Warner, Target, as well as an increasing number of healthcare technology start ups. Who will win?
Read MoreGrowth: That Crazy Talk
While iconic ventures stand as global luminaries of category-defining growth, such as the modern grocery store and overnight delivery, most businesses cower when facing growth.
Read MoreThe Gold Left on the Table
We always feel badly for clients of a full-cycle innovation project. After the many ideation and co-creation sessions, there are far too many viable concepts to pursue. In many cases, millions of dollars of market expansion, new products with tested, validated appeal, and new licensing opportunities get swept aside just because there are too many possibilities.
Read MoreCorporate Shamanism
Take risks. Leap into unknown and unexplored areas. Express yourself in new ways. Do these things to locate, validate, and capitalize on new areas of growth for your business. There are formal methods and processes for unlocking potential and manifesting new realities. We always tell clients to…
Read MoreWhat Henry Beard & Chris Cerf Can Teach Us about (Deceptive) Communication
Satirists Henry Beard and Christopher Cerf shine some light on Deliberately Deceptive Language.
Read MoreSpinglish for Innovators
Why is Spinglish important to innovation practitioners? All innovation has a political dimension and requires selling ideas (sometimes over and over and over again) and being able to translate possibilities into commitment, action, investment. It’s probably wise to be alert to the Spinglish on the other side of the table, and from time to time, using some spinning can be practical.
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