Ideas for 2009: Innovation planning

Cool milk on the go.

An innovative product beats innovative advertising, so maybe it's time for advertising planners to explore the domain of product development. 

The market of today requries a balance of fast thinking, cost efficiency and above all creativity. This is where the modern advertising agency can excel compared to brand consultants and design agencies - not exactly known to be fast or cheap. Working with service delivery has also been an area where digital agencies have been successful. 

Product/service innovation doesn't have to be complicated either. It's just a matter of shifting perspectives: from promise to delivery. In other words, spend time on innovating a product or service instead of spending time on innovating advertising message. 

The milk bottles above is a simple example of identifying a new area of usage and target group behaviour with a repackaging as a result – without reinventing the wheel. Other ways and examples are:

1. Clustering of products and services into new offerings – Modernash IKEA service

2. New sales channels and customised offerings for – Dominos Pizza Builder

3. Develop new features – Virgin Atlantic Upper Class

4. New segmentation of target group – Penguin Books Dating

5. Develop accessories – Monocle Shop co-developed luggage

6. Knowledge services – Apple Store Genius Bar

7. Providing extra information – Dominos Pizza Tracker

8. Adding to the assumed lifetime – Filippa K second-hand store

9. Improving customers’ skills – Nikon School 

10. Setting up extra or better contacts – Comme des Carçons Pocket Shops

11. Friendly delivery systems –  Insinger private bank Shoebox

The important thing about innovation planning is to improve customer value rather than persuasion. Positive side-effects include full accountability (results on sales rather than ad effectiveness) and inherent PR value if done correctly.