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Innovation or Incremental-ization? Tell it like it is.

Guest post by: Ed Delia

Article Overview: Innovation is “the act of introducing something new” according to The American Heritage Dictionary.

Innovation or Incremental-ization? Tell it like it is.

OK. I’ll go along with that. But what happens when something “new” is being introduced every time you turn around? It certainly seems to be the case these days. And that’s great for “incremental” economic growth. “New and improved” is what stimulates new and increased spending. But beware of hyperbole. A great brand image can be undermined by overstatement and exaggeration. Which is why I try to make a clear distinction between innovation and incremental-ization.
Just look at some of the so-called innovations we hear about every day. Is a cell phone made capable of sending e-mail truly an innovation? Or is that an incremental improvement to wireless communications?

Is it innovative that Amazon can determine what types of books I might like after making a few purchases? Or is that just an incremental improvement to the innovation of online commerce?

Is it innovative that you’re hearing my voice right now? Or is this just an incremental improvement to the innovation of digital communications?

As the stakes rise and the bar of innovation goes higher, I’m left asking, “Are we sometimes over-celebrating what could really be called incremental improvements?” Shouldn’t we hold the party for the truly original advancements?

For my money, something is only innovative if it dramatically changes the human experience. Just improving on the previous generation of your product or service doesn’t make it for me. And I’m not much different than the rest of the consuming public.

So what are truly innovative ideas?

Innovative ideas are what innovation guru Clay Christiansen calls, “disruptive.” They disrupt the normal path of development in an industry, shake up the leaders and the followers, and introduce a whole new way of doing, thinking or acting that wasn’t there before.

And where do these innovative ideas come from?

They come from average Americans like you and me. After all, coming up with big, bold ideas is what we Americans do best. Leave it to China to manufacture it, and India to program it. What Americans seem to have a knack for is innovation. And not just the tangible stuff. I’m talking about products and services, methodologies and theories.

In fact, I see evidence of our innovative spirit on an almost weekly basis. Many of the people I talk with during the course of business, after a while of conversation, tip their heads real close and whisper, “I’ve been working on an idea, but . . .” The but is usually followed by, “I’m not sure if it will fly” or “ I’m not sure if someone else has the idea” or “I’m not sure if I have the time” or “I’m not sure if we have the financial resources to get it off the ground.”

In the face of all those excuses, I say, “Go for it.” Don’t just “Move the Cheese” as Spenser Johnson might say, but “Smash It” as Martin Lindstrom might say. Because I firmly believe that a growing majority of true world-class innovations, in the years to come, will originate in the living room, and not in the boardroom.

Just be willing to take some risks. Be willing to enter un-chartered waters where analysis, research, market trends, and cultural norms cannot help you. You’ll probably encounter more roadblocks than passageways en rout to your goal. But thanks to marketing, at the very least, your innovation will see the light of day.

And if it changes the human experience in some significant way, branding will take it from there. Branding will give it relevance to our lives. It will elevate it beyond incremental improvement. It will take an innovative new way to store music, like the Apple iPod, and make it a cultural icon.

Thanks for listening.

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Article Tags: amazon, bold ideas, brand image, christiansen, digital communications, distinction, e mail, economic growth, exaggeration, followers, guru, human experience, hyperbole, incremental improvement, incremental improvements, innovations, innovative ideas, ization, overstatement, wireless communications



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