Return on Ideas A Practical Guide to Making Innovation Pay

by Nichols, David

• ISBN13: 9780470028575
• ISBN10: 0470028572
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-05-21
• Publisher: WILEY

Summary

Return on Ideas is a practical guide to getting more from the resources you put into your innovation process. David Nichols clearly shows why current innovation funnel models stifle rather than encourage new ideas, and offers a new methodology, 'rocketing', to tackle the problem.The first book to look in detail at innovation as a business-driving imperative, Return on Ideas provides the tools, techniques and processes to actually upgrade the way you tackle innovation, illustrated with examples from innovative companies such as Yo! Sushi, Apple, Vodafone, Unilever, P&G, Danone, Amex and Ben & Jerry's as well as unconventional sources such as theatre and comedy.

Author Biography

David Nichols is a marketing coach who “makes us feel like we can achieve everything we want” according to one of his global brand director clients. He teamed up with David Taylor in 2006 to become a Managing Partner of the brandgym, a consultancy that coaches teams to create a clear brand vision and the action plan to turn this into growth. He has led brand vision and innovation projects for many global companies and brands including Castrol, Vodafone, Unilever and Cadburys.
David is the author of “Brands & Gaming: The computer gaming phenomenon and its impact on brands and business” published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2005, cataloguing the rise and rise of a new global cultural phenomenon that is going to change the marketing landscape forever.
He started his career at OC&C Strategy consultants, moving on to the marketing consultancy Added Value where he spent 11 years rising to be Managing Director of the UK, including stints in Paris and as MD in Australia.
David has written and produced three full scale musicals and managed a professional improv troupe, The Impro Musical, working with Tony Slattery, Eddie Izzard and Greg Proops.
He has a first class degree in Aerospace Engineering from Bristol University and in his spare time is an aerobatic pilot.
Contact David at [e-mail]

Table of Contents

This is getting us nowhere

What is the problem? The Funnel

How to navigate this book

Segmenting users

The Case Study

The Calippo Shots story

Headlines

The Ice Cream scene

Starting with a clear vision

Generate lots of high quality ideas

Quickly getting down to the best ideas

Building the best ideas into winning mixes

After launch

Key takeouts

Handover

The Challenge

Innovation isn't working

Headlines

Innovation's the thing

Innovation isn't

Funnels Don't Work

10 Ways funnels stifle innovation

A dizzying conclusion

Key takeouts

Checklist: Is innovation being stifled by your funnel? Handover

The Core Idea

A new innovation paradigm: The Rocket Motor. Headlines

Innovation is, in fact, Rocket science. Key takeouts

Handover

Rocketing: Destination

Headlines

Being Clear

Hamster-wheeling

Begin with the end in mind

Key takeouts

Checklist: Destination

Handover

Rocketing: Combustion

Headlines

Not enough good ideas

Continuous Insight Fuel

From insight to fuel

360? insight

360 insight sources

Multiple ignition in parallel

Igniting the insight fuel

Parallel processing

Lisa and Mac

Practical ignition tools

The 3 Bucket Principle

What it is

Grave-robbing

Coda: A whole year view of Innovation

The 15% Rule. Your typical year

Key takeouts

Checklist: Combustion

Handover

Rocketing: Nozzle

Headlines

From whittle to 'wow'

Poor internal screening

Show business: Theatre Rules

Poor external screening

Show business: Idea Power

Key takeouts

Checklist: Nozzle

Handover

Rocketing: Expander

Headlines

Keeping positive

Innovation antibodies

Expand not evaluate

Be a builder not a knocker

Execution is everything

Get real feedback

Launch and tweak

Key takeouts

Checklist: Expander

Handover

The Entertainment

10 Innovations that make it look easy

Innovation shortcuts

New brands are innovations too

The 10 Innovations

The Practicalities

11 Doing it faster. Headlines

It always takes longer than you want it to

Case study: Project Blues for Unilever Foods

The approach

Plan in decisions

Smaller teams

Parallel ideation

Real time insight

Fast agencies

Real-time insight

Key takeouts

Checklist: Doing it faster

Handover

Avoiding the pitfalls

Headlines

Pitfalls and pratfalls

Nine Innovation pitfalls

No

1: Oops, the product is useless

No

2: 'Not invented here' syndrome

No

3: The 'could it be....?' killer

No

4: Over-testing

No

5: Killing by proxy

No

6: The off-guard boss

No

7: 'Yes, but ...'

No

8: Poor casting

No

9: Giving up

Handover

Appendix: The Rocketing Toolkit

Index

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