‘Innovating through the Crisis’

At Fronteer Strategy, Innovation and Brand Development are our two favourite topics, so we were very happy to be called this week by one of The Telegraaf’s senior business editors who was writing an article about the need for “A”-brands to innovate, ‘even’ in times of crisis. Here’s a summary of our point in English.

Many brands’ innovation programs are frozen like a deer in car headlights. The knee-jerk reaction of ‘putting your hand on your wallet’ (as we say in The Netherlands) is worsened by recent experience of mediocre-but-expensive innovation projects. As well as clearer goals and stronger focus, we argue that many companies need a change of approach too; rather than just attempting to do the same thing ‘on a budget’.  Opening up innovation to include and involve other stakeholders (such as suppliers, distributors, consumers or other experts) is the way forward. If it’s true that ‘wherever you work, the brightest people always work for somewhere else’ (as Bill Joy, the founder of SUN microsystems argues), then why try to do it all alone?

We speak to many companies about this issue, but funnily enough many of them seem to think that it’s very modern to co-create; that it’s only for really high-tech global leading brands like Apple or Nokia (one of our favourite clients, by the way…). But it’s not, is it? They are often surprised to hear that we use our co-creation methodology to support traditionally conservative brands like insurer Achmea, leasing megabrand Leaseplan and ‘Feels-like-home’ coffee leader Douwe Egberts.

Thanks to Giel at De Telegraaf for quoting us!