IDEON » Ideas

REBOOTING “MADE IN USA”

andrea — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:26:17 +0000

Amidst the hubbub over whether the U.S. in decline—spurred in part by new books by Ed Luce, Niall Ferguson and Ian Bremmer—McKinsey reported on the standout strength of US cities. The report says that by 2025, New York and L.A. will be the world’s second and fourth largest cities, by GDP. McKinsey also noted the growth potential of America’s top 28 welterweight cities, and it’s this middle layer that Fast Company’s United States of Innovation issue sees as home to some of the most attractive entrepreneurial advantages. And growth won’t just come from service jobs. A fascinating special report from The Economist points to a third industrial revolution, fueled by digital processes like 3D printing and software innovations, that may bring manufacturing back home. These radical production changes will make New York, L.A. and the 28 cities more important than ever for brands. What do you think?

ATTRACTING FLUENCY

andrea — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 13:55:57 +0000

Well-known for signs lost in translation, China is brushing up on its English through an official menu translation book—say goodbye to dishes like ”wood mustache meat.” The Chinese are pushing the mastery of English as an economic priority, but proficiency with language is not only practical—it actually improves the way brains work. As bilingual brains are forced to resolve conflicts between different language systems, they build increased cognitive power, absorption and skills. In this way, learning another language seems to correlate to increased innovation, influencing economic development: Utah owns the highest percentage of foreign-language speakers (thanks to returning Mormon missionaries) and the fastest job growth rate in America. H igh-tech startups and even eBay and Goldman Sachs are capitalizing on Utah’s multilingual talent pool. Finally, bilingual immigrants seem to be healthier than other populations, though the reasons for this are unclear. Which benefits of bilingualism are most surprising to you? Let us know @ClickIdeon!

DRAWING ATTENTION

andrea — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 16:45:11 +0000

Recently, Pinterest has reached critical mass online. Making scrapbooks more relevant and powerful digitally, over 10 million individuals, brands, and even the US Army are now pinning away, sharing themes or images that catch their eye. But what about words? Fifty years ago, the highlighter changed the way people noted important text; today, in an increasingly visual digital world, how will meaningful words and concepts be called out and “pinned”? Other physical to digital reinterpretations may be possible for the Rubik’s cubes and Legos of the world; just look at the classic web 1.0 game Virtual Bubble Wrap, now a mobile app, too. Other staples of culture, like signatures, are simply dying out. What aspects of life or tools do you think should be parlayed online, or perhaps, can never be replaced?

Join the conversation @ClickIdeon—and be sure to check out our boards on Pinterest!

DE-RISKING RISK

andrea — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:43:02 +0000

Steve Lohr pointed to Steve Jobs’ ability to take risks as key to Apple’s innovation, but as Malcolm Gladwell wrote last year, the greatest innovators and brands may not be risk-takers at all. Fast Company’s latest issue spotlighted today’s disruptors, including the founder and CEO of Dyson, who said it took a whopping 5,127 tries to prototype the new and now successful bagless vacuum. Jobs himself was a notorious perfectionist. All these observations underline the notion that the best leaders have a relentless thirst for knowing what their customers want, and delivering on it time and again. Deep, smart insights inform leaders and give a brand strength. And it’s easier than ever for brands to stay close to their customers; no cliff-jumping necessary.

avoiding ignorance

andrea — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 14:39:40 +0000

State of the News Media’s 2011 report proves that as of December 2010, more Americans get their news from the internet than from print. But with convenience and speed comes the caveat: does the internet make us stupid, too? Will the magpie approach to news and entertainment reduce our worldview? That’s what Eli Pariser contends in his book “The Filter Bubble”: that the personalized web, or “junk food internet,” leaves us ignorant of the breadth of human experiences. Gawker corroborated this by calling out the Washington Post Op-Ed section’s online division by political view. We at Ideon believe that bringing conflicting information to light only leads to greater insight.

Stating Patently

andrea — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 12:44:18 +0000

As a national strategy, China is trying to build an economy that relies on innovation rather than imitation. China’s State Intellectual Property Office’s 2015 filing expectations of 2 million patents are “mind-blowing numbers,” according to the USPTO director. Even though these patents are pushing quantity over quality, “The West is overly discounting Asia’s growth potential,’ warns a Singapore-based Western visionary. Smart, nimble, innovative Asian start-ups demand to be worked with, rather than ignored by large Western enterprises as they are the hatching grounds for human innovations and commercial applications that drive lasting change. How will Western brands compete? Ask Ideon.

Measuring Happiness

andrea — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 13:20:53 +0000

Many critics argue that GDP and other economic indicators are woefully insufficient to fully capture global evolution. TheStateoftheUSA.org, is redefining how we value quality of life in the USA and globally. The site features more than 20 new indices to provide a clearer picture and focus over time—providing a dynamic dashboard that delivers constantly. With instant access to national information, the site will “shift the debate from opinions, to more evidence-based discussions” – that is, we should be able to better measure how happy we are, or how green we’re living. Even Google is entering the fray by using its vast shopping data to provide a ‘Google Price Index’ among other data-rich indicators and tools. Just like Ideon pores over data to discover insights and visualize patterns that help brands grow.

Finding Worth

andrea — Mon, 10 May 2010 20:05:45 +0000

James Surowiecki thinks both high- and low-end brands are growing in this recession, at the middle’s expense. While it’s “well-priced adequacy” that helps value brands gobble upwards, high-end quality is worth splurging for, and the middle loses. IKEA, H&M and the Flip video camera do as well now as Hermès and Apple. Paradoxically, ignoring the middle can still appeal to consumers, but look at Dell, Sony and GM brands to see vagueness winning no one. Identifying key differentiators to develop a unique brand platform is crucial to any brand’s success today; see what Ideon has done for Virgin Atlantic Airlines, Fleishman-Hillard—and BP in Adweek (5-10-2010).

Translating Meaning

andrea — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:58:33 +0000

Brad Stone’s article “Old Fogies by Their 20’s” tells us how rapid technology innovation is fomenting wider generational gaps—and shows how words no longer have the same meaning as generational differences splice ever faster. When today’s infant identifies “kindle” as “book,” it presages a cultural shift in which younger generations are going to have “some very peculiar and unique expectations about the world.” How will we effect the change that’s crucial to the world’s survival with such differences between the generations and technology? How will global brands stay relevant across multiple generations sliced by 2, 3 or 5-year segments, and resonate with this multi-tasking, instant-access, non-commercial iGeneration.

Circumventing Recession

andrea — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 05:02:20 +0000

Recently, a local Swedish IKEA showroom harnessed the photo “tagging” feature of Facebook into a genius social networking raffle campaign that built an interested network of friends for the store. Another brilliant social network brand builder is the Comparethemarket.com ad campaign where Aleksandr Orlov, an animated Russian meerkat, is the unlikely spokesman for a UK car insurance aggregator, but is one of the most acclaimed social media stars of the moment. Aleksandr has 600,000 Facebook friends and 30,000 Twitter followers, and an immortally limited edition replica sold through Harrods. On YouTube, Johnny Lee’s creative whiteboard workaround for public schools for less than $200 is still being shared two years later. Social networks sparkle like passionate clusters around any brand or idea but do they monetize? Perhaps, insists the successful head of Gucci Group: “The back and forth (of customers) – that is key to the future. I know it absolutely.”