IDEON

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!

ACCION

andrea — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 19:28:45 +0000

A well-respected leader in global and domestic microfinance wanted to reach more borrowers by forging stronger lending ties to small US entrepreneurs and drive greater donations to fund global lending operations. Ideon’s expertise showed how to masterbrand an organization that both “solves for poverty” globally and lends up to $350,000 locally to American entrepreneurs. The new brand helps Accion reach mainstream relevance as a microfinance powerhouse, backed by knowledge and expertise far beyond its prior charitable mission. With a recent website re-skin, lining up with a major partnership with NYSE, and a full-scale launch planned for mid-year 2012, Accion is now poised to grow small businesses, in America and around the world.

Strategy: Andrea Katz and Valerie Garral Verbal: David Miles Design: Studio of Joshua Levi

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.

IEG

andrea — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 14:29:27 +0000

A pioneer and standard-setter in the sponsorship industry was determined to regain its prior leadership position, having lost ground to savvy media agencies and sports and entertainment marketers. Ideon’s team leveraged IEG’s legacy brand equity into a more powerful, forward-looking consultancy with special relevance to Fortune 1,000 CMOs. From its bold new logo to its gravitas-infused brand messages, IEG is set to stand out again. The new brand just launched to engagement, excitement and pride from brands, properties and employees.
Strategy: Andrea Katz/Valerie Garral Verbal: David Miles Design: Studio of Joshua Levi

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.

D’Agostino Supermarkets

andrea — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 23:52:20 +0000

A 100-year-old family-owned supermarket with an unimpeachable New York heritage came to Ideon wondering how to win in the new competitive landscape, with Whole Foods and Fresh Direct overtaking the grocery market. Ideon’s deep digging revealed a newly minted generation of New York foodies for whom the brand had no relevant voice or message. We created a bold brand story and merchandising strategy to return the brand to its rightful market position. Ideon’s work has built unprecedented strategic vision and internal alignment; now client service teams are being trained to once again speak to all the brand’s valuable audiences.
Strategy: Andrea Katz/Valerie Garral Verbal: David Miles

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.