Remembering PC Magazine, print

The Wall Street Journal reports that PC Magazine is closing up the print side of their business and going all-digital. The article also mentions other major players that have recently done the same, including U.S. News and World Report.

I am guessing that the currently heavy economic pressure will force others to make a similar decision.

The measurability, flexibility, extensibility, and efficient reach of digital channels make this an easy decision.

It’s good to live in the digital world.

Hello customer. How are you?

I was thinking about how I communicate at work, and trying to relate that to brands.

In the past I have used more written channels like email or memos, and I used to set more official meetings than I do these days. Communication these days is different. I have much more frequent communication, it is often less formal. With my colleagues here at THINK communication is face-to-face more than ever. Technologies such as AIM, SMS, social networks, and Twitter have connected me to everyone I need at almost anytime, and in a much less intrusive fashion than did cell phones when they arrived. I believe these technologies have made it more natural to just “reach out” or “ping” someone instead of more formal dialogue modes. Also, I heard someone say years ago that the most successful managers walk their office hallways often, and slowly; I try to do this everyday. I think all of this is working well for many, me included.

So, does any of translate to how brands might think about communicating with their customers? I think it does. It appears to me that most brands still communicate in a rather stiff fashion. Letters, trigger-based emails and phone calls seem to dominate. Most on-line forums are really monitored communications between customers. Blogs are nice, but again are really rather formal and directed. What if brands started mastering the art of the “ping”? What if they started reaching out to customers more often, what if the just started “checking in”?

One of the brands I like is Men’s Wearhouse, I shop there a lot. What if I could pop them a quick IM to see if the winter sweaters are in yet? How about an SMS from them asking how my winter wardrobe is looking? What if a representative just walked the mall on Sunday afternoon chatting with people with MW bags? I know there is some use of these channels and techniques, but it seems predominately for things like voting, entering a sweeps, or ordering a product. I have not seen much usage for less formal dialogue.

I think the trick here is to get to a point where your brand does not always have something to push, sell, confirm, or offer every time you touch your customers. In my experience, when you just “check-in” with people you get a very different dialogue pattern than when you approach them with a formal request or agenda. Obviously this will only work for customers that want that intimacy level with your brand, but for them and you it could be powerful.

j

Idea generation recipes?

Ideas are in the “air”, right? They are there for the taking. A little research, a little net surfing, a quick brainstorm, some post-it notes, and you should be able to create a couple of dozen great ideas against any particular challenge. Or, does it take a skilled chef(s) and all the right ingredients, blended with care and tended carefully?

I think it is more the latter. We are in the process of defining some “recipes” for ideation based on our successes. In the past managing all the right factors has happened organically, it will be interesting to see if the cookbook approach helps.

What I have experienced and witnessed over the years is that great idea generation requires the confluence of several factors, a few of which are chemistry, skill, data, preparation, intensity, humility, and structure.

- Personalities need to be at least somewhat compatible. I have seen a group of brilliant people in a room for hours with all the other ingredients there, and nothing happens. Conflicting personalities can cause nerves to be frayed, people to not hear each other, people to unplug, and other spark-killing phenomenon. You need chemistry.

- The players need to have the right skills. Several books have been written about the roles needed in a great ideation session. A few examples are moderator, users/personas, client, referee, etc. You must be sure that you have the right players on the flied.

- Who is the user? What are they feeling and thinking? What are you trying to make happen? There is a host of inputs that you will need based on your particular challenge. Be sure you cover all your data bases ahead of time.

- Don’t have people come in cold. Give participants homework. It could be about getting into the target’s head, understanding the product, or thinking in advance about the goal. The point is to get juices flowing, focus on the right things, and to come in with guns blazing. Preparation.

- This is related to the chemistry ingredient. You need to have energy and enthusiasm. There are many factors that can tamp down the fire. If you need to, invite outsiders into the session to inject energy and keep people on there toes. Keep people engaged with breakouts, exercises, etc. Don’t let the session go flat.

- If you have individuals that want to “win”, you are going to have trouble. It has to be about getting to the best solution and not defending or selling individual ideas. Everyone needs to clearly and passionately state their case, but also must bow to the wisdom of the group and be prepared to “let it go.”

- Have a plan. I mentioned exercises (btw – I am talking not about the jumping jacks type, but rather mental exercises related to the challenge). Also think about a rough agenda, voting on elements of the idea, telling stories, reformulating your plan as you go, have a parking lot on a white board, etc.

One size or plan does not fit every situation and team. But paying attention to the above ingredients, the particulars of your team and challenge, and tending the process carefully should help you generate great solutions more consistently.

j

Pornography as broadcast on Fox News

Usually agree with Seth's stuff, great stuff. He missed this one though. Seth pointed out this video of "misogyny and pornography as broadcast on Fox News".

Just a simple reminder: news organizations are a reflection of us. They are simply showing us a mirror of some of what is going on in our world. Do they want ratings? Of course they do. But they are not making this stuff up or showing it out of context.

J

Perfect Speed

I am working on a project these days with a lot of effort around balancing speed of delivery with level of testing, design iterations, and QA.

The easy way to say that is: What is the right balance of speed versus perfection of output?

There is parity-of-knowledge in our world; if you use available resources you can know what your competition knows. Quality has been a cost of entry for decades. Even innovation it could be argued is now much more of a price to complete.

So what is left to leverage? How to edge the competition? Just a few thoughts:
1) Radical innovation. Everyone focuses on innovation but not everyone can find a real breakthrough or has the nerve to take the risk.
2) Rapid, incremental, innovation. Google uses this with their constant flow of beta products and versions.

I think the second option is more attainable for many enterprises. Here are a few points in that direction:

• Go to market when you have a core concept. Don’t wait to flesh out every conceivable issue.
• When to pull the trigger on a program or product? As soon as you think you will not have negative impact.
• Build for change by using the most open technologies you can.
• Listen to customer reaction as much as you can via measurement, discussion, and monitoring.
• Iterate often.

There is a version of this approach that will be the "perfect speed" for your team.

There is much more here to explore.

J

STOP! - Look at your cell, try to dial this!

Cell Phones and toll-free numbers are not mixing well. Take this TEST:

Look at your cell phone key pad, now try to dial this number 1-800-GetStuf

How did you do?! You couldn't dial it, could you?

Oh sure, if you find a land line phone and look at that then you could. Or if, like some people I know, you are super smart, then you could figure it out in your head. But for the rest of us this does not work!

MARCOM managers please listen: STOP PUTTING OUT PRODUCTS, MATERIAL AND ADVERTISING WITH WORD-ONLY PHONE NUMBERS!

My family and I ONLY use cell phones, cell phones have been ubiquitous for a long time. Please add start adding the numbers underneath ALL the catchy toll-frees that include words.

Thank You!

J

Idea Smelting - Devil or Savior?

I started reading The 10 Faces of Innovation. Only a little ways into the volume so far, but already have run across a very interesting point. The author’s, from IDEO, take the position that playing the “Devil’s Advocate” during creative or innovation sessions is damaging. The language they use is very strong, they are passionate about this. They actually ponder situations where they might tell such a role player to “Go to Hell.” This is obliviously just a play on the devil theme, but I find it telling nonetheless.

Let me take a different slant on this. I hold that when played intelligently, honestly, and with care this role is extremely important and helpful. The key skill needed to play this role is an ability to “ask the hard” questions. This is about seeing pitfalls, dangers, gaps, or unnecessary risks. Without this skill/role failure can loom. Over the past 15 years I have seen many ideas pushed through to execution without any rigorous challenge.

Similar to the way metal can be purified from raw ore via smelting, so too can a cleaner more effective initiative be birthed by taking an unchallenged idea and putting it through the “fire” of a devils scrutiny.

This “idea smelting” needs to be done at the right time and in the right way. There is no doubt that this book holds some great insights, I have already found the redefined roles a stimulating concept. However, I think devil needs to get his due.

Here are some golden rules I would propose to make playing this role effective:

1) Do it at the right time. If done while ideas and concepts are in early stages, creativity and innovation could be squashed. Reserve comments in these stages to only critical flaws in thinking.

2) Offer alternatives. Don’t simply shoot holes, ask “what if we do x instead of a”. Assuming the ideation is going in a good direction generally, this is about steering and less about quashing.

3) Look for gaps. Ideas have a better chance to come to fruition if the gaps are noticed and addressed by the team before they are socialized more broadly. A more complete idea is better than one with holes, right?

4) Don’t just play one role. I agree with the authors that changing hats is a positive, needed skill. By playing other roles and thinking from those POVs, the devil can come across as less of a “naysayer”. Perception is half the battle.

5) Don’t get married to your positions. Just like all input to a collaborative process. Devils need to be flexible and prepared to go with the energy and flow of the group.

6) Pay attention to the room. If there are less mature, emotional, or insecure players on the team, perhaps the devil needs to play his role offline or in a separate session with more senior team members only.

J