Tag Archives: marketing

For innovation: Uncommon insights come from uncommon places

Jorge in Creativity, Innovation, Marketing

This is part one of the series on how to leave small thinking behind. In this first post, I’ll show you a simple technique for coming up with radical ideas. In the second part, you’ll learn how to evaluate ideas so they don’t fit into “me-too” territory. In part three, I’ll tell you how to determine which ideas might work.

Perception separates the innovator from the imitator. So, a shift in perspective is all that is needed to see opportunities for new offerings. Here is one creative approach to do that…

One of the challenges of coming up with unconventional ideas is the weight of past ideas. Not just the ones you’ve applied, but also the ones you’ve seen, heard, tasted, smelled and felt, all of these are in your memory. You see, what we have stored in our heads is just as much a blocker of uncommon ideas as is your boss not giving you permission to go wild.

This is why the first 15 – 30 you come up with are always going to be very obvious. They are stuff you’ve already seen before. To get to the good stuff you have force your brain to come up with more. But this is quite hard and takes some time for many to do…

But let’s suppose you don’t have the time to sit down and make a list of 50 – 100 different ideas on how to solve a pressing challenge. What’s a quick way to shake things up?…

Bamf! Nice try but you took us a step back with Mexico’s new brand identity

Jorge in Marketing

So, here is Mexico’s new brand identity. Personally, I don’t like it. The previous identity communicated much more of what Mexico is about. This one, while very clear and simple, does not. The video below is in Spanish, and, for the purpose of perception, that makes it a good test. Watch it, and ask yourself: Does it make me care?…

What a small hardware store owner can teach you about creating value

Jorge in Marketing

Pepe Paez is a technologist with a deep enthusiasm for marketing strategy. With more than 10 years in the software development industry, he keeps a strong understanding of technology that goes where he goes and is part of his signature in new projects. Most recently, his interest and expertise revolves around Pricing Strategy and overall Strategic Marketing, where he tries to disrupt thinking by going back to basics.

He likes to spend his time between finding new things, being silly with his family and trying to actually enjoy a yoga class. You can find Pepe on Twitter, LinkedIn or email him directly pepe@obsidian.mx

The importance of understanding value

Don Roberto is the owner of a small hardware store in northern Mexico, on a whim he decided to buy a few pallets of wood boards from a wooden pallet facility near Asheville, NC; after a couple of weeks he noticed customers were not buying any of the boards because he bought them at regular retail price. His was deemed too expensive.

At this point in the story, what would you do?…

Your strategy should help tell a story

Jorge in Leadership, Strategy

be original

A leader’s most important responsibility is identifying the biggest challenges to forward progress and devising a coherent approach to overcoming them. In contexts ranging from corporate direction to national security, strategy matters. Yet we have become so accustomed to strategy as exhortation that we hardly blink an eye when a leader spouts slogans and announces high-sounding goals, calling the mixture a “strategy.” – Richard Rumelt

Strategy, strategy, strategy. It matters. Yet, most of the time, we get it wrong. Why? Let’s start with the basics…

One of the problems with implementing a strategy, is nobody cares about it. And the reason nobody cares, is because nobody understands it. And the reason nobody understands it, is because it isn’t clearly articulated. And a clearly articulated statement or name such as “low-cost airline”, will do wonders to help communicate your strategy.…

To find new market opportunities and grow, study non-consumers

Jorge in Innovation

The key to company growth is to create more value for your customers, which means better satisfying their unmet needs. With that said, if you’re an established business that is looking for growth opportunities, look for people who are not your customers. If you’re interested in investing, feel free to check out craft.co/shiftpixy. Non-consumers, people who are not taking advantage of the benefits your product or service delivers, represent the best opportunity for innovation.

This is what Walmart is doing with its “Pay with Cash” program. It is offering a solution for customers without debit or credit cards:…

Competitive advantage in social media: Carpe Diem Stupid!

Jorge in competition, Customer Service, Strategy

R.I.P. after 6 years of use

Yesterday one of the surge protectors in my house, the Back-UPS 500 from APC, finally gave up on me after 6 years. Since I’m using another surge protector from Belkin to protect other electronic devices already, I ran over to Office Depot to buy replacement for the APC.

I ended up buying a Belkin.

As I was driving home I started thinking about why I bought a Belkin surge protector and not another one from APC. My conclusion was that I think I got ‘primed’ to buy Belkin because I simply liked (looks and price) the other one I have at home more than my older one from APC. I also think that the fact that the APC one died one me affected my decision. A product that breaks down on you isn’t going to inspire you to buy the same one.…