Innovation feeder

There’s something refreshing about a retailer who doesn’t just let it all
hang out for the world to see. The windows of this Commes des Garcons store are like a great first date outfit, you can see enough to know you want to see more but
not enough to satiate the appetite.

It’s almost as if they’re teasing you with a little peek but you have to
go inside to see the full story. You see, sometimes its better to leave a little to the imagination. A glimpse of skin is always sexier than getting an eyeful of the whole booty.

What if we took this idea someplace else . . Why not create a stylish fruit & veg store where you don’t actually show the fruit & veg? When people enter the store they are met with boxes upon old fashioned boxes containing fresh produce. People can read where the products come from, there’s a description of how delicious they are & the price point indicates they’re good quality. But you can’t see what you’re actually purchasing.

The philosophy of the store would be :: we’ve selected the best produce available for you, if you think that you can pick better fruit & veg out of some dumpster in a supermarket then you’re in the wrong store friend.

Think about how can you flirt with your customers? How can you play on their imagination & curiosity to drive demand? You need to make customers want you. Throwing yourself on someone is not only embarrassing, but lessens your chances of scoring.

Looking for a bit of Friday folly to procrastenate over while I garner the energy for another crack at work this afternoon, I stumbled across a new blog called ‘What If They Did’ - it’s basically a bunch of ‘what if’ ideas, a collection of random thoughts across all categories & platforms.

At first I thought might be an informal blog from someone at WhatIf The Innovation Company, after all, it would sit perfectly under their banner as a way of creating dialogue beyond the company lines. But no, it’s actually written by two creatives out of London who are using it as a playground to stash their collection of random ideas.

So whether you’re after a wacky idea for a particular category, or simply want think more laterally about how you go about generating ideas, this site is worth a look.

I love this idea for a lucky dip on the Skye Remote Control and when you think about it, it’s not so different from the concept behind iPod’s shuffle.

Check it out here

I met up with a mate of mine from the UK recently and we were talking sneakers. I myself am not a major sneakerhead but am quite a fan of Nike kicks. Having both designed our own shoes at NikeID, we were lamenting the first pair of shoes we’d each designed and how embarassed we were when they arrived in the post. After much laughter we agreed that designing your first pair of sneakers is not unlike your first kiss. . there is much anticipation and excitement in the lead up but the end result is . . disappointingly lame. Perhaps the excitement is overwhelming and delivers an expectation that the experience cannot possibly beat. Perhaps it’s lack of experience or confidence that ruins it, either way it was comforting to know that I was not the only one which had mourned that missed opportunity to create something spectacular.

And just like the first kiss, now that it’s over with I’m itching to get back into an ID lab and get my hands on another pair. Having spent considerable time thinking the experience over and looking at what makes a really good sneaker design, I’ m sure that the next time the opportunity presents itself, I shall refrain from jamming my name down the tongue of an unsuspecting sneaker and instead take my time and go slow.

Now if only Nike would bring their ID lab to Australia . . .

Korean handset manufacturers are losing overseas market share. “Ask Korean cell phone makers why they’re losing their market share overseas, and they will tell you it’s because of their focus on top-end products or the strong won”, JoongAngDaily reports. “Some industry analysts, however, take a different view. According to a report released by the research institute of LG, Korean firms are falling behind because they are oblivious to changing consumer demand and because excessive diversifying is eating into their cost competitiveness. The institute noted that today’s consumers are more interested in the “emotional” characteristics of cell phones such as the brand, design, and how the phone feels to the touch, whereas Korean firms are preoccupied with adding new functions. The think tank also criticized Korean firms for having too many models.

Above Story lifted from here

In 2003 Marc Newson designed The Talby for the Japanese market. A stunning handset that looked absolutely beautiful. I remember it because I wanted one so badly. Given the Japanese obsession wtih hyperfunctionality, it was no doubt, crammed with geek goodies. But gee it’s a good looking piece of equipment.

With mobile phones moving further and further down the functionality spectrum, bigger cameras, better screens, more WAP, IMS and other fancy acronyms… when will they stop? I’m looking for a new handset now to replace my Motorola Razr and can’t find any phones that don’t have the fancy bits. For every trend there’s a counter trend, LoFi mobile handset anyone?

Call me a nerd, call me a super geekazoid but I love the idea behind Startup Schwag™ . This little pint sized beauty is a web2.0 startup schwag tshirt of the month club. Bucking the trend of oh-so-cool fashion logos, most of us reach for the unbranded threads that fly under the radar of the try hard cool club. The Sabas or the Alannah Hills or the Edwins, where logos are vulgar but anyone worth their weight in coke can tell where it’s from just by the cut or the fabric or the way it hangs….

Well subtly is out and logos are back in nerdtown. Startup Schwag™  is based on a simple, wonderful idea recently abandoned by RubyRed Labs in San Francisco: Valley Schwag.

You pay a monthly fee and every month you get sent a logo t-shirt of one of the hottest web startups around. Whether it’s del.icio.us or Techcrunch or Digg, you get to be the first to wear a nerd brand splashed across your chest and who cares if no one knows what it means? That’s not the point is it? So go on…talk nerdy to me..

Check it out here :: Startupschwag 

I hate to say this because I too, work in innovation but isn’t this just the sort of new product development you expect to see out of an innovation company? I get that they probably had a whole bunch of research which says that Cadbury isn’t taking advantage of the in-home sharing occasions in front of the TV when families get together. So they looked at other formats beyond the bar, the block and the box, and they looked at other categories who successfully managed the in-home sharing experience. They would have looked at what sort of in-home sharing products were successful, they would have looked at the product formats that people liked and then well…they made one out of chocolate.

But all important marketing palava aside, isn’t this just a chocolate Pringle?

Waitrose is to target ethical food lovers drawn to the recently opened Whole Foods Store in London by opening a new concept outlet.

The supermarket’s Marylebone store is currently undergoing refurbishment but will reopen later this month with a refreshed store design and an enhanced product range.

Specifically tailored to the shopping habits and the culinary tastes of customers in the upmarket local community, it will aim to offer a new shopping experience - complete with some new and innovative additions such as the ‘Time Of Day Counter’ to meet the needs and lifestyles of Marylebone shoppers.

In the morning customers will be able to select smoothies, granola and yoghurt, muesli and fresh fruit. Lunches offerings will include salads and freshly prepared sandwiches made to order.

In the evening the counter will offer a choice of full three-course meals to cater for ‘easy cheating’ cooks- food that can be prepared quickly, tasting and looking as good as home cooked.

http://www.utalkmarketing.com

This is like heaven for babies. Or rather, heaven for people who own babies or whose friends have babies. Its full of designer baby clothing,
skincare & other baby goodies. Its babilicious.

With many women delaying childbirth & having less children we’re seeing a lot more cash being spent on the tiny people. Which is good news for
this store.

We reckon people love their pets as much as they love their children. Sometimes they love them more than they love their children. If we were
about to start a new business we’d create a premium pet food deli chain which provided incredibly high-end pet food for the discerning pet owner.

The truth of the matter is that we feed our pets the way we feed (or overfeed) ourselves. In reality, pets don’t care whether they’re eating
cheap steak or A-grade mince, it’s how we feel about what they’re eating that really matters. Like men, the way to a dog’s heart is through the
stomach. Premium pet food in great packaging seems a bit of a no brainer to us. Young affluents with cash & no desire to breed are going to think
nothing of dropping $10 on take-out for Fido.

What would happen if you took your industry to the edge? Pick the most extreme consumer type & paint yourself a picture of what it would take to
impress them. Now ask yourself . . Are you pulling your own chain?

Hi folks

Just thought I would let you know that I’m just in the middle of putting up a new exhibition of street art photographs I took in Newtown, Sydney Australia.

I’ve got some ripper stencils of the cultural terrorist, the usual anti-Govt and anti-war stuff and some beautifully designed stickers. Anyway, the walls are almost finished so if you’re in-world drop by the gallery & check it out.

Japanese designer Nigo started his BAPE clothing label out of Tokyo 10 years ago . What was once a fiercely hard-to-get designer fashion range has now become a million dollar empire. Far from exclusive now, Nigo has expanded his BAPE empire to include BAPY for girls, a new
brand Baby Milo, BAPE café & there’s even a spin-off hair studio BAPE cuts. He achieved credibility & fashionista status through his collaborations & carefully planned exclusivity, then he took over the world. This is one clever monkey.

tokyo, japan