The lightbulb moment
Winning new business and having new business ideas is FUN. it’s what I do and what my clients pay me to help them with.
had a great business idea today… anyone know a youngster who wants to learn how to service lawn mowers? Seriously. A great opportunity if you live in Cambridgeshire I can get you set right up.
Anyway, I went to hear Loic speak recently and though I took nothing away from his core speech; I did have a small lightbulb moment (just like Donald Duck does…..). To answer a question about future developments…. he reflected on how new products and new businesses come to market
There is a big gap between traditional companies who do product development in secret behind closed doors and when it’s ready, they use advertising to sell the product to the mass audience. And the other type of organisation who builds products with its customers. Competitors watch the process but the customer base participates in enhancing the product development. When it is ready (or in late beta) it is launched and sold through word of mouth.
It is happening now.
And this is true. I got a beta copy of a book on SEO from Leo (thanks, mate!). I read it today on the train. The beta is no longer available - the real thing is for sale as an e-book. I spotted the odd typo which has probably now been ironed out.
I want to persuade my clients to do this with unsuccessful pitches they do. My view is that if you have a great idea, you might as well sing about it so that it gets some traction rather than hide it and lose it.
Richard from Base 01 disagrees with me… but Scot from Birddog clearly agrees.
his talk at IW included some unapproved creative for PwC [I will ask him if I can reproduce it]. Great creative. May not pass client approval process.
BUT if you are really an ideas agency (as many claim), you will always have new ideas, better ideas, adapted ideas, improvements. Take a basic idea and publish it if the prospective client doesn’t want it. Anyone imitating can do just that. You are good enough to always be a few steps ahead. What you are thinking today won’t be published until tomorrow. Someone stealing your idea today doesn’t have your ability to take it forward, develop, improve and re-issue it tomorrow.
This links back to my Advice and Guidance Manifesto published in December 06. Be bold and be brave. Publish.
Wave had added concept creative to its credentials after I suggested it.
What have you to lose?
Post script: I am doing some online product development right now with the Web 2.0 Survey
I will publish the results. And I’m pretty sure I know what will come from it.
May 17th, 2007 at 2:50 pm
I think you’re misrepresenting me Rebecca! My point about using ideas developed to solve one problem, to solve a different problem is that it won’t be the best solution. On the point of showing the ideas that weren’t taken up by a client I believe that whether you are pitching or not, any ideas you develop during a relationship belong in that relationship and should not go public until the client decides to use them. Call me old fashioned but I think its a matter of integrity (it’s one of our core values) and integrity is needed even in a 2.0 world.
May 17th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
Richard, apologies for mis-representing you and thanks for putting the record straight!
I agree about integrity. Integrity is needed ESPECIALLY in a 2.0 world!
that’s all bloggers have to hang their hat on…. no integrity, no eyeballs, no ranking, no clients.
’nuff said.
R