This article reminds us that Howard Schultz got the inspiration for Starbucks sipping espresso in Milan's cafes. And the Waltons owe a debt to French hypermarkets. I've already said that Japanese brand Muji was struck by the aha! bug while in the beer aisle in a US grocery store.
Market Busters, by Rita Gunther McGrath and Ian MacMillan, takes a less analytical [than Blue Ocean Strategy] to the development of breakthroughs, using analogies with companies successful in other industries or geographies. - "Sailing Beyond Luck", Best Strategy Business Books of 2005, Strategy+Business, Winter 2005.
The Walton brothers took the idea of self-service from Ben Franklin, employee stock ownership from J. C. Penny, the large-purchase discount club from Price Club — and the Supercenter from the French Carrefour Markets. - "Wal-Mart - Yesterday's GM?", The Globalist, January 17, 2005
As my departure date of December 15th approaches, I'll be switching gears. I have no idea how much I'll cover innovation and/or marketing - directly that is.
That said, all of my epiphanies are unplanned. I had no intention of learning about marketing (but stay open anad curious) on last year's romantic (cut short) holiday to Thailand. Nonetheless, my most influential marketing teacher in past 12 months was a small business, a bungalow operator on the island of Koh Jum, Thailand.
Stephen King advises writers to read. "If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above two others: read a lot and write a lot."
Being swept away by a combination of great story and great writing - of being flattened, in fact - is part of every writer's necessary formation. You cannot hope to sweep someone else away by the force of your writing until it has been done to you. - Stephen King, On Writing
Being swept away by a store, a product, a captivating customer experience outside your own company is equally critical for business folks' formation. Translated to business, "reading" means you get up a bit and experience other's businesses.
On another trip - this time to Seattle - I was swept away by a sandwich shop and in the process learned applicable information which I experienced - not just read about - first-hand.
More than anything, if I share marketing insights, it'll be because I'll be practicing two innovation skills for two months straight as a citizen journalist:
Sandwiched between anthropologist (keen observer) and storyteller are the eight other roles in The Ten Faces of Innovation, IDEO's general manager Tom Kelley's terrific new book. Says Tom, "Stories persuade in a way that facts, reports and market trends seldom do, because stories make an emotional connection." - "If Kevin Sites is a Rock Star", Crossroads Dispatches
While reports from the field will be stories, I'll try to share what I'm learning about being a better Anthropologist and Storyteller from the road too.
Get out there in the field yourself and allow yourself to be swept away.
p.s. I'll be temporarily mapping this blog over to www.tsunamianniversary.com by Monday - your current feeds and permalinks will continue to work just fine. That URL may be a simpler way to pass along this site to friends. Or if you have RSS-challenged friends, they can sign up for emailed posts by clicking right here.
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