Motivation > Innovation

I was recently seduced into reading a blog post by the second part of its title: “why only tools focus on tools.” Funny, eh? The first part of the headline? “The social media deadzone.”

The post comes from Greg Verdino, whose blog covers trends in media and marketing.

His message is familiar: when it comes to social media, first focus on strategy and your desired business outcomes; then figure out the right set of social media tools to make it all happen.

Gotcha, Greg. Thanks for the reminder.

Thanks for the reminder because it’s easy to get seduced by the next big shiny social media object out there. A new tool launches, people start talking, some early wins or successes of other businesses come to light… and then the powers that be in your organization start asking: “What are we doing about [insert shiny social media object]?”

If you’re not sure how you’d respond, then I suggest you review Greg’s thoughts on the matter. They’re spot on… and memorable.

Making mistakes is not only natural but necessary. We don’t have the luxury of waiting for this whole social media thing to shake out. We need to innovate. We need to have a sense (clear or otherwise) of where we think media and marketing might be headed next. We need to move forward because we can’t go back to the bad-old-days of spray and pray interruption advertising. But motivation matters more than innovation.

We have an obligation (to ourselves, if to nobody else) to exercise a bit of restraint when it comes to chasing shiny objects. Our current crop of objects are shiny enough and most marketers haven’t figured out how to make the most of them.

We need to stay focused on what matters for our businesses: meeting objectives and beating goals (not to mention serving customers better than ever before) by using the right combination of approaches. We need to put strategy first.

Bang your head against a wall if you haven’t gotten it yet and repeat after me: “Strategy first. Strategy first. Strategy first!”

If others around you in your organization haven’t gotten it yet, they may come across as one of those tools focused on tools.

But chances are they’re just trying to make sense of it all. After all, social media tools and applications are evolving and proliferating all around us at a dizzying pace. For those who are not living and breathing social media, Web 2.0 and the like, it’s mind-boggling. They want and need your good counsel. Consider this a big opportunity to educate and collaborate. You might just learn something that will help you assess whether the latest shiny social media object is indeed of high value to your organization.

When it comes to making sense of it all, we’re in this together. As noted, the landscape is changing so quickly that I don’t know how anyone can call themselves a social media expert or guru and not turn the reddest of reds. Yes, we can find many who have specific expertise in many different aspects of social media. But we have few absolute authorities available.

As a way to close this post, let me refer to Greg’s best line in his piece. “… motivation matters more than innovation.” I think that’s a good summation of the big idea here. We always desire to be on the cutting edge, to use the latest shiny objects and get ahead of our competitors. We must temper that desire with the eternal strategic question – why?

Is Innocent Guilty?

Originally uploaded by Emerald2810

I just came across a fascinating development in the story of Innocent, a 10-year old company that has grown into Europe’s favorite smoothie maker.

The company sold only 24 smoothies on its first day. Now, 10 years later, they sell about 2 million a week. That’s about 100 million a year.

The company was founded on a simple idea: make it easy for people to do themselves some good with natural healthy drinks and make them taste good too. Founded by three idealistic entrepreneurs, the company touted itself from the start as a socially conscious brand with an emphasis on doing business in a way that makes the world a better place.

Consumers fell in love with Innocent’s healthy drinks and ethics.

And then Innocent entered into an agreement with a corporate behemoth – Coca-Cola – and the backlash has been immediate.

I can’t possibly tell this story better than the original sources, so please see the following:

• Not So Innocent from The Times Online.

• Can we tell you about our new minority investor? – A letter from Innocent’s founders.

Bottom line, brand fans are in an uproar. To them, Innocent is guilty. They’ve sold out, to the devil no less. “Hey, Coca-Cola is not a socially conscious capitalist like our Innocent.”

Now, we don’t yet know whether the founders’ decision to give Coca-Cola a stake in their business will backfire. All we know is that the move has stirred some passionate brand fans.

Will they remain disillusioned? I don’t know.

But I know this: brand association is powerful and should not be neglected or underestimated.

Brand associations may be positive or negative. Some may enhance your brand; others may erode it.

Innocent seems to have been prepared for a reaction, but I’m not sure if they anticipated just how strong the uproar would be.

If I was Innocent’s brand manager, I’d have mixed feelings.

But at the end of the day, I’m at least happy to see a strong reaction. I don’t want to alienate my core fan base, but I’m glad to see I truly have one. What if nobody reacted? Would that be preferable? I think not. Indifference does not a brand make!

I also would know that I have time and opportunity on my side. If Coca-Cola stands by its word to be a hands-off investor and I have all the freedom to act as I had before, then I have the chance to say and do all of the things that my brand fans have known me for. I have time to prove that I am who I say I am with or without Coca-Cola. Brands are built through consistency over time, after all.

One might suggest that Innocent’s move is nothing short of bold.

Nobody said managing brands was for the meek. One must have courage and fortitude in the business world. Your brand is living and breathing, and it’s not perfect. No brand is. You’re not always going to make the right moves in the eyes of your fan base. Some of your fans will walk away. Some will switch allegiances. You won’t always be able to stop it.

What you must do is keep moving.

Brand leadership, after all, is very much about innovation, whether it’s new product development or whole new ways of doing business. Few brands have taken or maintained a leadership position by standing still.

Innocent started with a vision… to make money, for sure, but also to help make the world a better place.

Some say they’ve sold out by entering a deal with Coca-Cola. But perhaps, just perhaps, they’re dared to take a bold step on their journey.

The founders say this step will give them more power to make a difference. They also believe the relationship may enable them to influence Coca-Cola’s practices.

Of course, our instinct is not to believe, to be cynical. “It’s a tiny thing trying to influence an enormous thing,” as an editor has noted.

But, call me idealistic, I think Innocent’s move just might actually provide them with an opportunity, a position if you will, to continue on their good way.

If we are to make the world a better place, we must take risks, cooperate, trust, seek to influence, share our perspectives, exchange ideas, etc. We need individuals to do those things. We need businesses to do those things.

Innocent’s brand ideas and values are honorable. But ideas are only ideas. Values are only values. They change nothing. It’s only when ideas and values are enacted, lived and enabled that real change is realized.

I hope the next few chapters in Innocent’s story turn the cynics into believers.