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Several iPads made it down chimneys this Christmas, and yet in a matter of weeks we are certain to hear more news of the imminent release of iPad 2. Here we have the classic dilemma faced by consumers making buying decisions. The pull of the present (a bird in that hand etc.) and the bright lights of the future make it hard for us to know when to commit.
Tech lovers part with their hard-earned cash for a slice of the future and are destined to discover that the future is, in fact, a con! Off they set, bags packed with supplies for the long journey ahead of them, getting to the future, only to discover when they arrive that they are right back where they started, in the present (snakes and ladders anyone?).
So what is wrong with being in the present exactly? Well, we can answer that one by first asking what it is that we all seek from the future. The future holds all our ideals in their purest and most ageless form, untarnished by time and free from criticism. How many of us will have imagined our perfect selves in 2011 and made resolutions to become perhaps fitter or more adventurous in the future? We create the future to meet our needs in the best way imaginable.
So is innovation the product of what we seek in our futures? Let’s define innovation in a commercial context as something that meets a human need in a way that should also generate economic value. Meeting that need might be as much about improving an existing scenario as it is about breaking new ground, in the way that products like the iPod, iPhone and iPad have done.
Businesses must consistently strive to innovate because, in 2011, tougher economic climates, stiffer competition, greater choice and faster markets mean that we must have the competitive advantage when it comes to understanding what our consumers’ future needs look like. Innovation is the link between the present and the future, and we will need insight to help us tap into consumers’ future needs in order to be the business most able and ready to meet them now and in the future.
When it comes to understanding our consumers’ needs, Social Media is becoming more widely accepted as the ideal source of ‘evidence based insight,’ and insight is the fuel to innovation. However, having the right tools to capture the social media data and the right skills for gaining insight from this data is a real challenge. Think of social media not as changing the fundamental practice of how insight is created, but as an additional data source that should be subjected to the same rigor and techniques as any other data source. By carefully framing the problem up front, conducting great research and re-applying that in a creative but customer-centric way, you can deliver real innovation, rooted in human need, and support growth for businesses anywhere in the world.
So when the iPad2 is eventually announced, proclaiming the future of tablet computing and no doubt making improvements that will meet our future needs, will your slice of the future seem already consigned to the past? After all, tomorrow never comes and the future is a fallacy!
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Stephanie Suther, Roger Luxton. Roger Luxton said: How social media can be used as evidence-based insight to fuel innovation. New from @Moorius on the @Alterian blog: http://bit.ly/dYBF2t [...]
Bit confused on this one Luke. Are you saying that Apple has improved existing scenarios ie, the mobile web, portable music and tablet PCs with the iPhone, iPod and iPad or that they have been focused on ‘breaking new ground’?
I’d be very careful about using Apple in social media examples as they are notoriously poor at ‘engaging’ via social media. Which is a bit of a paradox for social media pundits as Apple is often held up as the epitome of good marketing.
Hi James, my point really isn’t about Apple per se or about using social media for engagement either, although I think the point you have made is true, that engagement is important for brands to get right, which I would certainly agree with. Thanks, Luke
hmmm – interesting when the social media ‘experts’ proclaim this brave new world is a 24/7 commitment and yet either block or don’t approve valid comments on their own blogs and then take days to answer a simple question…
Hello James (or can I call you Simon Cowell as per our offline chat : ) the one hardest to win a vote from ha ha). It seems that as this was my first post on Engaging Times blog that I hadn’t been set up to post replies as the Author. Clearly the fact that it was your comments that made it through and not mine shows were not being selective in any way (at least I hope not for my sake). I did in fact reply on Friday evening (yes I am committed…some would say sad!).
In response to your first comment the post itself isn’t really focusing on Apple but for clarity I would say that they have been focused on breaking new ground…like Henry Ford they didn’t just take the feedback that people would like ‘faster horses’ they interpreted the human need and developed the best imaginable solutions.
However my post is really about the fact that social media data is a credible source of data for the purposes of developing evidence based insights that can fuel innovation for businesses. Innovation could be a small step change or a ground breaking new development. In either case this requires the tools and relevant skills to gather, refine and interpret the data from social media sources. The fact that social media data can be gathered and refined at relatively low cost verses more traditional methods of gathering data means more of the budget can be spent on creating insight. Alterian have a research division that can provide the skill sets needed to create reports that will answer specific questions for businesses based around product performance, brand assessment, competitive landscape, market research and marketing/campaign measurement so that insights and recommendations can be made to action and then continue to monitor and measure going forward. These reports can be reviewed regularly to reassess and inform strategy on going whilst also identifying the themes to monitor day to day.
I Hope that clarifies?
Thanks,
Luke
Thanks Luke – your comment makes more sense than your post which is ‘distinctly average’
– For that reason you show promise and are through to the next round – I look forward to your next post (said with annoyingly smug grin) – SyCo 
An interesting post. welcome to the world of blogging. i see ‘i’ products as being the now rather than the future. ipad2 is just going to deliver what the first one should have. they did open the barn door as we are now being flooded by tablets which are not a new innovation. they are just a squashed laptop. i think the last great innovation of my time to date is the mobile/smartphone. saying that though all these products including stuff coming out of self proclaimed future tech ces, where even the tech on show for me was not really innovative and ground breaking, just gives more opportunity for people to connect with the internet and to come across social media applications, to help businesses gain this insight. but social media alone is just a tool. the key thing for me is the need to ask the right questions to stimulate debate and conversation particularly to pull out insight which is both valuable and relevant. we are in an age of information overload with more to come. business who will stand out will be the ones asking the right questions.