Let's change people's minds!

Current position

As anyone reading this blog probably understands, Let's change people's minds! are not updated anymore. I won't take it down, it's still some rather valuable thoughts that may be worth something to future generations.

Want further blogging from me. Have a look at these blogs, unfortunately they are only in Swedish:

Myblock inifrån - My company blog where we blog about the development of Myblock a super local community network.

Idépappan - Innovation coming from a dad.

Thanks everybody who followed this blog. Feel free to read it anytime.

Hans Eric Melin

Good reasons not to innovate

Seth Godin asks for surprises. Or more correct, people who can surprise him and the rest of us.

"..if you want the word to spread, if you expect me to take action I've never taken before, it seems to me that you need to do something that hasn't been done before. It might not feel safe, but if you do the safe thing, I guarantee you won't surprise anyone. And if you don't surprise anyone, the word isn't going to spread".

Why aren't people doing more surprising things. Why do they stick to the ordinary?

Well one (ordinary) answer is that some people are more innovative than others. Fine. But here's another explanation, or perhaps an explanation to the ordinary explanation:

Innnovators have to succeed. Otherwhise they are doomed to mediocracy, or even worse, being seen as complete idiots. Let us put this way:

Innovators have the highest gains. If they succed. Thomas Edison, The Wright brothers, Marie Curie, Bill Gates, Michael Dell, Ingvar Kamprad....They are all historic or modern heroes.

But how many almost-Bills or just-like-Edisons aren't out there? But they did just not make it. In many cases they lost all of their money and went bankrupt. But more important they lost their respect.

If you go for a more ordinary career the gains don't come close those for an innovator.  Jack Welch, Lou Gerstner, Carly Fiorina, Percy Barnevik and Lee Iacocca. They all have been celebrated. But are they heroes? Well, perhaps Mr Welch is, but the others, hardly. But still they are paid enough to buy what ever they need.

On the other hand. When Fiorina failed to deliver at HP, was she seen as an idiot? No way. The circumstances just weren't nice to her. If you fail when doing what you are supposed to, you aren’t anything wrong, are you?

How do you verify the quality of somebody’s career? If you look at the employer brands you’re among friends. “He’s been working at Microsoft, Nokia, HP and Intel. This guy will bring the experience we need…”. In large organizations key achievements are almost impossible to verify.

And that’s my point. The gains for ordinary people are high enough. They don’t become heroes, but they can be rich. And if they fail, they will still land softly.

Then, why take the risk to look like a complete idiot!

 

Innovative or just ordinary?

Take a look at the picture. There is a path. And there is a fence. Apparently the fence has been built after people have used the lawn as a shortcut, the existence of the path would otherwise have been rather unlikely.

The fence is an ordinary solution. It forces people to adapt to what once have been decided: This is a street with no crosswalk. This is not for crossing.

An innovative solution would have been to put a crosswalk in front of the lawn. Obviously people have a need here, to cross the street just at this very point. There is a need for change.

Lesson learned?

Ordinary people create solutions and put a lot of effort making people adopt them. It's in fact rather crazy, but as everybody else are doing the same thing, it seems to be right way.

Innovative people see the flow and follow it. Nobody knows where it will end but it's powered by natural forces. If you are lucky it will take you very, very far.

The key to change is no change

There is a common assumption out there stating that the hardest thing to change is people's behavior. And that the hardwalked path leading to change goes through knowledge and attitude change.

During the years I have found evidence proving this is totally wrong. In fact people can change their behavior anytime, only they find the right incentive. But they hate to say they changed their opinion (attitude).

Recycling is probably the best example. A lot of people say they don't want to recycle. They don't think it makes any good (the trash is eventually mixed up anyway) or they don't think it's important to protect the environment (the nature will take care of it - it always has).

Still those people normally recycle - if anyone tell them to and give them the right equipment to do so. In fact a Swedish survey a couple of years ago showed only 1of 5 recyclers believed it did any good. But still the continued to contribute. Why? Because there are social incentives telling them that if they don't, they will break the rule. And good people don't do that unless they have a good reason. One good reason is bad equipment. But when the equipment is fine - you better sort your  trash.

The key to change is to find the incentive that fit the target user. Not to change his or hers  opinion of any incentive.

Instant need

This is a vending machine for books. Located on the train platform at Arlanda Airport where travelers are standing waiting for a train that takes them to Stockholm city in less then 20 minutes.

At first hand it looks quite smart, doesn't it? People may want something to kill their 20 minutes train ride.

But think again. Vending machines are usually made for fresh drinks and candy. How long does it take to consume a chocolate bar? Normally less than 10 minutes. Thus, it doesn't make sense to walk up the stairs just to get a wider choice in a conventional shop.

How long does it take to read a book? Well, something between 6 hours and 6 months. Then you'd better be sure it's a good book.

Moreover, you don't make plan for sweets. Rather sweets make plans for you. That's why we buy sweets, it's suddenly painfully available.  But even if "Place" in the marketing mix has been proven very successful in the book business, it doesn't mean we will buy to any price, anywhere.  Because the dependant variable to "demand for choice" is not "time available". It's "time for consumption".

How's your training?

What's the difference between a training with the Brazilian national soccer team and the training kids do after school? In fact not much. They are passing, runnning, practicing controlling the ball...Ronaldinho, Christianos, and Ronaldo - all great players put most of their professional time on training. Basic training. Well, then they are the best players in the world. But how about us. We who don't play soccer, football or any other sport - How often do we train our skills? A lot of people in management don't train at all. They believe they are constantly scoring on Camp Nou. Sure, you invest in some strategy sessions, perhaps a seminar. But that's equivalent to the time for warm-up a substitute player face when he's about to play. If Ronaldinho is investing some 90 per cent of his time on training. Wouldn't it be fair to invest at least 10 per cent yourself.

007 vs Kim

Are you James? Or, are you Kim?

To often I think marketers and PR people think they are Kim. They dream about the massive weapon that simultaniously will reach and affect a wide audience.

At Ivy we think James Bond is a better option. Or Modesty Blaise. With scarce resources they move fast and change their target groups from inside. That't the way to change the world.

If you´re unsure of who you'd rather be, go test your self here

The business of followership

Volvo will end manufacturing and sales of their Bi-Fuel models, cars running on natural or biogas. A lot of people in the business cheer the news, stating that a product that year after year has generated losses only has one way to go - down the drain.

To me it's just sad.

Not only because I like the product. But because Volvo has proven their business is the business of followership.

Years ago they were leading the development not only in safety but also in environment. Their successful launch of the Lambda Sond in the 80s is just one example. Today they even might loose their strong position in safety since Toyota, Lexus and others score top results in Euro NCAP and other safety tests.

Today the strategy seems to be "keep pace with competitors but let them pave the way". The Bi-fuel vehicles have been the only exception. The reason for ending the production is a low demand. But isn't that just another way to say: "we were incapable to market this new product line. We are incapable because we are followers, not leaders. And when we suddenly were in the lead, we didn't know what to do."

Creating new products, or new product categories is about changing people's minds. That's a challenge. But what challenge doesn't wait in the future if people's minds change because of some competitors’ efforts. Then you have to be a hell of a follower.

The Ivy way

This is the new logotype of Ivy Communications. We offer in-depth knowledge about how to influence people and make them start using new products or act differently.

We are using effective communication to help organizations to influence.

We are outstanding when it comes to innovation marketing. We know almost everything about environment, energy and health. And a lot about IT, telecom and retail.

Just to let you know.

 

Secure environment

In Europe, banks as well as bank customers suffer hard from scimming. Criminals apply small devices that can "record" the data on your ATM card when using the ATM. To save their reputation banks normally take full responsibility. However they ask customers to check the ATM and to make sure it's safe. That means we, the customers, are perhaps not blaimed but still made responsible for the bank safety.

So, why on earth, do banks let their ATMs look like this? And why isn't there never a sign with a phone number, that encourage people to call in when feeling suspicious?