Building an All-Star Company

A company that wants to win needs to act as a basketball team rather than a family. A CEO will fulfill his or her role better as a coach than a father. Loyal relationships are important, but camaraderie, purpose, and talented teammates who can play multiple positions are the key to bringing home a win. This mentality helps businesses implement a strategy of opportunistic offense and a tenacious defense.

Talented people are a scarce commodity. Or are they? Talent shortage can become a huge growth obstacle for your business. One of the best ways to recruit fresh, talented people is by encouraging them to be the ones to seek you out.

A great way for us to do this at Prophet and Play is to "build-the-buzz" using the books we've either published or are in the process of writing. These books are not only great informational and promotional materials to give out to clients, but they are a way to introduce ourselves to talented people with whom we otherwise wouldn't have had the chance to meet.  They can also be an effective way to target passive job seekers that are already happy at their job. Think of it as scouting another team's player.

--
Brian Swann
VCU Brandcenter / Creative Brand Management / 804-690-7048
www.brandcenter.vcu.edu / swannbr@gmail.com

Innovation’s ROI and the “New” CLV

Clara Shih, author of "The Facebook Era," recently blogged about the innovation ROI of online engagement and how it contributes to a new definition of customer lifetime value (CLV). Companies like Starbucks and Dell are utilizing the Internet to create open forums for the public to share ideas and feedback. MyStarbucksIdea and Dell Ideastorm in particular post "ideas" and have customers help to prioritize these ideas and add personal opinions… for free. After all, who knows what the customer wants better than the customer? Both Starbucks and Dell have implemented ideas largely formulated by these Web-based forums – ideas that have raked in revenue. Keeping this in mind, the old definition of CLV (present value of future cash flows from a particular customer) should be completely revamped to include: the customer's level of influence, the size of the customer's network and community, and sales resulting from the customer's idea contributions.


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Brian Swann
VCU Brandcenter / Creative Brand Management / 804-690-7048
www.brandcenter.vcu.edu / swannbr@gmail.com

Unexpected Innovation

So-called "Bottom of the Pyramid" (BOP) strategies propose a new way of thinking: if we stop thinking of the poor as victims and start recognizing them as resilient and creative entrepreneurs and value-conscious consumers, a whole new world of opportunity will open up.  The four billion people at the BOP, the so-called poor, can be the engine of the next round of global trade and prosperity, and can be a source of innovation.

One reason firms enter into BOP strategies is for market creation.  Quoting an executive at one of the world's largest toy companies: "There's very little industry growth, companies in my industry are pretty much just shifting profits around". Meanwhile, the 4+ billion people in the BOP - representing a potential multi-trillion market - are largely under-served and often vastly overcharged. One group needs growth, the other group needs services. Companies that can bring the two groups together have great potential for huge profits.

You can look at these strategies as a platform for incubating disruptive innovations which are particularly rewarding for the emerging markets.  Those living in the BOP are a huge source for something unexpected: innovation in utility.  Innovation in utility is rarely discovered inside a corporate R&D lab, rather it is user and market focused: the more people you observe using your technology or service, the better chance you have to discover an unexpected success. Even better is to find people with an entirely different world view than your own, as they can create possibilities you never dreamed of, and then give them reasons to seek you out. The BOP has a wealth of such perspectives and dreams ripe for this purpose.

There are two critical components to discovering innovation in utility: casting your net for innovation as far and wide as possible, through product offerings or services, and then drawing the resulting innovative uses back to you.


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Brian Swann
VCU Brandcenter / Creative Brand Management / 804-690-7048
www.brandcenter.vcu.edu / swannbr@gmail.com

6 Lessons from the Apple Store

The Apple brand has succeeded for years in translating its brand identity from its software and hardware products to the user experience of a well-designed retail environment.  For Apple, and for any company that wishes to truly engage with its customers, they strive to remain relevant and meaningful throughout each customer's purchase funnel.

You can spot an Apple Store from the Things Remembered store five doors down on the second floor of the mall.  Its distinctive, clean, sleek, white and silver look is unlike any other, and certainly unique within the technology industry.  From ad, to store, to product, it is all the same message.  Before you make the purchase, Apple wants you to want their product - and want it bad.  It's not just a store.  It's the Apple Store.  And it's designed with the user's experience in mind.  It's a design we can learn from.

    Create an experience, not an artifact
    Honor the context in which the user looks for, purchases, and uses the product.
    Prioritize your messages
    Remain consistent and protective of the brand's personality
    Design for change
    Don't forget the human element

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Brian Swann
VCU Brandcenter / Creative Brand Management / 804-690-7048
www.brandcenter.vcu.edu / swannbr@gmail.com

3 Keys to Design Thinking

Define the Problem
The right words are important. It's not "design a chair", it's "create a way to suspend a person."  The goal of the definition stage is to target the right problem to solve, and then to frame the problem in a way that invites creative solutions.

Create and Consider
Even the most talented teams and businesses sometimes fall into the trap of solving a problem the same way every time.  Design thinking requires that no matter how obvious the solution may seem, many solutions be created for consideration by varying perspectives.

Refine
Design thinking allows the potential of every idea to be realized by creating an environment conducive to growth and experimentation.  Options may need to be combined and smaller ideas integrated into the larger themes that have set the tone.  Finally, execute.

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Brian Swann
VCU Brandcenter / Creative Brand Management / 804-690-7048
www.brandcenter.vcu.edu / swannbr@gmail.com

Pie in the sky comes down to earth as governments begin to innovate

The term "innovation" has in the past been a somewhat vague term to some people and was often seen as a very "pie in the sky" phrase that CEOs and other thought leaders tossed around to make it seem like they were doing something original.

Now governments are calling that term to task as they initiate new departments and officials completely devoted to new and original ideas, and suddenly innovation isn't just for clever companies.  The New York Times notes that "the impetus comes from two fronts: daunting challenges in fields like energy, the environment and health care that require collaboration between the public and private sectors; and shortcomings of traditional economic development and industrial policies."

As an emerging discipline, innovation policy begs the question, "What is the appropriate government role in creating industries and jobs in today's high-technology, global economy?"  According to innovation policy practitioners from around the globe, the discipline is "an attempt to bring some coordination to often disparate government initiatives" from every facet of governmental research.  While it is meant to help move society forward faster, the governments role should be likened to an orchestra conductor, offering stewardship, not command or control.
The United States is behind in this area, but other countries are focusing their innovation on problems or issues unique to themselves.

--
Brian Swann
VCU Brandcenter / Creative Brand Management / 804-690-7048
www.brandcenter.vcu.edu / swannbr@gmail.com

P&G R&D

Procter & Gamble was featured in Business Week highlighting the new corporate strategy of "trickling up." Trickling up promotes the concept of marketing to low-income consumers first, then repackaging and marketing to developed-world customers. In P&G's case, a new Vick's product called "Honey Cough" was initially created to appeal to consumers in Latin America, who seemed to prefer products that mirror home remedies. Seeing potential for growth, P&G released Honey Cough to parts of the US with high Latino populations. Next, they realized the potential for another growth market in Europe, where consumers are partial to medicines with natural ingredients. P&G intends to repackage and sell to mainstream American consumers if market research proves it will remain a high-seller. What a great way to look at the economic crisis as an opportunity — create for low-income customers first, then tweak it up to sell up!

--
Brian Swann
VCU Brandcenter / Creative Brand Management / 804-690-7048
www.brandcenter.vcu.edu / swannbr@gmail.com

Our inspiration for Human Library

SynesthInAsia

syn·es·the·sia syn·aes·the·sia (sĭn'ĭs-thē'zhə)

n.
A condition in which one type of stimulation evokes the sensation of another, as when the hearing of a sound produces the visualization of a color.

A sensation felt in one part of the body as a result of stimulus applied to another, as in referred pain. The description of one kind of sense impression by using words that normally describe another.

Synesthesia from Terri Timely on Vimeo.

Hi Guys 'n Gals!

I hope all is well in Richmond and that you are treating the new interns well and vice versa. I am hearing good things about them and I have been told they are the second best intern team you have ever had!

Shanghai is hot and humid and if I close my eyes it's just like being in Richmond! The school year is over and I am now left with two weeks down here dedicated to looking at more stuff and thinking about it harder!

Ni Hao,
Erik

The impact of inspiration

A few weeks back, Andy, Robert, and Courtney hosted a webinar entitled "The Inspiration Discipline." More than 200 people signed on for the hour-long chat to learn how to use inspiration to drive business growth. Since then, that network of attendees has received a weekly "dose" of inspiration - a fascinating story, a cool hyperlink, a provocative thought-piece - in order to stimulate new thinking and spur innovative action...

So how does five weeks of "strategic inspiration" make you think about the world in a different way?This is what we asked the participants and here is where the conversation begins...

Biz strategy meets design.

Play's good friend Erin Weber just launched a publication, Catalyst, about the intersection of business strategy and design. The articles focus on case studies that are socially and environmentally conscious. It's a great read that gets you thinking and the design isn't too shabby either. You can read the full publication at MyMagazines.com and check out the blog

nice little animation.

Link

Playing with Potential

The question, as posed by Ben:
If you could own any word, any word in the world, what would it be?

My answer:
Potentially.

I utter the word “potentially” at least three times a day. I like the way it sounds; I like that it can be applied to any and every task or opportunity.
And I love how it applies to my first week here at Play:

If Kara and Chris keep showering me with pumpkin bread, sushi, milkshakes, and chocolate chip cookies, will I get fat? Potentially.

Do Byron’s dogs resemble aliens? Potentially. (But we love them anyway.)

Will Valeria, Brian and I serve as the most amazing and memorable interns Play has ever experienced? Potentially.

The point: Everything has potential. It’s identifying that potential and striving to meet and surpass it that makes life exciting.

After just five days in the office, or as I’ve dubbed it in conversation, “the playhouse,” I feel differently than I’ve ever felt before. It’s as if I could physically reach up and catch bubbles of ideas floating everywhere around me.
The rich energy, encouraging atmosphere, and talented and unique thinkers that surround me have already begun to demonstrate the potential of the next two months. I am so excited to get moving on our projects and to continue learning how to think in new ways – finding inspiration all around me. Passion in action. Interested and interesting. Slightly disruptive.

Thanks for an inspiring and unforgettable first week.

Let the games begin,
Ashby

More goose bump worthy material..

To all my fellow chocolate lovers: it has arrived. A commercial that makes brown balloons look so luscious your taste buds have an orgasm. If the Brazilian born, pro skateboarder Bob Burnquist doesn’t sell Nestlé’s Aero chocolate bar with his smooth cutting tricks then his dreamy, slow motion ride through seemingly chocolate bubbles will definitely get your gastric juices flowing.

I also stumbled upon a different version of this commercial. The video is no longer in slow motion and the audio evokes completely different feelings. It's playful, fast, and energetic. Check it out and see which one you like better.

These two past examples show the kind of effect audio can have when it is combined with video and vice versa...the kind that gives you goose bumps. The music and the design of this commercial make it seem as though all Bob needs is one bite of Aero to immerse himself in a world that brings his talent to a whole new level. So, perhaps by making an effort to bring our personal passions to work we can raise the bar on the results that we churn out during what may sometimes seem like an ordinary day at the office.

Speaking of the office, today was a great day. I wrapped up my first full week at Play. All of the outrageous expectations I had coming into this internship were minor league compared to the actual journey I embarked on this past Monday. Never have I met such a talented, fun, unpretentious, and real group of thinkers who don't settle for eating lunch at their desks and always know how to spice things up. Thanks to everyone for making this week so memorable. It flew by too fast.

Let's start the playing.

Valeria

You Nailed It!

Chocolate Chip Cookies.  You nailed it!
Chocolate Milkshakes.  You nailed it!
Coca-Cola Classic.  You nailed it.
Water.  You nailed it!

During my first few days here you guys have basically shoved these and more treats down my throat and I have been reveling in my gluttony.  Thank you.  You really, how do I say this, well, you nailed it.  You knew exactly how to make me feel welcome.  I know at first I'm not always the most outgoing or personable, so thank you also to everyone who has been just that towards me and again making me feel welcome.

We've spent the first week basically getting acquainted with everyone here and what everyone does - and what Play does.  And how that fits into what Prophet does.  We've been bombarded with information and orientation, and talks about inspirational things, how to get inspired, and what inspires us.  And I can say that I am truly inspired by the pure energy inside of this building and cannot wait to actually get going on some of these projects.  Most of the jitters are gone, and at this point I'm just eager to start actually working and preparing some of the assignments we've been given.  And also to work alongside some of the projects that you (actual employees) are working on.

On Tuesday, Andy asked me to describe Valeria and Ashby.  I replied, "uhhh..."  I didn't know what to say, and not just because I'm bad on my feet.  When Andy asked Ashby the same question, I think she said something like, "Brian doesn't bullshit."  I think this is true.  To be honest, on Tuesday I didn't know either Valeria or Ashby well enough to be able to describe them.  And Ashby was right when she said that I don't bullshit.  I wasn't going to just make some stuff up about them.  I wanted to really get to know them before I made up my mind about who they were.  In just one day, that was impossible, and even after a week it's pretty hard.  But I know that these girls are pretty great.  Already we're meshing like we've been best friends for years.  At least that's how the hairdresser at Tony's viewed us.  Just a couple of best friends getting their haircuts together.  I think that says a lot about us as a team.  So, no, I'm not going to describe Valeria, Ashby, or anyone else here beyond what I know for sure.  All of you are friendly, personable, talkative, deep, insightful, interesting, curious, and excited people.  And I love it.

Ya nailed it.



--
Brian Swann
VCU Brandcenter / Creative Brand Management / 804-690-7048
www.brandcenter.vcu.edu / swannbr@gmail.com

Inspiration from NY_ Permission to slow down

One of the only good things about the economic crisis is that whether buying groceries or a new home, people are being more responsible, careful and appreciative about what they buy, which creates and interesting shift in the way people are approaching products and services these days.
 
More than ever shopping, dining out, vacationing, etc. are perceived as a luxury, an indulgence, so people want to take their time to decide; they want their splurge moments to last as much as possible, and more importantly they want to feel that the experiences and products they are investing on are more meaningful.
 
This new mindset means people are more receptive to what businesses have to say, so it is a great opportunity to connect with them in a deeper way. Here are some examples of how I have seen some businesses in New York and London motivate people to spend money with them by encouraging a slower pace:

- Freddy, a workout apparel brand in the middle of busy and luxurious Regent street in London has the “Slow Movement of Shopping” promotion. When you enter the store you are given a sticker with your time of entry, from then on, the more time you spend in the store, the more discount you get: 10% if you stay 10 minutes, 20% if you stay 20 minutes, 30% if you stay 30 min.

-Cluny Café in the West Village is providing board games for those costumers that want to stay more time, creating a living room environment and hopefully more consumption.

- Every Wednesday Macys is hosting shopping soirées, where different areas of the store have cupcakes, mimosas, martinis, DJ’s, etc. providing an environment to hang out with friends.

- Whole Foods on Sundays has sampling of local products where local suppliers come in and explain their products, making the grocery store feel more like an outdoor market, and the local products’ high price tag more comprehensible and worth it.

- Top shop, the UK inexpensive fashion brand is committed to making their NY store a “destination”, in it there is a permanent DJ,  free personal shoppers, and customers can call ahead for an appointment with a "style adviser" for free.

So, how are we making our clients feel that our interactions are meaningful and worth their time and money? Are we giving them that little extra so they feel like we are worth it?   

--
Ale Gomez
Long Stride

great graffiti.

awesome slings

I love these slings. No need to explain to people all the time. I wonder if we could create corporate versions of these -- T-shirts or neck braces with icons of mean bosses, windowless rooms, and backstabbing peers.

Buddha to Barbie

My mind is twisted around to say the least. Yesterday’s focus was on personal inspiration. Today’s whirlwind was about brand.

We went from the oldest Buddhist temple in Shanghai to the newest temple for Barbie in the span of one hour. From monastery to monetization.

I think the last time that I saw so much pink I was in utero.

Not one. Not two. Not three. But SIX floors of Barbie are what we encountered at the first global flagship Barbie store here in Shanghai. I would love to have a day long conversation with Mattel about this phenomenon.

Thousands of Barbie dolls lining a four-story spiral staircase. Limited edition Barbies – from the2000 “Barbie for President” to the classic 1959 Barbie to Barbie's new Asian relation, Ling. And so so so many more. Special Barbie music. A runway for full-sized Barbie fashion shows featuring clothes women and girls can buy. Take your picture on the Barbie throne. Poke your head through the hole and have your face on Barbie’s body. Go to the Barbie Spa.

Barbie. Barbie. Barbie. Barbie. Barbie.

There are dolls to buy, of course. But there are also shoes and plates and handbags. Apparently Ken and Skipper are somewhere in the store as well, but I couldn’t find them. They are in the back apparently.

And for each of the four customers we saw, there were at least ten pink-clad salespeople.

I have some video and pictures, but my connection is too slow to upload them right now. In the meantime, check this out: http://www.barbieshanghai.com/en/lobby.html. You will get the idea.

Believe it or not, but our stop at the Barbie store included lunch at the Barbie Café, a stylish penthouse clad in black and white tile (a nod to Barbie’s original zebra-print one-piece bathing suit), as well as plenty of clear plastic chairs and pink leather booths.

The menu is pink. The food is pink. The drinks are pink. And the manager of the café calls himself “Shanghai Ken.”

I have pictures and witnesses. I swear.

According to “Ken” this retail assault is no shot in the dark. Mattel spent two years looking at London, Paris, Milan, Seoul, Tokyo, Beijing, and Shanghai while deciding on the best market for the store. Or should I say experience? Or manifesto? Or alternate universe?

Shanghai is the only one of those markets that has a growing middle class. Add in the one-child policy in China and you have the ultimate recipe for high-priced children’s toys and a fetish for the American Dream.

The head chef is named Tess. She is from Kentucky, but she trained at some of the best restaurants in Paris, Geneva, and New York.

Ken and Tess welcomed us graciously and served us pretty good food, but it was hard to get past the environment. Am I eating an advertisement? That said, their dream is that the penthouse bar will become THE kitsch destination for young professionals in Shanghai. I will have to go back at night and have a Ken-tini. I could see that working out quite nicely.

“Ken” was born in Shanghai, but lived in Australia for the past two decades running the food service at top hotels and casinos, but he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to come work for Barbie. Same with Tess. She abandoned haute cuisine in some of the world’s food capitals to come and reconnect with a character she had not thought about since she was a little girl.

Out of the twelve participants, Marie, the recruiter, couldn’t help but have her picture taken on Barbie’s throne. Who knew Barbie was royalty? Well you would know by looking at Cleopatra Barbie, Inca Queen Barbie, Scottish Clan Queen Barbie and dozens of others. Marie had more than fifty Barbies as a child and she was clearly trying to maintain her composure in the face of so much pink fanfare.

Brands from all over the world are flocking to China to take advantage of the bursting middle class. Reports differ, but it’s only 5% of China that can afford such luxuries like Barbie, Mont Blanc, Rolex, and Danish design, so who knows how successful these efforts will be?

Oh wait, that’s fifty million people.

Arrived in Shanghai

Cheers. After a full day of travel, including a fourteen hour flight that that featured Quantum of Solace, Fight Club, American Beauty, an entire dystopian novel about organ harvesting, and an unreasonable obsession with deep vein thrombosis, I am in my hotel room (very cozy) toasting Shanghai with a cold Tsingtao.


Of course I had to walk through a torrential downpour to go buy this beer, so I am hoping that my laptop will not electrocute me while I sit it on my wet jeans. Is there anything better than wet jeans?


In about 20 minutes, the team from the KaosPilots is coming to take me out to dinner. Thank God.


In my brief stroll through the rain, I realized that I have no idea how to get around here yet. I know I just arrived, I am jetlagged, it is raining, and it's quickly becoming dark, but I am armed with only a fistful of yuan, a map that shows the location of my hotel in Chinese, and possibly the most limited ability to speak the language in the entire country.


I spent time on the plane with the Berlitz application built into the entertainment system trying to master the two most basic concepts anyone should know: hello and thank you. I kind of have those down, but the tonal nature of Chinese means that even the slightest adjustment to the proper syllables can change their meaning completely. I am so afraid that I am saying "horse face" instead of "hello" or "bite me" instead of "thank you." At least that is what I am garnering from most people's reactions.

The Inspiration Tour starts tomorrow, so there will be more tales to come, but so far the arrival phase seems to have gone off without issue.

I hope you are all still sleeping.

Gam Bei -- "cheers" over here.

Hey look...I just learned another important phrase. Unless I am saying "suck blood!" or something.