Michael Fruhling
Is The Right Talent On Your External Innovation Team?
External innovation challenges often can be effectively tackled by a diverse set of collaborators.
Greetings!
I think that many companies don't yet know or realize that strong creative technology and packaging reinterpretation skills can bring immense power to their company's external innovation efforts. This can require the skills of packaging designers, marketers and others, in addition to technologists. So, if you currently only have scientists on your external innovation team, you may wish to consider some helpful additions....
Curious to learn more? Read on, dear friends...
Is The Right Talent On Your External Innovation Team?
New Product Development's Holy Trinity
Whether you call it the "holy trinity" or "3 legs of the stool" your value prop stands or falls based on these key factors
Greetings!
In new product concept development, consumer insight, technical insight and enabling technology are referred to as "the holy trinity". They are the 3 essential elements that serve as a foundation for new product concepts. Yet, many new product teams struggle to define more than 1 or 2 of these elements of early on, which can stall their efforts. It doesn't have to be that way.
Curious to learn more? Read on, dear friends...
New Product Development's Holy Trinity
"You Don't Always Want What You Want"
In new product development, sometimes we prematurely jump to conclusions.
Greetings!
In problem solving, the key is to not prematurely define the preferred solution in terms of a specific execution.
Curious to learn more? Read on, dear friends...
"You Don't Always Want What You Want"
Stop Launching Boring New Products
Dig deeper and aim higher
Greetings!
We've all heard the oft cited statistic that 85% of new products fail. Studies show that this is due to a number of factors, ranging from poor execution to not satisfying real consumer needs. I propose a much simpler explanation: a lot of new products are boring.
Curious to learn more? Read on, dear friends...
Stop Launching Boring New Products
External Partner Relationships: Nurture vs Neglect
Greetings!
Few companies these days haven't yet embraced external innovation as a means of augmenting their internal product development capabilities to realize its benefits. Yet, I perceive that most are missing out on an enormous opportunity to dramatically increase and accelerate these gains. Where are they falling short?
External partner management.
Curious to learn more? Read on, dear friends...
Collecting Contacts Is Not Networking
Greetings!
Are you as amused as I am when someone on LinkedIn boasts that they have over 20,000 connections, or some other outlandish number? It prompts me to wonder how he/she would ever find the time to communicate in any meaningful way with even a small fraction of them. If he/she can't do so, how valuable a network is it? Curious to learn more? Read on, dear friends.
Collecting Contacts is Not Networking
Your External Innovation Program Is Missing This!
A bold prescription for making the most of external inputs
Greetings!
A new product typically requires two key components in order to successfully make it through the corporate gauntlet: a strong concept and a protective and persuasive product champion. Current corporate external innovation management processes don't cultivate either of these things. Is it any wonder that these programs uniformly fail to generate much heat?
Curious to learn more? Read on, dear friends...
"Please...Show Me A Sign!" O.K...Here's A Sign
Electroluminescent coating is great for signage, among other uses
Greetings!
I'm excited to feature a couple of really great technologies that could have powerful applications in your business or in one that you know (so that you can make them aware).
Curious to learn more? Read on, dear friends...
A Loaf of Bread, A Bottle of Wine and...Innovation?
A Lesson In Supplier Aided Innovation
Greetings!
Companies frequently call upon their inner circle of suppliers to assist them with technical challenges. If they manage their relationships properly and respectfully, they can expand this circle and uncover valuable capabilities.
Curious to learn more? Read on, dear friends...
Is CPG R&D Experiencing an Identity Crisis?
Greetings!
In the beginning, consumer packaged goods companies did all of their own Research and Development work. That has now changed. So has the role of R&D and seemingly their outputs.
Care to learn more? Read on, dear friends...
Is CPG R&D Experiencing An Identity Crisis?