Innovation - is it a figure?

To develop ideas, you need to be able to look at the same information everyone else does, and then organize it into a new and different pattern,  states Michalko in Thinkertoys. A Handbook of Business Creativity for the 90s. (1991). This has two important 'to be ables'. Firstly, to look at the same information that everyone else is watching. Secondly, to have motivation to organize it in a new way. 

I'm more of the first. From childhood I've been an observer and my mind free flows to different conclusions easily. Roughly put, I'm very good at analyzing information. The latter part of innovation, on the other hand, requires motivation to structure the new pattern more profoundly, i.e. by devoting to research and overcoming your own demons of questioning what is new and different. Processing the new as usually the first conclusions are just a hint of what is about to come.

This dualism pretty much defines also the MBL program. The first half we've been observing everyone else by doing netnography, analyzing and benchmarking. During this past fall, we've been also working with creativity, innovation, clarification and planning methods and tools to come up with hundreds of ideas in the MBL Creativity Workshops given by Piritta Kantojärvi from Grape People. 

Undoubtedly, more than ever we'll need these creativity tools next spring when we're all fail-fast in structuring our ideas to something new. As if anything, innovation is a process.

The media service ideas will be pitched the 16th of December (tomorrow!) for further business planning and mock-ups.

Future of Advertising Film

Traditionally advertising film has been the crown jewel of all advertising mainly thanks to TV's predominant role in people's lives. We all love to bash for and against the ad films. Sometimes, I even talk to the voice over out of annoyance when heading to the fridge whilst the commercial break.

But now due to digitalization the film is facing some serious challenges: web is becoming the number one channel, cost pressure affects production and the life cycle is becoming ever shorter. From advertiser's perspective, the change is not just adding the clip online or providing longer, more entertaining version of the brand story. It could be something like this.

Or like this.

Or even something like this, Area's Krisse B2B targeted campaign which was awarded couple of times last spring's Grand One digital marketing competition. Is the advertising film remediating? Or is the banner advertisement using more narratives and  becoming more interactive?

Few weeks ago, Sami Kankkunen from OMD also talked about the emergence of interactive banners at the Impacting the Bottom Line with Media Services seminar. People are witty  in avoiding the ad banners, but interactive ad clips are more pervasive in nature. Thus they are more efficient and hopefully more enjoyable and entertaining, too.

During the discussion over my own class presentation at Aalto roused two important notions concerning the future of ad film. Firstly, there's nothing more annoying than psychedelic sounds out of nowhere when checking e.g. news site. Thus the activation of ad film should be under freedom of choice to some extent. On the other hand, people have accepted that the free online content and advertisement walk hand in hand. Secondly, interface development (read iPad) is a huge opportunity to educate consumers to this kind of advertising. Who could deny that watching these interactive clips is part of the user experience and half of the fun?

Thanks again for the great speakers at the seminar and all of those who came to say hello during the poster sessions!