Tim Andren - At the corner of Innovation and Marketing Ideas

The Last Advertising Agency on Earth

Basically what I've been saying all along, but much more fun to watch...

Museums, insects and how to get your next idea

'Music' by Jean-Honoré Fragonard

Yesterday I took a day off to go to the Norton Simon museum. I regularly take time to get outside and see new things, to get inspired. It's as important for my own health as it is for my business.

This isn't always easy to do with the demands of a busy schedule, but the benefits far outweigh any productivity I would have realized chained to the office.

It's important for all of us to see and experience new things with a relaxed the mind in order to generate ideas. Everyone makes the mistake of working too hard at times, which inevitably leads to wheel-spinning and frustration - none of which will result in a great idea.

Sometimes hard work and hair-pulling is the worst thing to do when trying to differentiate or create a new product or business.

My trip yesterday with my buddy Justin allowed me to see the city, the museum and taste some great food.

'Whipped Salt Cod & Potato Gratin' – Bar Celona Tapas Bar, Pasadena

Justin's presence was valuable not only to share the time with a good friend, but also because he is a designer and a great idea person. Our conversation covered various subjects from the art we were experiencing to the latest technology effecting both of our industries.

The majority of the day was spent looking at the many periods of the permanent collection, which includes a lot of European pieces from the 14th to 18th century. If a piece spoke to me I made the conscious decision to slow down and spend as much time as I could examining every aspect of it's creation.

I couldn't help but ponder what the artists were responding to in their own lives as they were painting. This is important to do before you read the notes next to a piece. I make a bit of a game out of it to see how close I can get.

As funny as it sounds, if you practice this enough you'll be able to get a tremendous amount of insight into the artist and the culture of the period.

You'll also notice that this little exercise causes you to get outside of yourself and your creative limits and you leave the experience with a refreshed spirit.

Merely looking at the art will give you one level of visual response, the additional act of thinking as the artist will expose yet another layer of creativity. The ideas begin to come a mile a minute on the drive home, unless you're stuck in traffic of course.

'Woman With A Guitar' by Pablo Picasso

A little while back I posted an article about how scientists were inspired for their new idea by examining Gecko's feet.

Today I read about a new advancement that's been made for cellphone video cameras inspired by a dung beetle.

What's next, the latest buildings inspired by bugs? Oh wait, that's been done.

The point to be taken is that inspiration will come from anywhere, especially the natural world which has efficiently invented and reinvented for ages.

Your next idea will probably not come from hanging around a bunch of the same people in the familiar confines of your office. Want to create a killer app or the next great product? Get out and see something different and you'll give yourself a good chance.

This is a big reason why I don't understand the lemming mentality at business conferences. 'We're all going off the cliff together, yaaaaay!' But seriously, there are some benefits to attending a conference, but don't expect it to be a petri dish for explosive creativity.

Get outside (and I don't mean walk to Starbucks), travel, read children's books, eat at a new restaurant, or watch a foreign film. If you can do all of that in one day you might become the next Thomas Edison. Whatever you do, remember the best ideas come from the combination of seeing something new with a relaxed mind.

If you have a specific goal, the following series of steps works quite well. Since you already know your industry, do some gathering of information for the subject/s at hand, tell yourself you are taking a day to do research that will benefit you and your business and then just go.

You can feel okay about leaving the office if you tell yourself that the benefits will outweigh the paperwork or pencil-pushing that will inevitably leave you frustrated.

Don't turn back, don't answer your phone, isolate yourself in the experience as much as possible.

Where do you like to go or what do you like to do to get inspired?

Tim Andren is the founder of Guideas, Inc. an innovation and marketing company.

Today's breakthrough was yesterday's great idea

I can't remember where I heard this quote but it absolutely rules! 

I woke up with this thought bouncing around in my head and I just had to share.

Tim Andren is the founder of Guideas, Inc. an innovation and marketing company.

Denver Water billboard

via www.guerrillapromos.com

Here's an innovative billboard ad from Denver Water that works with what's given to maximum effect.

I cringe when I think of the hundreds of millions of dollars wasted on billboard advertising every year.

Some messages are so forgettable that I it's impossible to describe them here.

This piece is strong because the message is delivered quickly and in a way that the brain will remember it.

Client relations? Only two things matter (part 2/2)

This is Part 2 of a two-part series. Click here and read part 1.

2. If someone expresses discontent, you've been given a gift. 

When prompted by an issue, the unsatisfied party is giving you the ripest opportunity to earn their trust and lifetime brand love. This is no time for salesmanship. Do not force the issue, let it come to you.

If your product doesn't do what it's advertised to do or your service is lacking, take that opportunity to step up and show your worth. Nordstrom's are well-known for this type of customer service. They understand that stories of customer satisfaction and problem resolution travel quickly through word-of-mouth.

Restaurant owners must understand this principle too or they'll quickly be out of business. I was recently asked to develop a marketing plan for a group that is building a small franchise of Asian fusion boutique restaurants.

My job was much easier than usual because they had done a lot of the work already in order to gain some initial funding - they know their audience like the back of their hand.

We developed a plan to manage customer issues which is part business plan, part marketing plan. It goes without saying that you can't afford to separate the two these days.

The order of this process is a proven psychological structure that works wonders. The whole goal is to leave the once-disgruntled customer with the sense that they were heard and blown away by the responding action from the staff. With such well-heeled clientele nothing could be more important.

Social media uses

Social media works in much the same way. The ability to listen in and canvas industry-specific discussion or dialogue about your brand is priceless.

Companies have no excuse to not be attentive to their audience. The opportunity is great for those who make the effort to put a system in place and allow their buying committee to virtually design their products for them merely by freely giving the information about what they like or don't like.

What are you doing to improve client relations in your business?

Tim Andren is the founder of Guideas, Inc. an innovation and marketing company.