The document outlines key truths and myths about innovation, emphasizing that it is about executing ideas, not just having them, and that innovation should originate from broader inspirations beyond customer insights. It argues that while small companies are often seen as more innovative, larger businesses have unique advantages such as resources and the ability to make new connections. Ultimately, it highlights that innovation requires a culture of motivation and a willingness to experiment and fail in order to succeed.

1. SEX, LIES AND INNOVATION
© Karmarama 2012

2. THE TRUTH
1. Innovation is all about ideas
2. Every innovation must start from a customer insight
3. Small companies will always be more innovative than big business

4. LIE #1
INNOVATION IS ALL ABOUT IDEAS

5. INNOVATION IS ABOUT
MAKING IDEAS HAPPEN

6. DON’T BE A NEARLY MAN
(OR WOMAN)
Humphry
Davy
-­‐
Nearly
the
inventor
of
the
lightbulb
Philo
Farnsworth
-­‐
Nearly
the
inventor
of
the
TV
Nicola-­‐Joseph
Cugnot
Sir
George
Cayley
-­‐
Nearly
the
inventor
of
the
automobile
-­‐
Nearly
the
inventor
of
the
aeroplane

7. INNOVATION IS ABOUT PEOPLE
MAKING IDEAS HAPPEN

8. FEELING
LEARNING
INNOVATION
IS ALL
ABOUT YOU
DOING
THINKING

9. Cheeky
Curious
Collaborative
Fascinated
Fearless
Mischevious
Scared
WHAT DOES INNOVATION FEEL LIKE?
Subversive
Open
Disruptive
Excited
Bold
Restless

10. INNOVATION HURTS

12. AMBITION: THE OXYGEN OF INNOVATION

13. THE KARMARAMA AMBITION SESSION:
GOALS, BARRIERS & BEYOND
A note of
apology!
HOW
GERMANY’S
BIGGEST
COFFEE
BRAND
BECAME
ITS
MOST
EXCITING
Dear me,
t you were
n’t achieve wha
I’m sorry we did
wanted to be
with Jacob’s. We
hoping for
aking the
hen it came to m
exciting but w
rave enough.
we just weren’t b
tough decisions,
le changes.
sier to make litt
ea
It felt safer and

14. INNOVATIVE THINKING:
PROBLEM FIRST
”If
I
had
an
hour
to
solve
a
problem
and
my
life
depended
on
it
I
would
use
the
first
55
minutes
to
formulate
the
right
ques;on
because
as
soon
as
I
have
iden;fied
the
right
ques;on
I
can
solve
the
problem
in
less
than
five
minutes”

15. NOT “HOW CAN WE SELL MORE BROADBAND?”
BUT “HOW CAN WE BECOME THE PROVIDER PEOPLE TRUST?”

16. NOT “HOW CAN WE SELL MORE GUM?”
BUT “HOW CAN WE MAKE A GUM FOODIES WANT TO BUY?”

17. INNOVATIVE DOING =
IDEA + LEADER + TEAM + PLAN
Culture

18. BE HARD ON YOUR IDEAS
“All great artists and
thinkers are great workers,
indefatigable in not only
inventing, but also in
rejecting, sifting,
transforming, ordering”
- Friedrick Nietsche

19. BUT NOT EACH OTHER

20. NO INNOVATION
WITHOUT
MOTIVATION

21. CREATE A CULTURE THAT FAILS FORWARDS

22. INNOVATIVE LEARNING:
EXPERIMENT, EXPERIMENT, EXPERIMENT

23. REMEMBER
Making beats talking
Now beats later
Commitment beats committees
Data beats opinions
Fail often to succeed sooner
www.pretotyping.org

24. LIE #2
EVERY INNOVATION MUST START FROM
A CUSTOMER INSIGHT

25. LISTENING TO
CUSTOMERS
CAN BE
DANGEROUS

27. “Consumers can tell you what
they did yesterday, but not what
they’re going to do tomorrow”
– Rebecca Wynberg, global qualitative CEO, TNS

29. BRANDS NEED
TO LEAD,
NOT FOLLOW

30. CUSTOMERS:
ONLY ONE SOURCE OF INSPIRATION
UPSIGHTS
SIDESIGHTS
INSIGHTS
DOWNSIGHTS
SIDESWIPES

31. UPSIGHTS:
BIG HUMAN NEEDS x NEW TRENDS x YOUR BRAND
Many
new
challenges/opportuniLes
16
big
human
needs
The
young
old
&
the
old
young
Post
scienEfic
holisEc
therapy
CustomisaEon
Gender
roles
changing
Feminising
society
Cloning
Physicality
PerformaEve
Leisure
Experience
economy
QuanEfied
self
Avoiding
Distress
MeeEng
and
maEng
Looser
morals
&
informality
Always
in
contact
Curiosity
Not
having
children
Gentleness
Non
human
intelligence
The
personal
poliEcal
Eco
chic
The
end
of
print
Risk
society
Crime
and
chaos
Mood
management
New
communiEes
of
interest
Quality
of
life
&
leisure
ParEcipaEon
Self
improvement
New
technology
Overload
Single
person
households
Body
consciousness
Bipolar
society:
have’s/nots
PresLge
Fast
fashion
SubjecEve
morality
Paranoia
&
supersEEon
Power
GlobalisaEon
Fame
&
pursuit
of
celebrity/ies
Partnership
&
shared
responsibility
The
need
to
learn
Sex
without
limits
Whispering/twiVering
society
Self-­‐medicaEon
The
lack
of
causes/crusades
Money’s
too
Eght
to
menEon
Social
Acceptance
The
decline
of
religion
Virtuality
The
end
of
privacy
Spirituality
The
maker
movement
The
end
of
authenEcity
Mobility
&
volaElity
Sex
Hunger
Honour
Order
Vengeance
Social
Contact
Family
CiLzenship
Independence

32. X CURIOSITY X MAKER MOVEMENT

34. X VENGEANCE X RISK SOCIETY

35. Justice Gum

36. X AVOIDING DISTRESS X SELF MEDICATION

37. SPEARMINT & CLOVE OIL
NUMB GUM

38. DOWNSIGHTS:
LET YOUR BRAND BE YOUR GUIDE
Brand belief
Brand
Purpose
Brand truth
Brand behaviour

39. E.G. COSTA COFFEE
Not all coffees are
created equal
Saving the
world from
mediocre coffee
Coffee that’s
born better
Here to give you a
better choice

40. E.G STIMOROL
Life without stimulation
isn’t really living
Stimulating
mouth, mind
and mana
The gum with the strong
and stimulating kick
Always providing fresh
stimulation

41. SIDESIGHTS: RELATED WORLDS
Jean
Luc
Godard,
Nouvelle
Vague

42. CARTE NOIR: LUXURY BRANDS

43. EXCLUSIVE PACKAGING

44. ULTRA PREMIUM
LIMITED
EDITION
PREMIER
CRU

45. LUXURIOUS DESSERTS
DARK
M
OCHA
TORTE

46. SIDESWIPES:
EXPLOITING COMPETITORS’ WEAKNESSES

47. IF THEY’RE GLOBAL

48. LET’S THINK LOCAL

49. LIE #3
SMALL COMPANIES WILL ALWAYS BE
MORE INNOVATIVE THAN BIG BUSINESS

50. BEING BIG
HAS ITS
ADVANTAGES

51. 1. BIG CHALLENGES
NEED BIG RESOURCES

52. THE BIGGEST BRANDS CAN HAVE
THE BIGGEST AMBITIONS

53. 2. INNOVATION IS ABOUT MAKING
NEW CONNECTIONS

54. MORE TOOLS, MORE TOYS, MORE TOUCHPOINTS

55. E.G.
x

56. =

57. 3. DISCOVERIES GET MADE BY THE VERY
EXPERIENCED OR THE VERY INEXPERIENCED

58. A NETWORK OF EXPERTS
CAN ALSO BE A NETWORK OF EXTRA-ENVIRONMENTALS

59. “We don’t know who
discovered water, but it
sure as hell wasn’t a fish”
- Howard Luck Gossage

60. DON’T JUST
LOOK UP,
LOOK
SIDEWAYS

61. CONCLUSIONS

62. THE (REAL) TRUTH
1. Innovation is about you making ideas happen
2. Customers are just one source of inspiration
3. Big business can be the most innovative of all

63. How innovative do you want to be?

64. THANK YOU
matt@karmarama.com
ben@karmarama.com
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2012.
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