New Technologies
One thing’s for sure: it would be unwise to rely on tried-and-true approaches that don’t fit the times. Trend lines, market sizing, and competitive benchmarks that served companies well during periods of gradual market evolution do little good in industries where new technologies create seismic shifts, demand is uncertain, and rivals emerge from left field.
Understanding Customers
Insights that turn into innovation opportunities can come from intuition, science, or sheer randomness. Increase the odds of success by seeking to understand customers better than they understand themselves. It’s worth the effort.
Think Different
Jobs and [Lee] Clow agreed that Apple was one of the great brands of the world, probably in the top five based on emotional appeal, but they needed to remind folks what was distinctive about it. So they wanted a brand image campaign, not a set of advertisements featuring products. It was designed to celebrate not what the computers could do, but what creative people could do with the computers. “This wasn’t about processor speed or memory,” Jobs recalled. “It was about creativity.” It was directed not only at potential customers, but also at Apple’s own employees. “We at Apple had forgotten who we were. One way to remember who you are is to remember who your heroes are. That was the genesis of that [Think Different] campaign.”
