Comments on: The future of ideas http://projectredstripe.com/blog/2007/02/23/the-future-of-ideas/ A story about innovation Tue, 18 Nov 2008 21:43:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.2 By: David Wallace http://projectredstripe.com/blog/2007/02/23/the-future-of-ideas/#comment-219 David Wallace Fri, 23 Feb 2007 19:05:35 +0000 http://projectredstripe.com/blog/2007/02/23/the-future-of-ideas/#comment-219 Customers will help if they feel some connection to the product or brand. Look no further than the independent user boards (for cars particularly) where users volunteer information that manufacturers can tap for improvements, reporting problems or custom tweaks. The freedom on these sites is just as important -- proven by the examples you cited of companies that got flamed when they tried to get "free" ideas and co-opt unhappy people. Imaginatik is already on the 'open innovation' path -- where companies are tapping clients, partners or suppliers. But there are a lot of companies out there that just don't know the customer sentiment about their products, brands, reputations. And they're in for nasty surprises if they start asking end-users questions that they'd rather not have answered. Customers will help if they feel some connection to the product or brand. Look no further than the independent user boards (for cars particularly) where users volunteer information that manufacturers can tap for improvements, reporting problems or custom tweaks. The freedom on these sites is just as important — proven by the examples you cited of companies that got flamed when they tried to get “free” ideas and co-opt unhappy people.

Imaginatik is already on the ‘open innovation’ path — where companies are tapping clients, partners or suppliers. But there are a lot of companies out there that just don’t know the customer sentiment about their products, brands, reputations. And they’re in for nasty surprises if they start asking end-users questions that they’d rather not have answered.

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