Written by: Vickie Sullivan | April 11, 2019
Are You Blinded By Your Brilliance?
Ever wonder why the best ideas don’t catch fire? Well, a lot of geeks wonder the same thing. Hence this HBR article on the role of marketing.
Look past the focus on tech innovation. This article has a lot of useful ideas that apply to us thought leaders and our methodology/big ideas. Key quote: “Innovators usually become so wrapped up in what they’re developing that they overlook all the other elements necessary to make delivery and experience of the offering successful.” News flash: We do that, too.
Listen: Tell-tale Signs That You’re Blinded By Your Brilliance
One way to get out of that trap: Don’t focus on the people using the ideas. Focus on the environment where they will use your ideas. The example from the article: Keurig, king of the office coffee. What would’ve happened if the inventors pitched the loyal coffee culture and went mass market immediately? My prediction: failure to launch. By directing the marketing effort on the environment (save money at the office breakroom) and collaborating with local roasters (appeals to the drinkers), not only was Keurig a hit but they also created cross over into – you guessed it – personal use. (Yep, our house has two machines!)
The upshot: We have to stop loving our brilliance enough to help our marketplace fall in love with our contribution. As with any innovations, brilliance and better ideas are not enough. We need to step outside ourselves and make strategic decisions about how to promote and market your ideas.
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