Acus is working hard to develop an innovative idea management tool with the goal to distribute it by creating a specific division.
An idea management system is a tool that manages ideas as a company asset. The ideas management process concerns:
Call for ideas - from company management
Ideas submission - from employees, customers, clients
Ideas evolution - that means tool to merge ideas, foster the people collaboration in developing an idea, form tools to promote the opinion exchange about an idea
Ideas selection - tools to choose the best ideas
WHAT IS IT ?
In this step you will find information about the Brand Builder, who is asking you to propose a Solution for the challenge. He introduces himself (as a Brand of course :) The more you understand about the Brand, the more chances you have to create what is wanted.
IMPORTANT: There is a possibility that the Brand Builder prefers not to disclose who he is, usually for confidentiality reasons. Such Briefs will be published in an anonymous way. In this case the Brand Builder will say as much as he feels comfortable saying.
Here are two EXAMPLES
In case there is no problem with disclosing the identity (VISIBLE):
“NMN -No More Nicotine- is a Brand that promises to counteract the damages to the skin that can be caused by smoking. NMN is distributed in pharmacies and drugstores and its price positioning is middle-high; it is mainly promoted through professional endorsement and is not massively advertised.”
In case the Brand doesn’t want to disclose his identity (ANONYMOUS):
“Brand counteracting the damages to skin caused by smoking. Its products are distributed in pharmacies and drugstores with a middle-high price positioning; they are mainly promoted through professional endorsement and are not massively advertised.”
In summary: Who is your client (in a visible or “anonymous” way :)
This project is the first step in creating the "personality" of our idea management division. That means that the graphical identity of our ideas management tool could be completely different to the company one.
We ask for:
1) Tool name - actually the working name of our tool is "Ideoid" but we want new ideas for a more effective name
2) Pay-off (only in english)
3) Logo
We would like to have also other graphical elements, consistent with the logo style, that will be used in web sites, press, brochures and other printed communication media.
eg a graphic a stylization of the wheel (see page 5 of our attachment) with coherent colors to the logo's one to use in the web site or brochure.
!!!Update as of 11 February!!!
According to our early specifications, we would like to have:
1) Tool name. We have appreciated English/American names and Latin ones, too.
However, we haven’t founded very effective names. Effective name is a good name for a software with some specific features (look at the specification in section 6 and in Annex) and, at the same time, a name easy to use in a conversation (also by phone) in different languages, easy to search by google (e.g. in a conference call we want to say to the costumer: “look at our Idea Management System tool now! Please search …[name]”).
2) Pay-off - the tagline. Snappy. The name and the tagline have to “stay together”.
3) Logo. Pay attention to the graphical element you want to use. If it comes from one of many on-line libraries (i.e. istockphoto) without personal graphical work around, the choice is not the best for us.
The wheel is very important for us and it must match the the rest (the same style and personality, of course).
Please consider:
- we’re looking for a free domain in the extensions .it and .com for the name ([name].it, [name].com).
- this project is the first step in creating the "personality" of our idea management division. That means that the graphical identity of our ideas management tool could be completely different to the company one.
!!!The end of Update!!!
WHAT IS IT ?
This is the task the Brand Builder asks you to accomplish. If you don’t understand it, you are completely out of luck !
EXAMPLE
“We ask the Creators to develop a print advertising campaign in order to increase Brand’s visibility. It will be used in national magazines this spring.”
In summary: It’s the objective of the client, therefore your objective too !
R&D directors, HR director, innovation manager of technical and technological companies.
In other words our target are managers that have to conjugate creativity and innovation with a rigorous management of the R&D or product/service development process.
WHAT IS IT?
People that the Brand Builder wants you to entertain and persuade to think, feel or do something using your creation. Usually you will read about their age, sex, social level and behaviors. You should always keep that information in mind while creating, as the target audience is the final recipient of what you create.
EXAMPLE
“Smoking girls and women who would like to quit smoking but can’t. Usually health-conscious adults who care about their looks. They feel guilty about smoking because they know it is harmful. They read books about it. This is a real problem for them: it’s like “My brain wants something, but my body acts of its own accord”. They don’t relate to my brand, they are just waiting for a trustworthy “helping hand”.
In summary: Get under their skin !
That ideas are an important company asset and our tool is the better instrument to manage it.
That our ideas management tool is a powerful instrument to foster the creativity of the employees and other company partners.
That our ideas management tool is a powerful instrument to manage the evolution of and idea from a simple proposition to a structured project.
WHAT IS IT?
The thing that the Brand Builder wants to make the target audience think/feel/do because of your creation.
Here are some very concrete examples:
∞ Some things people can think/feel:
- There is a new Brand (or product or idea or...) out there
- This Brand is better than the alternatives or than it used to be
- This Brand is worth paying more for
∞ Some things people can do:
- Start buying the Brand’s products
- Buy the Brand more often
- Stock more products of the Brand in their outlets
The above written examples are very concrete whilst often the proposition of the Brief is emotional. That’s even better as it can be more inspiring!
EXAMPLE
“We’d like to encourage smokers to use NMN in order to minimize the damage to their health while they are keeping giving up smoking (especially if they’ve already tried and failed before).”
In summary: Get inside their brain !
Because of our tool is the first idea management tool thought specifically for high innovative companies, in particular for the R&D and technological innovation ideas.
For instance our tool is the only one that refers each idea to a graphical representation of the R&D or product development company strategy.
WHAT IS IT?
This is the key to achieving the objective. It is what supports the proposition and makes it believable. Usually it is a rational statement.
EXAMPLE
“Every cigarette you smoke is causing damage to your appearance. A recent study took several pairs of identical twins where one twin was a lifelong smoker and the other had never smoked. The smokers’ skin was a quarter thinner than that of non-smokers, and in some cases there were differences of up to 40%. NMN contains thinning-blocking anti-oxidants which counteract the effect of nicotine on the skin.”
In summary: You are looking for arguments? You’ll find them here!
We want creating a new brand for our idea management tool and it has to communicate:
- creativity
- rigor in managing creativity
- cross fertilization
- collaboration (between ideas owner, collaboration between the company and its employees in building innovation)
WHAT IS IT?
It’s who the Brand is. Yes... who!
Treat the Brand as a human being, as it has its own personality. To know the personality of the “client” is fundamental in order to provide a tailor-made job. So, read carefully the listed adjectives...
EXAMPLE
“Scientific, trustworthy, result-oriented, ‘a party’ to achieve your goals.”
In summary: Imagine the live person !
Tool name - the name will appear in all kind of media
Pay-off - that will be often associate with the tool name (only in english)
Logo - that will appear mainly in web sites, press, brochure and other printed communication media.
Other graphical elements that will be used in web sites, press, brochures and other printed communication media
eg a graphic a stylization of the wheel (see page 5 of our attachment) with coherent colors to the logo's one to use in the web site or brochure.
WHAT IS IT?
A list of places (or media, or things) where the target audience will see the outcome of your creation. In this step sometimes the Brand will also acknowledge you how much he plans to invest into production. This information will give you an insight whether to create a BIG project or make it small... :)
EXAMPLE
“This campaign is going to appear in lifestyle- and health-focused women magazines of New Zealand, during the spring of 2009. We plan to invest 500,000 USD, which means approximately buying 100 single pages.”
In summary: Consider the medium !
See the attachment to better understand what is an idea management tool and which is the approach of our idea management tool.
Pay attention to the difference between ideas management tools and project portfolio management or knowledge management tools.
Look at the web to have an overview of commercial ideas management tools.
If the Brand has preferences or technical requirements that your Solution has to match, you will find them here.
Here are some items that you may find in this section:
∞ Guidelines or mandatory inclusions (do’s and/or don’ts)
∞ Business objectives
∞ Market and competitors overview
∞ Good and bad samples
Depending on the Brief, you may also find some files attached with a logo, pictures of product(s), a template that you should use in order to submit your ideas, or any other file that the Brand wants to share with you. So, study the attachments before starting creating.
In summary: Anything else you need to know (not written in the 7 steps before) !
