Satisfaction in win-win relations for value co-creation

Since a lot of time, here I am again... =) ...today I was thinking about innovation and costumers behavior... 

Did you ever put a lot of energies, passion and time in doing something, and when finished did you ever watched your creation with a lot of love and satisfaction, waiting for someone to give you a feedback and to acclaim you? ...and when you found this "someone", did he/she said you that your creation can be done a "bit better"?

Ok, now imagine all the people that is working all day long in order to realize your next acquisition, your next object desire... They are probably close all day in their workspace, interacting and sharing ideas sometime with their neighbouring worker... these people are a bit as us when working deep on our creation, they are concentrated in what they are doing, but loosing their real connection with the world.

How many times as consumer did you find something on a shelf and thought "How useless is that object"? ...or something like "yes is pretty cool, but I prefer something similar to it but with this function also"?

Increasingly innovating technologies are "progressively giving birth to new consumers, ones who are more intelligent and therefore better informed and more demanding, who are freer and show greater strenght in their dealings with distributor and brands. Consumers are becoming actors in their own consumption. This is a rapid mutation, the new world in which generations operate from day one" (source: "Le new consumer" on blogspot, no more online)... I don't now if technologies really "give birth to" or only if consumers finally found a tool to get informed easily and better, but for sure since mid-2000s are rising many collaborative marketing approaches (Prahalad and Ramaswamy, 2004) carried by a new dominant logic of marketing (Lusch and Vargo, 2004 and 2006) based on the emergence of creative consumers (Cova B. and Cova V. 2009)... the new consumers that are also marketers. This brings to the co-creation of value, where strategic marketing's aim changed from "market to" consumers to "market with" consumers (Prahaland and Ramaswamy, 2004). 

These new approaches are a way to innovate companies and products, reducing the risk usually related to innovation, but also a way to engage company's costumers and helping grow their satisfaction, loyality and the buzz on the related product/company. Is important also to keep in mind, exemplified by the case of the pasta-cooking experience (Dalli and Romani, 2007), that consumption is secondary to preparation or production and immersion and transformation are privileged outcomes of a commercial experience (Arnold, 2007)... the more the customer is involved in the process of service production and delivery, the greater the perceived value and satisfaction (Cova and Dalli, 2009).

Yep, until here everything is known (more or less)... now, what is under study and construction (from what I know) are the phases in which this process develops itself...

About the phases and the steps I would like to go deeper in another post, now I want only to write about my thoughts regarding the last step: the "revenue" for the "worker customer".

A worker customer is not paid (because of this we can't call them producers), and is a person that developed some skills related to acquisitions, product analysis, shopping,... now, what happen when these customer gived their ideas and add a value to the product? And when the company accept and include the value produced by it customers? ...At first they/us feel proud and recognized about theirself/ourself, of their/our success in give a good idea, but next they/us feel exploited from the company (Cova et al, 2007)... I will say that we feel something like diddled and forgotten...

People, in my opinion, needs ever a return, a revenue on what is doing... if someone is doing philantropy, probably is because he/she feesl better, or he/she feels as doing right (so proud), in doing it... if someone is working as volunteer is because he/she is feeling well in doing what he/she thinks is right... and so on... at the same probably if someone is participating in a co-value creation is because he/she wants something in return, probably a recongition from the company, or from the tribe, or from the society, and when he/she have nothing in return, neither a discount, he will feel betrayed... what I see is missing, from my experience, in many of these innovation/co-creation initiatives is this last recognition to the consumer: as said by the Ninja's (LINK) during the course in Non-Conventional Marketing, analyzing the campaign ideated by them for Mulino Bianco ("Il Mulino Che Vorrei"), and giving themself a feed-back, a coupon, a discount, a supply of the product, maybe could be enough to satisfy the people involved in the process and could demonstrate them a bit of recognition.

What do you think about it? Which are your exceptions? Which is your experience?

Late

I know, I'm late... SORRY!!
I had some troubles in these last days, but I'm already working for a new article... and hope to realize an interview (but is tossed-up now)

Really I apologize...

Revelations from a movie director: Francesco Giusiani

Francesco Giusiani, born in 1985

I'm here with Francesco Giusiani, one of the italian movie directors with most potential at national and international level.
I would like to let you know that he promised me he will answer your question/comments in this post. =)

First of all I'm going to present him:

Born in 1985, in Pisa, he made his first movie when he was 13 years old. His movie has been immediately appreciated from the national scene. He took  the Bachelor and Master degree in "Literature - Cinema, Music and Theater" in Pisa, speeding up the regular times. After his Master Degree he has been admitted to the "ACT Multimedia, school of cinema and television". While in, one of his short film (made without any kind of production and money) was projected at Cannes Festival in the Short Film Corner section, and this year his shortcut has been accepted for running at Donatello's David cinema prize competition. Waiting to know how will go to the Donatello's David he is writing a script with Cristiano Bortone winner of David Prize for Juniors in 2007.

Going to the first question:

Which is the way/technique that you use in order to have/develop ideas? 

I ever start from a subject in which I find an interesting issue, and then I start to create, develop, think until I find a block halt. At this time, it depends from the kind of block halt. I can ask myself particular questions, different from the questions directly linked to the block, and think about these, or I can try to don't think at all, in order to shout out rationality (at a first stage), and later check the answers that I (or better WE!) gived... aslo absurd answers. =)

I use this kind of 2 techinques in particular for problems related to plot.

For how much concerns "characters blocks" I usually try to draw on my knowledge about myself tring to empathize with the character and deepen on this, approaching this way genuininess. Genuininess brings credibility, is because of this that I use this technique.

There is also another important factor, that is needed to keep in mind: knowledge, that is equivalent to a structure in which channel creativity.

I will explain myself better explaining the creation phases:

1. "What"? 
2. "Planning principle" it's about the look... in my area is the film's meaning from the narrative perspective... is the juice that stimulate the story
3. "Theme" from the author point of view
4. "Subject" how will come out
5. "Structure" ...that needs to be uniform, everything needs a why and an objective

all this is matched with creativity... 

Francesco Giusiani on set

Is also important to remember that there are no rules written on stones, but only knowing it we can choose to don't follow it.

I would like to do an example in order to let you understand how everything works...

Sacher Cake has the same recipe everywhere, but you can eat it good or not, depending from where and who made it, which ingredients used,...

How do you evaluete the crowdsourcing initiative made in order to capitalize in collective creativity in moviemaking industry?

In my opinion  are excellent initiatives. Using the examples of scipts I think, since ever, that deal the most people possible in writing is the best.

The important thing is to capitalize the many ideas in the right way. For example if there is a person that manage the crowsourcing process, something like a moderator, this has to know at least the script basics... is needed to know how to go deep with people because is not sure everyone knows the issue, the technical language,... you have to be ready to interact with different individuals with different knowledge. Thinking about this I find very attractive something like a script meeting with people from all the 5 World's continents. 

In my opinion the crowsourcing techniques will have a future. Especially in this industry, where to failure is ever less welcome because is becoming ever more simple to let failure the entire production company failing a movie.

Which is movie industry's future? How do you think it will develop? 

Techincally talking, the last border is 3D, obviously... we will wait to arrive to stop using glasses in order to see 3D.

...Moviemaking problem is money, movie industry is a very expansive machine... there are very excellent professionals, prepared to work in team, and this is needed in order to have a good product. In Italy, for example, the industry is made by many little productions, without money... this in order to say that in development terms every State/Nation is a particular case. The italian enviroment has a high potential, production companies come from all over the world, also from US, in order to take advantage of our workers, but we miss investments...

Today what is missing to moviemaking industry in your opinion? Which kind of innovative business is needed in order to satisfy this kind of needing?

I feel the need for this industry of a cheaper instrument for technical education...

It can be useful also an instrument useful to approach professionals with newbies and rookies... Today without being in the right network and without money is not possible to work... for example a platform for work sharing, with people in it, categorizing, examining/testing each one for a specific job (phonics, cameramans, editors, directors,...) that gives everyone a price for a work, basing on the professional level demonstrate it at the exam.

Last question, which is your suggestion for every single person that would like to start a carrier in movies industry?

To have a lot of  good will and patience. To never give up... tests are there not in order to stop you to reach your objectives but in order to toughen you and let you reach them.

Thank you Francesco, hope to see you soon!
Do you have questions or comments? =)

*Interview made in italian and translated from the author

2 ways to don't waste assets?

...This is the generating station, the powerbridge, projected by Francesco Colarossi, Giovanna Saracino and Luisa Saracino.

2 Days ago I was thinking to what I would like to write here today... and here my idea: 2 ways to capitalize on something already existing. 2 Ways to don't waste assets...

The first, founded some months ago on Ninjamarketing is about the bridge abovementioned. The idea was: bridge are ever hit by sun and wind so why don't use them as generating station? I find this an excellent example of implementation of something that can be implemented but nobody do it!

What this bridge have of fantastic is that is planned for energy creation through wind and solar energy, while being a wonderful art sight... and with a cool panoramic view from the road. ...providing energy to something like 15000 houses with a very reduced enviromental impact! 

As you can se, is something that everybody could think, but nobody did it, and here we can see the brilliance... also us can exercise ourseleves thinking of everything we waste, so let's do it(!), at the end a lot of successful (and sustainable) ideas, and businesses, strated answering in a simple way to a question... (with the idea responding to a need)

Another thing that I wanted to report is about this phone box. As we know phone box are ever less useful, because of the ever growing spread of mobiles. So here a creative idea of redesign in a smart way this poor, lonely phone box: 

as acquarium!

This happened in Paris... i founded about it in a blog, but I don't remember which is, so sorry if I'm not linking it.

This are 2 smart ways to redesign something in order to create something useful, what do you thing about it?

Which is your idea? Did you ever think about redefining something? Did you ever work in order to see something different from it's original being?

At the end this is a kind of intelligence: to see in something what other people don't see (in artistic or business sense makes no difference)

So let's try to give us 5 minutes a day in redefining things differently!

And let's check the results... brain can be trained!! 

Capitalizing on collective creativity and ideas - Crowdsourcing

Do you see this picture (on the left)? ...these are a group of single person... 

person+person+... = people

and because of uniqueness of each person, imagine what can come from the addition of each brain, imagine the completeness of infos, experience,... to build on...

in "Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie " it's said that there are more synapsis in one brain then atoms all over the universe, probably isn't true (synapsis are made by atoms? ...I don't know, I'm ignorant) but gives the idea of the potential of one brain.

...so let's imagine the potential of many brains, of their synapsis, working together!

Crowdsourcing (from "crowd" and "outsourcing", is the act of taking a job traditionally performed by a designated agent, usually an employee, and outsourcing it to an undefined, generally large group of people in the form of an open call) is a way, a tool, that tries to capitalize on the most vast number of people. Different people, but with something in common.

"None of us knows everything, everyone knows something, the whole knowledge resides in the whole humanity".

Crowdsourcing (CS) is the way to work on a specific task, with specific common goals and objectives, with our referential tribe, and to communicate with it... 

is co-creation!

Co-creation means cooperation, means benefits for all the parts working together... if benefits are only for one part, this activity risks not only to be failure but to weigh on an organization brand reputation.

Crowdsourcing initiatives, despite are not a starting trend, are growing of importance because of approching organizations with people, are including people in value cration, in a costructive way with tangible results. We have also some examples of it in movies creation, politics,...!!

Practically, CS is a revolution, in business and everyday's life... a high potential revolution that permit us, and organizations, to take another role in society and its development, changing our position and role in society approaching us to the world. Another tool born with web development that is giving us the chance to directly impact on what we want to.

I want to leave you with CS landscape from Valoriprimilab (LINK to see it bigger)

Another proof of the added value of sum

Innovation, creativity and sustainability

Creativity World Forum, November 2010 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: creativity is “the driving force behind our greatest ideas, our most comprehensive solutions, and our most profitable enterprises.”

Who ever found the courage to say that sustainability cost more (in terms of efforts and money)? 

...to follow sustainability give the chances to develop and innovate ourselves, our community and our business.

The research "Why Sustainability Is Now The Key Driver Of Innovation" by R. Nidumolu, C.K. Prahalad, and M.R. Rangaswami published by Harvard Business Review (September 2009), proves the opposit. ...the wonderful thing is that they do it by examples analyzing also how and why development and innovation come out from the choice to have sustainability as business objective.

What is needed is the truly belief that everything can be made in a more sustainable way, that this can bring advantage (if made with the right efforts and ideas) and that the research of a better future is needed and possible. ...then is needed to put energy, creativity and strenght of will in each action that we do each single day! 

...They do, as one of the many examples, the one of ForEx, that looking for a more sustainable business found the way to save fuel and so have less costs; they do the example of Wal-Mart and Unilever that worked (and are working) for a more sustainable Supply Chain, reducing also them the cost related to it... or also Waste Management that created a new profitable business...

All this, say the Authors, happen' through 4 Stages:

1: Viewing Compliance as Opportunity

2: Making Value Chains Sustainable

3: Designing Sustainable Products and Seervices

4: Developing New Business Models

Each of this stage has some challeges, some competencies development needed, and innovation opportunities... 

At familiar level we can do the example of building, and live in an "intelligent building" that helps to reduce cost related to energy, water and gas usually.

Until now we did mostly example on Enviromental Sustainability, so I would like to do also other examples, because sustainability comes also from Community Development, from follow Human Rights principles,...

We can take the example of "The Enabling City" that propose the rediscovery of participation in order to boost creativity as "added value" and make it available to community finalized to reach the objective of "urban sustainability"

My last example will be Lush one: Lush tries to do everything in the better and most sustainable way that they can, in everything they do. ...they work with their suppliers (that they see as partners) in order to develop them and the community where they work in; Lush give financial aid to social projects; do the most eco-friendly products that they can,... Result: their workers are really addicted to them and feel something like loyalty and gratitude to their company, they feel part of the firm, from the bottom of it to the highest executive... this happens also thank you to their inclusiveness in some of this activities.

As proofe I will ask you this: in which other place can you find the shop assistants do something like this without taking revenue or other benefit back?

Lush Shop Assistant doing a campaign for products without packaging

We only need to believe in a better future, a sustainable future...

Innovation, Development, two words that have no sense if not integrated to a sustainable meaning.

What do you think about it?

Creativity training in everyday's life

Today I'm inspired dear friends, and I want immediately to give 2 simple suggestions on how to develop your creativity!

1st:

Basis: Some theories says that in a person creativity development comes through the interaction between the right and the left cerebral hemisphere. Summarizing you can create this interaction doing, feeling new things.

To do: ...so simply, do new things, or better do the same things that you ever do in a different way!

Some examples: if you clean your teeth with your right hand change the hand and do it with the left one... if you do the shower face to the "telephone", let's turn and do it with the back to it,... the second time try to do it with all your hands in the air or why not, raising a leg... train your crativity and your brain in find new things to do or new ways to do things

2nd:

Basis: Brain can be trained

To do: invent a question, a simple question (as example: "how can I go to Rome" or "how can I give away smiles to people around me?") then start to write down each simple/stupid thing that come out to your mind, it doesn't matter if is impossible to realize it, it doesn't matter if is a fantastic answer... the only thing important is to answer without putting barriers or limit to our ideas. Try to arrive to 300 answers, or try to arrive to 400... usually after the answer number 200, approximately, you will start to find troubles, and that's the moment where you are implementing your ability!

I want to leave you with a famous video. A video concerning new things, new ways, new ideas (and also marketing)...

Have a look and, why not, try it at home =D

What do you think about all this?

Have a nice day, and remember that "second rule is: be nice to mommy!"

Creativity, culture, people development

Here I am,
again and again =)

Today I worked on Umberto's Light Bulb blog, and I find the idea...
I would like to create contents, discussion and sharing on creativity, culture and people development.
I will post about creative, strange, cool, brillant ideas that I will find by my way, and if you will share it with me I would like also about yours creation, or about what you will find by your way.
I will write about tools and tips for develop our creativity,  about culture, and about creativity's brillant outputs.

Creativity is what will help us to grow, and to develop ourselves, creativity will bring us to a better world if matched with culture, equity and justice.
Creativity is also what enjoys me...
Because of all this, to discuss and share ideas on "creativity, culture and development" will be my principal purpose with this blog.

...Let's paint together for a better future =))

Some considerations, my role in the world!

Here I am again,
more than one month passed since the last time I wrote...
In this month a lot of things happened in the World and in my life:
Revolutions in Africa and Middle East,
New events happened in Italy,
I went with Oriana to the EBBF-AIESEC congress and to the Shared Responsibility Congress organized by EU
I attended the "Marketing and promotion for tourism" event organized by BTO Educational.
I learnt also to use twitter in an usefull way (communicating with the protesters from Africa)

At the end of all this, the question for me became one, only, simply, one:
How can I be useful and relevant for world/people development?
and then:
...Which has to be my blog's role in all this?

Until now this blog is only as a diary is...and for me it's pretty ok, but can become more, and I would like this to happen'... this means a lot of work, time, passion and continuity... am I able to provide continuity with this blog? Perhaps not... or perhaps yes!!  What I know is that can be something that represents me, that can be something useful to spread my network and facilitate my comunication with the whole World; all what I need is a structure for myself!

Give me the time to imagine it, to build it, and I will come back here again, and ask for your opinions, and give mine.

Coming Soon: ME!


Have a nice day,
please pray for Africa, Meadle East and Japan... please pray for each one of us.

Umberto

Hope

Since a lot of time that I'm not writing here...
I had a lot of things to do, and I have to change my mores, and take my time...
Still a lot of things happend:
A lot of politics changes and scandal,
e-commerce shop closed,
job offers received,
AIESEC new president elections!  (WOW!)
Starting cooperation with my professor in marketing...
and so on...

And I was thinking... I miss a bit the hope... I'm a bit bored from university, but I have to finish in order to start working in Italy or abroad, no difference... but I want to put my energy in something and start again to invest, and enjoing in doing it, in my future, in my hopes... efficently.

who will still alive will see =)

Going to study,
hope to write here again soon,

Umberto =)

Maximo the new brand

Maximo's site is now on line.
It has been a pleasure to help my friend Maximo when I could. Good luck with yours new adventure, I hope your business will grow ever giving you satisfaction and a great future

Here the site for who wants to discover these wonderful bags: www.borsemaximo.it

-------ITA
Il sito di Maximo the new brand è on-line.
E' stato un piacere dare una mano al mio amico Maximo quando ho potuto. Buona fortuna per la tua nuova avventura, e che il tuo business cresca sempre più assicurandoti soddisfazione ed un grande futuro.

Qui il sito per chi vuole scoprire queste bellissime borse (in pelle): www.borsemaximo.it