Let me preface this by saying this isn’t a question designed to wage war on brands who have been around for decades.
This is simply a question I ask myself when brands are looking to bring in new concepts, messaging, values and overall more compelling products that deliver experiences which ultimately serve their customers.
Sidenote, I also believe when people provoke their “habitual” thoughts it frees up room for unencumbered refreshing perspectives.
So if I may, I’d like to take you for a walk down this path to explore this question further.
Who Are the Innovators?
These are people who are forced to start with bare land. There’s no street to drive on, there’s nothing certain or defined to follow, everything must be done piece by piece from the ground up. Innovation is a journey for the utterly vulnerable, and boldly courageous seekers. We must ask ourselves questions we have yet to discover whether or not the answers to these questions are even possible. The unknowns are endless and the risks at times can be paralyzing. How do you set a standard, an expectation for consumers, or establish a perceived “norm” when you are the first to the starting line? Innovators are motivated not by their fears of becoming irrelevant, but by the pure possibility of their ideas becoming relevant in the world. They desire to change and are willing to find out if they possess what’s required to make the change happen. There is no waiting for someone else to do it, the mission and purpose are felt deep within and they are compelled to act upon it.
Innovation Drives Progress
Without the existence of the bold thinkers and doers, our world and the experiences within it would never change. We must push the boundaries of normal to prosper and more importantly improve. Imagination coupled with skilled action and a little trial and error-anticipation, reveals the recipe for raising an industry bar.
What Makes the Innovators Different?
When you think of brands like Google, Apple, Uber, Amazon, Nike, Microsoft, Walt Disney, Beats Headphones, & Tesla, what made these Companies shape our cultural world as it is today? Why are none of them “Me too” brands, while all of them- are brands who have continued to compel us through their inspirational visionary achievements? You see, to brands like these they decide from the beginning, this isn’t about replicating what already exists, this is about making what exists better. This is exactly what they set out to achieve and eventually become globally known for. The innovators are forced to do their homework, learn their craft, study the category in which they seek to impact and never settle. It is the innovators who challenge the standard and deliver exceptionally.
When You Partner with the Innovators
You reward the values of imagination, grit, passion, taking risks and sometimes living amongst the uncertainty. You acknowledge the choice of going against the current and the intimidating journey of paving a road that didn’t exist, all for the purposes of serving you better. A world that encourages the brave and fierce-hearted, is one who values what it takes to embody an “outlier.” When you partner with the innovators whether you realize it or not your brand is sending a message. “We vote for the creative, bold who often risk it all to deliver products that can be described in many ways, but simply put, they compel us all.”
