Colin Duff, Innovation Insights: Triggering Conversations, Inspiring Ideas - Innova.Buzz 589

Innova.buzz

Our guest in this episode, is Colin Duff, CEO of Mosaic Innovation, a consultancy that helps leading enterprises such as HP, Marriott and BT to crack their toughest growth challenges, build capability and transform their culture. From vodka to Viagra and pensions to prisons he’s led dozens of innovation projects across a wide range of sectors and geographies. He’s also trained and coached hundreds of growth practitioners and is a regular speaker and commentator on all things innovation.

In the conversation, Colin shares his wealth of knowledge on generating breakthrough ideas, uncovering valuable insights, and connecting with customers. Here are three key points we discussed:

1. Challenge the Norms: Colin urges us to think outside the box and challenge industry norms. By targeting overlooked market segments and considering non-users, neglected segments, and early adopters, we can unlock untapped potential and spark innovation that resonates with diverse audiences.
2. Embrace Human-Centered Innovation: Colin emphasizes the power of observing real people in action to gain valuable insights. He recounts examples, like Honda's generator innovation and a small tweak to canned fish packaging, where simple observations led to significant sales uplifts. By connecting with customers regularly and involving them in the innovation process, we can foster collaboration, trigger interesting conversations, and inspire new ideas.
3. Go Beyond Market Research: While acknowledging the value of market research, Colin highlights that it often tells us what we already know. In contrast, innovation insight is like storytelling, diving into the motivations and experiences of customers. Qualitative research, ethnography, and personally connecting with people remain crucial even in the digital age. By blending thought experiments with real-world experiments, and focusing on customer experience and business model aspects, we can create truly innovative solutions that transcend commodification.

Get ready to embark on a captivating journey of innovation as Colin Duff unveils the secrets to breaking through barriers, sparking game-changing insights, and creating meaningful connections with customers.

Listen to the podcast to find out more.