BrainReactions invites professionals to
Accelerate Innovation through Superior Idea Generation

New ideas, innovation insight, and organizational transformation—Gain the tools to transform the way you work!

BrainReactions would like to invite professionals to attend an Innovation through Ideation workshop in Madison, Wisconsin on Friday, April 27th. The training workshop will take place at the DoubleTree Hotel, and will begin at 10:00AM. To learn more about Innovation through Ideation and to register for the event, visit http://training.brainreactions.com.

BrainReactions helps clients innovate new products, services and marketing concepts by conducting brainstorming sessions with the most creative idea generators. BrainReactions has helped some of the most innovative organizations in the world; including the United Nations, Intuit, Pitney Bowes, Procter & Gamble, Bank of America and the Council on Competitiveness.

BrainReactions is also known for creating Innovation Trip, a weeklong program that teaches idea generation as an integral part of the innovation process. Innovation Trip was identified as an innovation trend by BusinessWeek.

BrainReactions would like to provide local professionals with similar training offered during the Innovation Trip for just a fraction of the cost. Innovation through Ideation is a daylong training workshop that will equip attendees with the skills to increase idea generation, improve innovation, and take steps towards forming a culture of innovation in their organizations.

To get a taste of innovation training come to “A Night of Innovation and Creation” hosted by MAGNET and UW Entrepreneurship Association on April, 12th from 6:30-9:30PM at Inn on the Park. Free to MAGNET and Entrepreneurship Association members, $5 for all other attendees. Founder Anand Chhatpar and COO Darin Eich will speak about how BrainReactions got started and tools for idea generation.

What: Innovation through Ideation workshop hosted by BrainReactions
When: 10:00am-4:00pm Friday April 27, 2007
Where: Double Tree Hotel, 525 W. Johnson Street, Madison, WI 53703
Cost: $395 for a full day of training
How: Register for the event at http://training.brainreactions.com

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Reaching GEN Y and keeping their attention is one of the greatest marketing mysteries of our generation. Young people today are very fickle and are constantly changing what they consider to be “cool” and “hip”. As a current summer camp counselor and college student, I have had the chance to experience this up, close and personal. It is quite amazing that the amount of knowledge our young people today have on current culture, products, and lifestyle. That is very important to remember when marketing to GEN Y — never take them for granted or assume they are not capable of understanding complex situations or products. GEN Y is one of the smartest, tech savvy and idealistic generations of our time. They know what they want, but they do not always know how to get there, and that is where market research, focus groups, BrainReactions brainstorms, and other tools come in handy. It is important to not just understand the wants, likes, and dislikes of GEN Y, but also who they are and where they want to be in the future. The youth of today love to discuss themselves and they want to the world to know they are here to stay. Our generation has grown up knowing mostly that as long as they dream big and work hard they can achieve and get anything they want. Now, that is a tough group to create for and sell to, but with the amount of money GEN Y controls, either their own or their parent’s, companies cannot make the mistake of not listening and understanding their concerns.

GEN Y is always searching for the next big tech item, clothes, shoes, etc. to jump unto and call their own. Youth of today love the idea of interchangeable products, such as multiple shoe designs, backpacks that do more than just hold books, and they are very primitive to the art of multi-tasking, more so than past generations. They are used to playing XBOX, doing their homework, chatting and texting w/friends, and planning their schedule for the next day better than the best of us. Due to the globalization of our culture and economy, companies cannot wait for their competition to create the next big thing — being on the cutting edge of product research and development is vital to the growth and expansion of products/services marketed towards GEN Y. There are truly no perfect ways to keep the attention of GEN Yers, but there are some techniques that can be utilized to increase outreach and interest of youth in a company’s products or services. Along with these eight techniques, I would also like to say the most important way to learn from and market to GEN Y is to simply listen to them. They want to be heard, but they do not always have an applicable outlet to have their voices, ideas, and concerns heard. Your company’s future can be bright when it comes to targeting GEN Y, but only if you show GEN Y that you are ready to open up and listen to them.

1. Utilizing Buzz Marketing/Word of Mouth Marketing: Young people are very open and vocal about a product or service they see as useful and innovative and will not hesitate a bit to tell their friends. Buzz marketing can be a commercial that a GEN Yer saw on TV/Youtube that was hilarious and it had some memorable slogan or quote, or it could be an interesting product name, or it could be totally something created in a GEN Yers mind from personal use of that product or service.

2. Creating fresh and innovative products or services: GEN Yers were born in a generation where new products/services are created everyday. Everything from iPods to clothing. GEN Yers expect unique creations that stretch their imaginations to new heights and offer the creativity of new technologies we are used to seeing and envisioning in our everyday lives. GEN Yers also expect simplicity of use and function, but at the same time something out of this world!

3. Make Our Lives Easier: GEN Yers expect products/services that make our hectic lives a little less fast and more relaxing and organized. GEN Yers are used to working, going to classes, and being super involved in school clubs & sports, all at the same time. In addition, anything created to make things more integrated is a plus. That could be a music player that has a scheduler/calendar or a cell phone that is also a picture taker and moviemaker. GEN Yers expect multi-function capabilities in almost any new product created aimed at our generation.

4. Attach Product/Service to a good cause: GEN Yers love companies that help good causes. Most young people volunteer according to recent studies and are more attracted to companies who have the same giving philosophy. When they know that by buying a pair of new shoes or clothing, part of the proceeds go to an important charity, they are more likely to purchase from that store and the opposite is true for companies who do not engage in charitable causes. GEN Yers care about helping those less fortunate and expect the same ideals from companies they spend their money on.

5. Style/Image Branding: Style and image are everything when it comes to product buying by GEN Yers. If a new product or service is not deemed cool or something they can tell their friends about the next day, then that product has lost a chance to make that very important first impact on a young person. GEN Yers can either be brand loyal or fickle, so companies must regularly ensure that the way they design and package new products fit in the realm of what GEN Yers expect. GEN Yers expect sharp, creative, and innovative styles and creations.

6. Advertise/Market Where GEN Yers Are: Most young people spend countless hours and days in front of their computer, at the mall, and in the movies. So placing ads before popular youth market films will reach the GEN Y audience very well. It is important that any ads speak the language of young people. Young people feel more comfortable seeing ads with actors that can relate to their age group. Unique and funny ads are essential for creating buzz for a new product or service and giving something young people can tell their friends about. In addition, advertising in popular youth magazines is a vital way to reach the GEN Y market. Furthermore, most GEN Yers have computers and access to the Internet, so advertising and collaborating with popular youth sites, like MTV.com, is an awesome way to reach the GEN Y market.

7. Street Teams/Peer-to-Peer Marketing: This is one of the best ways to reach GEN Yers. GEN Yers trust what their peers have to say, more than they do someone not their age. Street teams are an awesome way to rally youth around a new product or service and to get young people excited and engaged. It is important to ensure potential youth buyers trust the messenger. Young people are very smart and intelligent and can smell a fake ad or message a million miles away. Once a company loses that trust factor, it is very hard to regain that customer back. Street teams also are a good away to initiate buzz marketing.

8. Innovation/Incentives: Its important that a company marketing products/services to GEN Y consistently come out with new and innovative products on a regularly basis. GEN Yers expect continued new ideas and inventions on a regular basis, considering that we are used to such happenings from birth. GEN Yers also respond well to incentives, discounts, and free stuff. By utilizing a combination of those or all three, your company is sure to create a good initial buzz and interest in what you are trying to sell.

No Comments | Generation-Y wants, Gen-Y ideas, Marketing to college students, Voice of the customer, Managing Generation Y | Email Article | Share on Facebook | del.icio.us | digg this

For centuries, many of our world’s greatest leaders, philosophers, entrepreneurs, and thinkers have lived by a simple, but yet provocative law. The Law of Attraction — which simply means believing in one’s own goals and self, will essentially create your destiny and life. Many of us wake up daily without a positive attitude, and without a path to success. We simply go about our day not really giving much thought to the positive things around us and our own imaginations. Just think back when you were a child, always thinking of new games, ways to beat boredom, and you actually brought those creative ways of thinking to life. Yet as you got older, you simply let the problems of the world push you down and halt your thinking and imagination. You let the negative overtake the positive, and you simply lived day by day without giving any thought to what tomorrow held for you.

However, I have very good news for you; it is never too late to turn back the clock of negativity, sadness, hopelessness, and loss of imagination. Great people such as Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Einstein, Jesus, Henry Ford, Winston Churchill, I could go on and on… lived by this law and this philosophy of life. As kids, growing up we read about them throughout our classes in amazement. We wondered how could these individuals invent such things, create such hope, and inspire so many people. These great individuals followed their dreams, hopes, and aspirations without regard to the trials and tribulations they would face or the failures they incurred on their way to success. They believed in something, they put one foot out in front of the other, even when they did not have the answer and they made their imaginations come true. See, each and everyday we are all capable of doing great things, as well as bringing our hopes and dreams crashing down.

We can go about each and everyday complaining, moaning, and blaming everyone else for our problems in life. We can go to work not liking our job, we can stay in a relationship that just is not working, or we can bring about positive change in our lives and start over. You, all of us, have the power to essentially bring about a new and improved us, which in the end brings about a better world. What you think and believe is what will come about. So think positive, do positive things, give to others, work daily towards short and long-term goals, and most importantly never quit imagining. Look around you—your computer, phone, books, desk, etc. are all created items from the imagination and hands of man. Never forget that you to are capable of great things!

I challenge you to start that business idea you have always had, to finish the poem you never finished, and most importantly do not make excuses. What you have today is enough to bring about the imaginative and powerful change that we are all capable of doing. I find it very funny and interesting at the people who win the lottery. They always seem to be those who are less off, poor, but at the same time, they are happy, thoughtful, and they have played for years upon years always hoping, dreaming, and knowing that one day, they would win. In addition, when that day comes, we see them on the news and we ask ourselves, wow I wish that was me! That is the attitude we cannot have. YOU can BE and DO anything you believe in. That does not mean it is going to happen overnight, but I guarantee you, what you imagine, can and will come true through positive thinking and dedication. Your life can start anew today—stop looking at those that have more than you with envy, why not look at those people for inspiration—for the drive to empower your own life to do great things. Remember that your thoughts of hope or failure are essentially, what you will get. So think and do on the hopeful side, because that is where greatness of life will show its amazing glory.

No Comments | Creativity & Brainstorming, Managing Ideas, New Concepts & Ideas | Email Article | Share on Facebook | del.icio.us | digg this

I’ve got to hand it to the Onion, once again, they’ve written a hilarious article that sums up the crazy, hype-driven, marketing world we live in. Check it out “Apple Unveils New Product-Unveiling Product”

This article is not only entertaining, but also a valid critique of a consumer response to marketing. The proper marketing, it seems, can sell just about anything by generating enough buzz. And while that is great for most companies, we the consumers are sometimes left holding the proverbial bag when the product doesn’t meet expectations.

Reading this Onion article just re-enforced for me the importance of a comprehensive, online, peer review system for new products. Without some grounding, its too easy for consumers to get carried away by tornado that is an effective marketing campaign and end up far, far from home.

No Comments | Creativity & Brainstorming, Marketing to college students, Marketing to young women | Email Article | Share on Facebook | del.icio.us | digg this

I think it goes without saying that the hockey/basketball ticket distribution system at UW Madison is severely flawed. Students should not have to make arrangements for a 24 hour, “non-camping,” watch over the course of four days to ensure a seat in the first two tiers.

I propose an entirely internet-based seating system so that students don’t have to sacrifice their attendance to obtain decent seats.

Students will receive an email just as they do with the current system, and make a purchase to guarantee that they will receive tickets. When they make this purchase, they will receive a unique identifier and password that will allow them to access the private seating management page. From there, ticket-holders can create a group that could contain up to three other ticket holders by designating one member as the group leader who will input other unique identifiers to add friends to the group.

Once the date for group-setting has passed, some sort of algorithm that takes into account previous ticket ownership (either of just that sport, or altogether), grade level, size of group, and how quickly each member paid his or her ticket fee will rank each group into pools of priority.

This system is designed to reward loyal fans and seniors with good seats while still considering prompt payment as well. The highest ranked pool will be able to choose from the middle section, the second pool from the two adjacent sections, and so on. The stipulation is that each individual group is ranked inside of the pool and they must select their tickets in a five minute time frame or be moved to the back of the next ranked pool. After this shift, each member will be sent a warning email. If they fail to select seats again, they will be removed from the system entirely.

This process will take roughly three to four days, provided the system schedules ticket selection times every five minutes from 7:00 AM - 12:00AM. I estimate an average of three people per group, so with 2,100 student tickets available, the math works out to ~3.5 days, and forgetful/apathetic groups will end up wasting more time.

I understand that there is some fun to be had in waiting outside without a blanket, tent, pillow, or any sort of camping gear, but then again, I value my time. If anyone has any feedback I would greatly appreciate it. I submitted an idea similar to this in my feedback form back during the Fall semester, but I thought I’d go public. Shout at me.

No Comments | New Concepts & Ideas | Email Article | Share on Facebook | del.icio.us | digg this

A lot of people’s first response to anything new is “No!”. People are often given a plethora of opportunities but they decline to pursue any of them. In college, there are tons of groups and organizations that they can join, but they decline because they do not want to interrupt their schedule of weekend drinks and seclusive groups.

My question is similar to a question that most writers ask: “How can one be creative without a strong background of experience?” Creativity, in my opinion, comes from living through many different experiences. For example, a person might ask a physics major if they can come up with a great idea for some type of theorem. Now, if the scientist is smart, they might be able to come up with a theory that works, but if they have a broad background, they might be able to catch people’s attention with their theory by applying it to Nascar or to dentures, or something more “everyday” that common people can understand.

One of the most famous geology papers I’ve read is titled “Kansas is flatter than a Pancake“. Bausch and Lomb, in conjuncture with a research institution, just published an empirical equation for explaining beer goggles — the effect that some drinking say they have when they decide to go home with someone they find in somber mode undesirable. Both of these are examples of adding life experience to research and creativity, and both are relatively famous. In my opinion, more should be done to incorporate the excitement of life into the dullness of science.

No Comments | Creativity & Brainstorming, Generating Ideas & Ideation Techniques, Gen-Y ideas | Email Article | Share on Facebook | del.icio.us | digg this

Imagine the possibilities. It could be art. It could be a whiteboard replacement. It could be a child’s toy. I’ve never seen anything like it, and I am impressed by Philip’s innovation in the consumer space.

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Consumers now have their choice from a plethora of GPS navigation systems. These innovative products direct the consumer to their destination or help them find what they are looking for.

To the best of my knowledge (which is a couple of quick google searches), none of the GPS systems offer rerouting options due to traffic congestion. So, my innovative new product/feature is to offer alternate routes through vehicle GPS systems when there is a traffic back up.

This innovation should be easy enough to introduce. First, the company could take data from other drivers in the area. If the GPS puts one driver on the freeway and they are only going 20 MPH, that route would get flagged. Partnerships between companies and DOTs across the country could also be of use for this feature. So many freeways have travel times to exit ramps displayed on the road. As an addition to user GPS feedback, information from these on the road alerts could be used.

These two sources of information should provide a fairly comprehensive map of traffic congestion, allowing the navigation system to offer an alternate route to the user’s destination.

No Comments | Gen-Y ideas, New Concepts & Ideas, Corporate Innovation | Email Article | Share on Facebook | del.icio.us | digg this