Step change innovation seems so much easier when you are outside the industry. Think Nike with fitness technology, think Apple with music, think Gore and environment. Outsiders can see through the "Why we can't", the "We've tried that before"...and they ask we need to, so how do we? Socialising business has one huge benefit for creativity and innovation. Each business has at their fingertips...true outsiders...they are called Customers or Consumers! The new customer relationship management is not about creating reasons to buy, but seeing the customer as a resource bank of value. If you listen to outsiders they can help...

Social business is a theme I keep exploring because I think it is going to be so critical in the future, so much so I am doing my PhD on it! People work for businesses? Wrong, in my humble opinion.... business is the vehicle by which people deliver experience to other people Over the last few decades the problem has been that the business has been less of a vehicle and more of the driver of the vision. Social business is about moving people from being the passengers in the vehicle and letting them drive again.... Profit should become the...

This week's The Engaging Brand podcast covering social media, business ideas and brand marketing tips, is ready to download. Carmine Gallo, a former reporter and anchor for CNN and CBS who has sat down with many of the most dynamic and respected business leaders of our time, including Steve Jobs, joins Anna Farmery to discuss how to deliver insanely great customer service, based on his insights into the Apple Experience at retail. Carmine has previously helped us understand how to use Foursquare....a must listen podcast! Creating The Customer Experience How we all need to declutter.....from our minds, shelves, product listings,...

The world is getting smaller. Science can now take us to the nano level. Facebook knows more about us than most of our friends. The human life can be taken down to its DNA.......and so can our conversations on the web, our shopping on the web etc etc The irony is that the deeper the internet goes, the blurry the picture becomes.....I may argue that we are in danger of knowing so much, we know nothing at all. When I was looking for a book on Amazon Kindle - by the way did you know you can subscribe to The...

In my line of work I come across some amazing people. One of which is Hannah Dawson - a remarkable young lady who is at the forefront of working with horses - our very own horse whisperer! - who can help develop a truly outstanding relationship between an owner and their horse. I asked Hannah to give an insight into her work...to see if we could learn on how to motivate our teams....(if you want to know more about Hannah you can email her, watch her You Tube channel or visit her website, Hannah Dawson Equine.) "My expertise is horse...

Pinterest is the latest growth bubble in social media. It strikes me that it is an example of the power of time travel in marketing! Photo's are the ultimate time travel accessory. When you see a photo it triggers a memory, it takes you to an experience in your life. The photo only acts as a trigger and they give the power to you....the photo allows you to pick the experience and allows you to guide yourself through the experience. Photo's therefore are like the ultimate Dr Who time travel box. It is not whether you are in the photo,...

"Wherever life is, it never retreats" Words of Kevin Kelly during his 2005 Ted Talk on How Technology Evolves. As much as we sometimes would like the world to stop so that we can catch our breath....it won't. I have written about social business a lot recently and that is because I feel that technology evolves then business models adapt to cope with the technology. Social media was a use of the technology. The greater effect though was raising the expectation of the consumer. Now the consumer has found their voice, they want more.....like Oliver Twist! A voice is wonderful...

"We don't use machines because although they seem to help at first, they produce limitations in the long run" The words of Rosa Lladro in a recent interview in Monocle magazine. It struck me as such an important part of business and indeed of using social media. As humans we like structure and boundaries. Yet what makes brands stand out from the crowd is true creativity. True creativity is Not looking at what you are capable of....but what you want to make and making it possible Not having a huge budget and using business consultants..instead of spending big money, spend...

This week's The Engaging Brand podcast covering social media, business ideas and brand marketing tips, is ready to download. Alex Meisl, Chairman of Sponge which he has developed into Europe's market leader on Mobile Marketing with operations in 20 countries, joins Anna Farmery to discuss What is mobile marketing? What actually is mobile advertising? What is the difference between marketing to the different devices? The concept of mobile shopping How 80% of advertisers do not have a mobile site - staggering google mobile website data? Check out GoMo from Google How to make a mobile website How a mobile website...