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FuturistU > Tactics > Innovating Through Ritual > Module 4 / 4

Stories

Instructor: Jonathon Brown
Co-Creation & Customization
Download the Co-Creation & Customization Trend Report
For the final module, Jonathon reveals one of the most applicable innovation techniques he's discovered. This technique has consistently proven useful in selling-in ideas at Lowe's Innovation Lab. In the past, the equation for selling anything was need + solution = sale. If you could understand a buyer's needs and clearly map the benefits of your product or idea to those needs, you had a solution and could make a sale. Today, we need to think about our internal customers differently. The equation is now need + solution x narrative = sale. We need to think carefully about how we tell the story around our idea and which vehicles we use.

Following interviews with several executives at Lowe's Innovation Lab, Jonathon reveals the story-telling vehicle and approach that led to a green light on an exoskeleton project they dreamed up. Again, though an idea may seem logical when presented directly, the reality of the business climate on any given day can mean significant roadblocks need to be overcome. In order to get past any potential nitpicking, Lowe's backed up and thought about the bigger picture. They created a story around their exoskeleton idea and hired writers and illustrators to create a comic book.
Related Trend Report: Co-Creation & Customization
Workshop Question:
What is the narrative you're providing?
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Featured Insights

Aided Ideation
The capitalization of creativity ushers in brainstorm-assisting products
Implications - As Millennials begin taking over the workplace, more premium is placed on out-of-the-box thinking and the ability to ideate quickly and efficiently. The response to this is a slew of brainstorm aids. As this youth generation enters adulthood, society's standards of what it means to be an ideal adult citizen will shift to accommodate and reflect Millennials.
Workshop Question - How can you implement internal ideation sessions that will allow your whole team the ability to voice their ideas?
3.8
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
Patterns
Megatrends

Insights by Trend Hunter AI

AI Brainstorm
Brands are launching AI tools that foster creativity and collaborative ideation
Trend - Startups are launching artificial intelligence (AI)-powered tools that automatically expand on and connect rough ideas. These tools are designed to foster creativity and enhance the value of brainstorming sessions—quickening the process of turning ideas into actionable plans.
Workshop Question - Where could your business implement AI-powered tools to improve its day-to-day operations?
7.4
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
Patterns
Megatrends
AI Novice
Artificial intelligence becomes more prevalent alongside services teaching the basics
Trend - As AI becomes more prevalent due to well-known apps such as ChatGPT, consumers feel a growing push to both understand and utilize the technology more confidently. New technologies can be intimidating, especially when the technology is one with such magnitude as artificial intelligence. These services aim to lower the barrier to entry.
Workshop Question - How can your brand develop services that demystify artificial intelligence and help consumers feel more confident in utilizing the technology?
5.9
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
Patterns
Megatrends
Planned Microcation
Modern consumers are taking microcations to save time and money
Trend - Travel agencies are offering 'microcation' packages that include short-duration, event-packed getaways. These vacation are more affordable and are easier to plan than vacations, making them fit for customers of all ages. Microcations can also be taken in quick succession for versatility.
Workshop Question - How could your brand adjust its products or services knowing that the modern consumer takes less vacation time each year?
5.5
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
Patterns
Megatrends
Custom Chatbot
Brands are launching services that enable fast creation of personalized chatbots
Trend - Businesses offer tools enabling clients to build fully-functional chatbots quickly. These bots are trained on custom datasets, making them suitable for internal, consumer-facing, or consulting purposes. Businesses across numerous industries can benefit from personalized low-cost chatbots.
Workshop Question - How can your brand leverage personalized chatbot technology to enhance customer service or streamline workflow?
6.5
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
Patterns
Megatrends
Agile Workplace
As more offices adopt a hybrid model more flexibility is needed
Trend - The post-pandemic workplace demands more flexibility than before. The average office worker knows how to be productive from home, making the idea of being in the office full-time harder to justify. Thus, hybrid workplaces are more common than ever; however, these come with a unique set of challenges that organizations in the industry aim to solve.
Workshop Question - How has your workplace culture changed, and how can you make these changes work to your advantage as an employer?
4.2
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
Patterns
Megatrends
Dine-In Tech
Technology to improve the dining experience through guest insights is on the rise
Trend - The restaurant and QSR industries are bouncing back from the Pandemic by better gathering insights on what consumers care about. Technologies dedicated to listening to and implementing suggestions for improving the dining experience are increasing in popularity. This can be done by gathering data on ordering platforms, surveys, and more.
Workshop Question - How could you better bridge the gap between your various guests' often opposing needs?
4.9
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
Patterns
Megatrends
Mindful Entrepreneurship
Brands release programs that help users learn about and build businesses
Trend - Between competitive markets and economic instability, entrepreneurship has become more challenging for the average consumer to take on. Programs that help users learn about and navigate the process of building a business (or aspects of it) are becoming popular among aspiring entrepreneurs.
Workshop Question - How could your brand better support employees or customers in their personal pursuits?
3.5
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
Patterns
Megatrends
Gen Z Investing
Investing for young Gen Z consumers is made easier with apps and communities
Trend - Gen Z is entering a new world of fintech, and banking apps, community platforms and services are being designed to help them navigate investing in the modern age. These platforms ensure that young consumers are able to set themselves up for the future in today's changing financial landscape.
Workshop Question - How could your brand better prioritize customer education and support?
5.6
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
Patterns
Megatrends
Accessible Snack
More brands in food retail prioritize accessible packaging
Trend - Accessible packaging and branding has become a priority for some brands in the food industry. Now, more businesses are designing food packaging that's easily accessed by people with disabilities--with everything from the incorporation of braille to easier-to-open lids.
Workshop Question - How could your brand be more accessible for underserved communities?
6.9
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
Patterns
Megatrends
Habit-Building
Child-targeted apps help children form healthy habits
Trend - Parents are increasingly using technology to help their children develop, and apps that help children build healthy habits are becoming more popular. Apps in this space either have a specific function, or allow caregivers to customize the healthy habits they want their children to have.
Workshop Question - How is your brand making its customers lives easier?
5.4
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
Patterns
Megatrends