Social Media

 Social Media:            

The clock ticks, its 4:30pm on a wet Tuesday evening in Vienna. I just finished discussing with representatives from Mckinsey, and Deutsche bank on how to boost investor confidence and sustain competitive advantage in organisations. I got into a taxi heading for the airport to catch my flight back to London, and started reading the Financial Times online. While in transit I checked into the plane, selected my seat and downloaded an e-boarding pass. I also made changes to dinner reservations in London, and responded to emails that needed quick attention.  

At the airport waiting to board, I posted messages on Twitter, checked Linkedin, and responded to comments on Facebook. I’m sitting on the flight listening to the cabin crew give instructions, and then the message came “Please turn off all personal electronic devices, including laptops and cell phones. Smoking is prohibited for the duration of the flight. Thank you for choosing this airline”. At that moment it seemed like the time stopped, everything stopped moving, no smartphones or tablets, no internet, facebook, pinterest, instagram or twitter, it was a moment of silence, then we took off.

From newspapers and magazines, to TV, and the internet, social media has changed the ways we think, consume, and communicate. Organisations also haven’t been left out, as they seek to take adapt and take advantage of the new social media revolution. Caroline Firstbrook and Robert Wollan of Accenture called social media the “genuine game changer” for business, while Chris Barry et al. of Bain & Company recommends that organisations should put social media to work in order to gain real value, whereas Roxane Divol et al. of Mckinsey teaches organisations on how to harness social media to drive sales, profitability and brand loyalty. Researchers like Prahalad and Ramaswamy, fargo and Lusch, highlights that consumers have become more empowered, and the empowerment would result in value co-creation with organisation, which would help promote competitive advantage. However, others like Zwick, Bonsu and Damordy argue that the consumers are being exploited and have been put to work only for the benefit of organisations.    

Examples of multiple social media platforms 

As the plane landed in London, we all came back to life, switching on our smart phones, receiving updates and message prompts, listening to voice mails and making calls. Then came the questions: Can we truly harness the power of social media? Who are the winners and losers? How do we innovate to ensure survival for the future?

Innovation @ speed of Thought

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world” - Albert Einstein 1879 - 1955

The future, this is where it all began, planes, pc, internet, Apple, Microsoft, Disney, Google, Facebook and so many more started with a spark, brainwave or eureka moments as some would term it. Innovation @ speed of thought is a creative new means of transforming your ideas into reality, starting with the very first step, to think. The thinking process may seem so little yet so big, imagine the “power of you”, yes you, transforming your ideas, those thoughts and creative solutions into reality. From science, it is said that the speed of light is 3x10⁸ m/s, which is approximately 300,000 km/s, 1.3seconds from the earth to the moon, and 8.3minutes from the earth to the sun; if light is said to be so fast, pause and imagine the speed of thought. Innovation in this context refers to the ability to apply creative solutions to problems and opportunities to enhance or enrich lives; and innovation @speed of thought is to Think, Imagine and Create Now.

Imagine for a moment, if individual entrepreneurs, organisations and governments could innovate @ the speed of thought. The world would be a lot different from what it is today. Be the change, start the change and propel the change you want to see, Innovate @ speed of thought.

The kinetic effect

 

Remember that feeling when you saw your mothers first mobile, that vivid image of the  puzzled look coupled with the outrageous outburst of horrific chuckles. I will give you a high five if you remained unshaken by the picture at the left. The nineties camera phone. It is true the quality and measure of Innovation yesterday, is not necessarily the same measure of innovation today. It hit me that no matter what sort of innovative technology is created, it has to resonate with an every day simple task like communication or movement.

I would like to bring some focus to the heat wave of technology today. Innovative technology they call it because it is true nowadays they always want to spice it up. Imagine how many people have tables tallying apples gadgets because there is always a better one in a span of less than a year. If you are the unlucky buyer of the iphone first generation you know what I mean. But nomatter how bitter the iphone first generation buyer can be they still agree that technology has revolutionalised our lives.

I am immedietely reminded of my first experience with the Xbox 360 plus kinect effect. Its in the way your body is in motion with real time and this box. Its that split second you jump in unison with the projection in that game. It is kinetic motion, this kinect effect: it’s the beginning of something revolutionary. Its beyond games, its not the technology that’s impressive , but the application, impact and its potential to be better. Some people ask:and what about our real lives, are we cramping ourselves into a virtual world? 

Kinect might not be as accurate, but it will be better and better.I will tell you it is not about the technology that makes it innovative, it is the integration into out every day lives through its application capable to improve our living that makes it innovative. Thus it is completely incorrect to say that our real lives depend on technology but rather vice versa would hold true. Intergrating this technology into our real lifes is only the beginning.

Innovation: The Human DNA

Innovation: The Human DNA


Innovation isn't as strange as the world makes it seem, in reality it is as simple as ABC. Every human on earth is born an innovator, and strange as it may seem the following lines would give a clearer picture. How does a child learn to talk, walk, speak or even eat? how come children when put together in the same space find a way to communicate? how come a child cries when they notice a strange face around? All these questions point to the direction that something inside everyone of us seeks for new ways of doing things. Some people might argue that children learn and adapt to the changing environment, yes but how do they learn to adapt? Innovation is simply the ability to develop creative solutions to problems, and every child operates at a genius level until 4. However, by 30 only 2% of humans still have it. If we were at one point all geniuses, how come our lives have different outcomes? and how come we still have problems left unsolved?


My random thoughts on innovation, though still at an early stage,I believe it would be extremely useful for individuals, organisations and even governments of nations to understand the innovation DNA, and look for means of adopting it as part of their strategy.

The future is in our hands. Think, Imagine and Create .... TIC