their early ideas and identify how to make them to best resonate with people , develop much more successful creative and higher performing innovations .
We have seen time and again that early , front end creative and innovation research has not only a limited effect on time , but significantly impacts effectiveness , by helping teams understand the strengths of their early ideas they need to focus on executing , and opportunities to improve before spending big money on production .
This is why research is an intrinsic aspect of the idea development process . It helps guide numerous decisions that turn an idea into an innovation .
Before you start throwing out new ideas and testing solutions , it ’ s important that you thoroughly understand the problem you ’ re trying to solve so that you do more than just address mere symptoms , and instead substantively respond to the root causes .
Initial research should inform creativity , guide innovation , and ensure that novel solutions meet real-world needs . This is why research plays a pivotal role in the dynamic process , bridging knowledge and practical application .
Initial research will help innovation leaders see what customers ( and the rest of the world ) care about . If you ’ re solving a problem that ’ s not relevant to a percentage of the population , then it ’ s unlikely that your innovation will take hold . Therefore , ask lots of questions , go for diversity , and identify some key trends to help guide your idea development .
Early exploration fueled by the right research helps you go into the later stages of development faster , aligning all stakeholders and allowing you to move with confidence . Slowing down helps you go faster .
Many companies always want to churn out innovation fast , claim the market position , and work out the kinks later - that ’ s what minimum viable products are all about , right ? But going too fast , and what seems on the surface to be groundbreaking may very quickly turn out to be a bit of a lemon , and a costly assumption for the business .
The old sayings “ a stitch in time saves nine ” or “ the early bird catches the worm ” both back this up .
Another interesting thing is the shift from viewing creativity as a slow , mystical process to recognizing it as a complex interplay of slow and fast cognitive processes , influenced by technological advancements and contextual factors .
It does make intuitive sense that you need the right minds and creatives , sufficient investment , and enough time to come up with ideas .
While launching new ideas quickly is crucial in establishing a competitive advantage , speed is only a good thing if you are solving a problem that actually exists and meaningfully improves the lives of your users .
When asked about the key ingredients to creativity in a recent survey involving Ipsos research panel , most experts mentioned talent - in creativity , but also in strategic thinking and production . Yet ‘ time ’ was missing .
In the context of ‘ hurry hurry ’, this isn ’ t surprising , as marketers and communication agencies can ’ t ask for more time to make efficient creative . Time will be scarce and cannot be a driver . It can drag down creativity if not efficiently managed , using it where it matters : early on , and speeding up in the later stages of development as much as possible . campaigns get he chance to grab people ’ s attention and influence brand choice .
The other surprise was to see that ‘ insights ’ was the second most mentioned ingredient right after ‘ talent ’. Most professionals recognize the importance of in-depth insights about people and how they engage with ideas , to ensure their creative and innovation ideas will effectively get their attention and interest .
There is no point focusing on speed , if what you ’ re doing isn ’ t delivering value to the customer and just like you would balance your personal investments portfolio , your organization needs to diversify the development of its products and services .
You need to have a healthy balance of high risk , high return focused on experimentation and innovation and low risk , more stable investments , which you have high confidence will provide value to your end customers .
The right research , at the right moment , done by the right people , can be a catalyst to creative and innovation excellence if it brings the right knowledge as early as possible .
This is what Ipsos strives for : supporting the creative talents and their clients in developing breakthrough creative and innovations , slowing down early on to learn , to accelerate execution and develop more effective ideas .
The same happens to money : many YouTubers and zero-budget campaigns have proven that strong ideas and disruptive content can make up for a lack of investment . Brands need to maintain a minimum level of investment on average , to ensure their
Enock Wandera is the Chief Client Officer at Ipsos Limited . You can commune with him on this and related matters on mail via : enock . wandera @ ipsos . com