We could try speed-reading or memory exercises, but as with many other things in life, the solution is not about trying harder but being smarter. Or in this case, designing smarter.

“Information graphics are visual representations of information, data or knowledge” or so says wikipedia. Essentially it’s presenting lots of information in a way that is not only digestible but meaningful (I just ran across this great lego-fied example). My agency has been asked to pitch quite a few infographics initiatives for large corporations here in the Bay Area over the past couple years and I don’t think we’re an anomaly. I’m pleased that this design-driven approach to solving the problem of communicating swarms of information is gaining momentum—it’s a tool that will dramatically increase in value as terabytes become petabytes become exabytes.

Nobody in the corporate world has nailed it yet (though it will happen soon), but I’ll point to a small closed-loop system as an example—a pared down environment where data can quickly be interpreted and decisions can immediately affect outcomes: Fitness.

For years professional athletes have realized the benefits of tracking their performance, and they’ve had the labs and doctors to help gather and analyze it all. But now, athletic companies like Nike are helping anybody train like a pro by creating powerful feedback loops that make it feasible for amateurs to interpret their own training data. Otherwise known as the “quantified self” movement, fitness geeks are able to mine their own data to greater effect both during and after their workouts. This wouldn’t be as appealing (or even possible) with a spreadsheet of GPS coordinates and velocity readings—what makes it accessible to regular folk like you and me is the organization of the data, and design of the information.

Nike has always had a strong design streak, and with the launch of their quantifying initiative called Nike+, they’ve applied this skill set to empower customers with their personalized data. Presenting only the raw information makes the user do all the work, but organizing and presenting it in a way that simplifies the decision making process equips the user to achieve their goal through better decision making.

Fitness freaks aren’t the only ones who should be able to make better decisions with well-designed data presentation, but for now it seems they are the only ones who can. While computers may be enabling us to collect more data, it’ll be the human brain that’ll have to make sense of it and in the end there is only so much we can cram up there.

REGARDLESS IF WE’RE TALKING ABOUT ALWAYS IMPROVING UI’S OR DESIGNING A NEW GO-TO MARKET STRATEGY, CREATIVITY IN BUSINESS HAS COME OF AGE AND KNOWING HOW TO DO IT WITHIN AN ORGANIZATION IS THE ONLY WAY TO GROW BEYOND NEXT QUARTERS EARNINGS.

It was a warm-up of sorts for the upcoming DMI conference, and the conversation ranged from “what should be taught in design school today?” (interesting) to “How about that design thinking stuff?” (barf). One thread caught my attention most: What is driving the desire of client-side organizations to build their own creative capacity in the model of Facebook, Apple and the like?

Great question. What is fueling this shift, what does it mean?

WHAT’S HAPPENING AND WHY

As businesses look for new way’s to get a leg up in the market, they’ve been drawing creativity and design closer to the core of their organization’s value creation; Design in all it’s forms is no longer an add-on, but a key component driving business value. The trend didn’t emerge overnight, but the role of powerful embedded creative groups at success-storied organizations like Nike, Apple, and Facebook has boosted this trend into mainstream orbit.

Not long ago in-house creative groups were disempowered production shops clamoring for respect. Now the best creative thinkers want part, and for all progressive businesses looking to create long-term growth and value this is where the game will be won.

WHAT IT MEANS

Because of the speed of markets, the pace of change, and rapidly shifting world economies, one of the most important competitive advantages today may be owning ths now-critical value creator known as creativity. Regardless if we’re talking about always improving UI’s or designing a new go-to market strategy, creativity in business has come of age and knowing how to do it within an organization is the only way to grow beyond next quarters earnings.

EMBEDDED CREATIVITY IS THAT IRONICALLY HIP HAIR STYLE THE MULLET: BUSINESS IS IN FRONT, BUT DON’T FORGET BRING THE PARTY IN THE BACK.

THE MULLET MODEL

The value brought by embedded creative (regardless if it’s the strategic, digital, or the communicative variety) is a magic mix of business knowledge and design objectivity. There is a level of credibility, education and influence that a full time employee brings with them to every decision every day—or at least they should. There is also an inherent creative quality that most designers can’t help but inject. All together I can see embedded creativity as something like that ironically hip hair style the mullet: Bring your business in front, but don’t forget the party in the back.

ALL TOGETHER NOW

When our agency is brought on to help with a brand initiative, we want want to give our clients the best opportunity for success, and that means providing them not only the tools they need to continue to build their brand but a way to help them master those tools. Whether a brand residency retainer where periodic check-in’s and group critiques provide immediate benefit, embedding a part-time program expert for a few months to ensure business decisions gets the benefit of a brand advocate, or in the most critical of challenges, placing a temporary CMO, organizations that have yet to fully grow an embedded creative capacity can learn how.

Embedding creativity is where today’s business will be won and lost, but if your organization hasn’t figured it out yet (and despite what all the press might have you believe most haven’t) don’t fret, there’s time for you to start building your team. One word of warning: Don’t wait too long or your new business edge will become table stakes, and there’s nothing worse than showing up to the party with the same haircut as everyone else.

Recently, my colleague Robert Richman and I were asked to speak at the DMI Annual Conference in New York. Here we explain how culture is the key to building a design-driven company.

Where to start, then? How should businesses acquire customers—or more accurately—how they shouldn’t.

Yes momentum ensures businesses continue to market in the same way; continue to advertise in the same way; continue to think in the same way. But customers, both B2B and B2C, don’t have that problem—they are nimble and their choices are many.

Not too long ago I posted a video mentioning the freemium business model many internet start-ups have been going towards. “Why give it away?” the old mind might say, but clearly this free dissemination of value is gaining traction. What’s behind this trend and what can you take back to your business?

Two factors are driving the market toward this type of value first business ethos: 1) Customers are hyper-weary and 2) there are many choices. Combine these two and if you are if you are one of those trying to sell, sell, sell! you’ll quickly face declining sales.

To overcome companies have to give it away honestly, ethically and transparently with no strings attached. The effect? You attract people who are interested in you, build trust and open lines of communication.

Businesses must focus not on collecting new customers but building a community. When you demonstrate that your business understands me (the customer) by creating value first I begin, of my own will, to feel an affinity for the brand and will more likely be open to what you have to say, supportive of your message, and an advocate for your service.

From this community emerges your customers. In the freemium world, those are the premium customers (Evernote’s sports a 2% conversion and is very profitable doing it), but the same rule can apply in other situations.

While going after the customer may seem more direct, it’s lasting value is much, much less. Court a community with a value first ethos and you’ll cultivate advocates who will help you grow your bottom line in more ways than one.

As companies look for ways to improve their reputation in an ever more difficult market, executives likely find themselves struggling with one of the most misunderstood, perhaps underutilized business tools around: Brand.

This series of whiteboard sessions explores some of the latest trends we’ve observed and programs we’re working on. it’s meant to help clients and colleagues explore the implications and opportunities of an accelerating market and the emerging tools we’ll need.

Please leave your comments or reach out to me directly—I look forward to hearing your ideas as well, these concepts are evolving and, of course, imperfect.

Josh

As companies look for ways to improve their reputation in an ever more difficult market, executives likely find themselves struggling with one of the most misunderstood, perhaps underutilized business tools around: Brand.

This series of whiteboard sessions explores some of the latest trends we’ve observed and programs we’re working on. it’s meant to help clients and colleagues explore the implications and opportunities of an accelerating market and the emerging tools we’ll need.

Please leave your comments or reach out to me directly—I look forward to hearing your ideas as well, these concepts are evolving and, of course, imperfect.

Josh

Brand, or reputation if you like, is driven as much by a company’s ability to deliver on expectations as it is about making bold promises. While agencies used to set market expectations with external communications like PR and ads, today brands are formed in the minds of the customer by much more.

Between the amount of transparency organizations are legally required to have (through reports that expose quarterly finances, corporate sustainability, and social responsibility) and the tools customers have at their disposal (i.e.,Google, Twitter, and GlassDoor) CMO’s, if not CEO’s are much more likely to be burned at the stake for overpromising and under delivering. A recent example is AOL’S Tim Armstrong, who compared his hefty investment in Patch.com to properties like CNN and Amazon earlier this year. CNBC and others panned his comparison as “…completely inappropriate.” This articleon Business Insider says it well: “You can’t win respect or success by mere inference.”

Clearly Armstrong has some work to do if he’s to build his credibility and Patch’s brand in the market.

Getting ousted for not delivering is an age-old tradition in corporate America, but forward thinking executives looking to benefit from this transparency trend are reconsidering how internal behaviors are more closely linked than ever to external reputations.

I’ve noticed more of our clients starting to consider internal branding as a viable business tool, but the connection between brand internally and externally is still unclear. For example, how do employee onboarding practices and training programs relate to public perception of your company? To help flesh out these connections I’ve put together a model that depicts this cycle of reputation building.

CULTURE GUIDES DECISIONS, DECISIONS INFORM REPUTATION

Culture is the attitudes, values and goals your organization shares. This under appreciated but potentially powerful business tool should be the compass that helps every employee make the best business decisions all day, every day. Culture guides decisions and every one of those decisions influences your reputation in the market.

Will one bad choice destroy your reputation? Probably not, but if employees don’t hold a shared vision for where an organization is going or clearly understand what they are doing to help, you won’t have the critical mass of brand-aligned business decisions that will drive a coherent market presence.

YOUR REPUTATION IS YOUR PROMISE

Whether a customer hears about your company from a colleague, reads a peer review, or searches your site, they are constantly formulating their own opinion. What they’ve heard and seen, good or bad, sets the expectation for what future customers can expect should they choose to do business with you. The sum of all the data they’ve collected whether actively or passively is your brand promise.

Succinctly, your reputation is your brand promise.

Back to culture: It’s now your employee’s job to ensure your company delivers on customer expectations. Be warned, though: ‘Somewhat delivers’ won’t cut it. For the reputation cycle to become a perpetual motion machine for building brand value your company must not only have compelling external communications, but must equip employees with the vision, knowledge, and tools to communicate and deliver on that promise.

Create Three Values from Great Monday on Vimeo.

Pre-profit Priority from Great Monday on Vimeo.

Forget value-added, today’s customer demands value first. Whether individual or corporation, they’re too smart to buy just because your Super Bowl ad said so. To get future customers you need to think about your pre-profit priority—building a community.

One Minute Mondays: Why work? from Great Monday on Vimeo.

Pretty much all Josh thinks about is how to help companies live their brand. Working with him, I get to hear a lot of gems and, I started thinking other people should really hear this, too. So (with my limited video skills) we decided to put this monthly video series together.

Enjoy this no-frills look at some of the thinking that goes on here at the office. First up, Josh wonders: Why work?