Thanks for posting this. I keep seeing these ads with the word Innovation front and center and I find it so confusing/annoying. They win my award for devaluing innovation through their use of it. IMHO, natch.
Innovation is about changing your organization’s processes, values and structure (read the Innovator’s Dilemma). If Ford isn’t changing they way the do things and creating new value networks or deconstructing and rebuilding their organization, these claims mean squat.
This is just a PR ploy with no substance or desire to change behind it.
talk about the buzzword du jour…
That is one type or way to innovate, not the only. You don’t know that Ford isn’t changing the way they operate.
Of course it’s PR, just like the hundreds of other marketing embellishments we are exposed to every day. However, your claim that it is of no substance remains just as unsubstantiated.
Why are we reacting so strongly against the growing use of the word innovation? It’s not the first word to go through the industry buzz spin cycle, and it won’t be the last. Can’t we breathe easy that “design” isn’t as over used as it was a year ago? “ease of use” and “ergonomic” were grossly mis/overused a while ago too, but at least the world seemed to recognize that those were important product traits. We do it within our own professions as well (see interaction/user-oriented/user experience/UI/human-centered design). We don’t own the word innovation, and it is just a word. If it is not backed up by actual innovation, it will go by the wayside to make room for the next hot word. I know its annoying be surely we could just ignore the obsession with meaningless categorizations and just applaud good design/innovation/story/content/solutions/experience when it comes by?
“We want to position ourselves as the market leader,” say several million executives each year.
They cannot do that.
They cannot position themselves as the leader for a simple reason:
No company can position itself as anything.
You can focus your efforts and your message, which sometimes can influence your position. But your position is a place, and someone else puts you there: your prospects."-Harry Beckwith, Selling the Invisible
Same goes with Brand.
Same goes with Innovation.
Bill Ford: Get on board or leave
CEO tells employees who have adopted a skeptical stance toward turnaround plans to join him or quit.
Bryce G. Hoffman / The Detroit News
Ford Motor Co. Chairman and CEO Bill Ford Jr. said Monday that employees who do not believe his plan for reinventing the company is sincere should take a hike.
“Anyone who thinks or attempts to convince you that it’s business as usual at Ford is wrong and would best serve us all by pursuing their interests elsewhere,” Bill Ford said in an audio message e-mailed to workers Monday afternoon. “Our heritage of innovation must be reclaimed and renewed or the greatness of our company will become part of our past. It’s that simple.”
i know ford jr will never take a lie detector test.
“We want to position ourselves as the market leader,” say several million executives each year.
They cannot do that.
They cannot position themselves as the leader for a simple reason:
No company can position itself as anything.
You can focus your efforts and your message, which sometimes can influence your position. But your position is a place, and someone else puts you there: your prospects."-Harry Beckwith, Selling the Invisible
Maybe I am taking this out of context but that is bullsh*t.
Since there many, possibly infinite, positions for a company to take it is up to them to choose which is best for them, set the course and implement their products, packaging, communications and any other support materials and services to reach that position. It is much more than “sometimes can influence”.
Volvo positions itself as the safety leader, not luxuary, not performance. Wal-Mart is always low prices and and Dell is have it your way. There are other positioning options for these companies but they chose which was best for their company to provide to their prospects. Some years they live up to it better than others, but usually their best bet is to stay the course because it costs too much to change.
You have to back up what you preach, but you still have a choice in where you go. Ultimately your prospects have to agree or disagree to where you want to be. If they disagree, you won’t be there and probably out of business. But, if advertising is a form of brainwashing, the prospects may not have any free will to “place” you anywhere.
reread the quote and you will find that you are actually agreeing with it.
They cannot position themselves as the leader…
you wrote:
Ultimately your prospects have to agree or disagree to where you want to be. If they disagree, you won’t be there and probably out of business.
sorry to parse your words but this is true in both quotes. A company can position itself, but not as a leader; its support puts them there. you can preach leadership but if you do not lead you will not be in a position of leadership.
if you lead you need people to follow in support; and if no one follows in support you’re not leading you’re cannon fodder.
Now the question remains if Ford jr is leading by rhetorically threatening to shoot his trrops to get them to follow him? or does he really have a plan beside “innovate” …rhetorically inclined minds want to know…
Fords Ads and Minisite only talk about the past–there is not mention of what they’re doing to become innovative. By contrast, I remember when Chrysler invested in their “Design Center” in the early 90’s, and when Whirlpool launched their “global innovation initiative” in 2000 which “touched every part of the organization.” And everyone knows the Samsung story.
Even the “ideas” Ford presents on the Minisite reflect the sum of the work they’ve done to date, and many don’t even trace back to Ford. Seatbelts and Airbags for instance (which are specifically called out!)
I think this just reaffirms that they’re just using the term “Innovation” as a marketing ploy, it has nothing to do with changing the culture or mission.
Yes, you cannot be the leader without without people buying your stuff, I think that is stating the obvious. I probably need to work on my communication skills. The quote I am in opposition to is “No company can position itself as anything.” Wal-Mart decided to position itself as always low prices. It innovated distribution systems and how to negotiate with suppliers among other things to live up to that position. For its market, providing everyday consumer stuff, that is the one in the industry that worked the best. Wal-Mart is the industry leader BY positioning itself as the low price leader. They crushed K-Mart’s crappy strategy, I think now it’s The Stuff of Life, and Target is in a distant second with the strategy of our stuff isn’t as crappy as Wal-Mart’s.
Obviously no one can be absolutely sure which positioning strategy will propel you into a leadership position. Ford jr has his work cut out for him.