CHASING DOWN THE NEXT BIG CONSUMER OR INDUSTRIAL PRODUCT TODAY IS FRENZIED

Yes there is a frenzied surge of activity in the bright and hot ideas arena today. Companies are finally waking up to the fact that small groups of idea people are creating, every day, the big innovations of tomorrow. How do you find these people and their revolutionary ideas and products? They are referred to today as COOL and the searching for these is called “Coolhunting”. There are specific sections or departments in corporations today that search and sift and watch off-beat areas from crazy young innovators. Products and companies like MySpace came out of such background areas.

Today there are a few “Ben Franklins” out there. But he is considered a role model and lifelong trendsetter and innovator. Finding them takes techniques that every day are being developed. Even such companies as Continental Airlines are doing this searching and sifting. And in several instances they’ve found great ideas on specialty blogs devoted to frequent- flyers. Author Peter Gloor and Scott Cooper have examined, and documented some of the great case histories of recent times and describe the techniques used by the likes of Apple and GE, Starbucks, Proctor and Gamble, Cisco, and all the largest and most solid corporations we see at the top of the stock markets. Their new book is called “Coolhunting”.

The corporate and product development world of next week, next year and into the next decade will be filled not only with great product successes but huge fortunes made from simple research and hard work to build ideas into entities, like Dell as an example. Where will Michael Dell go to find his next great leap? He could find it in a high school near you or in a machine shop. The future world belongs to those who search and sift. They will be the kings.