Signals of Change

Pay for Effectiveness SoC387

Most people and businesses are paid by their employers or customers on the basis of the numbers of hours they spend doing the work. An increasing number of service and product areas, however, are basing payment on effectiveness.

In with the Old SoC388

The financial crisis and the ensuing economic downturn have spurred extensive discussion and rethinking of traditional business models. In a reversal of an out-with-the-old, in-with-the-new approach, several older systems and values are becoming more important than or are reemerging as important as what is new or cutting-edge.

Consumer Behavior versus Reporting SoC389

Market researchers have long known that valid consumer feedback can be difficult to come by. Now, a growing number of studies indicate that consumers might actually have a strong opinion about why they do what they do, and researchers find that consumers are, in fact, wrong about it. The gap between behavior and reporting has widened even more.

Community Values Trump Individualism SoC390

Concepts that embrace public sharing, community-centric values, and work collaboration are experiencing a revival, and new approaches facilitate driving communitarian models even further. Perhaps a new, profitable target may be the market for family, community, or otherwise shared products and services.

Narrowing Automotive-Energy Options SoC391

This Signal of Change reviews energy options in the automotive arena at a time when the recession is forcing both governments and companies to make hard choices.

Balancing Retail Requirements SoC392

Retail environments are the ultimate interface between companies and consumers. Unfortunately, requirements from various functions inside companies vie for attention, resulting—more often than not—in an unbalanced mix, leaving consumers potentially dissatisfied, if not forgoing purchases.

Insights

A VALS™ Perspective on the Commercialization of Innovation D09-2600

Many factors determine the successful commercialization of new products in the marketplace. Given the enormous cost in time and money in the development and commercialization of innovations, the last link in the commercialization chain of events—actually selling the product—seems particularly important. The questions then are when companies should start considering who their first group of consumers—or early adopters—of the new product will be and what characteristics those consumers should ideally possess to be a good match for the product. This study provides answers to these questions from a VALS™ perspective on new-product commercialization. It identifies specific psychological types of early adopters to match the key benefits and features of new products. By using VALS as part of a strategic process of commercialization, companies can avoid costly mistakes that could ultimately result in the failure of the innovation in the marketplace. Author: David Sleeth-Keppler. 9 pages.

Scan™ Meeting Digest: 22 July 2009 Meeting D09-2601

This document is a digest of the Scan™ abstract clusters that participants in the 22 July 2009 Scan meeting identified. The digest includes a description of the Scan process for people who have never attended a Scan meeting, a list of the clusters that meeting participants identified, and a one-page description of each cluster's premise and supporting abstracts. The document has active links that allow the reader to access the supporting abstracts for each cluster in Scan's online abstract database. The document also has links to previously published Scan documents relating to the particular cluster. Clusters of abstracts for this July meeting include topics related to social media, mobile applications, environmental issues, recessionary aspects, network infrastructures, human resources, globalization, and consumer behavior. Compiler: Aster Peng. 31 pages.

Calendar

Scan™ Abstract Meetings

Scan abstract meetings (in which SRIC-BI [now SBI] staff participate in a free-form discussion of current Scan abstracts) are open for client observation/participation in Menlo Park on:

• 23 September 2009 at 9:00 am
• 21 October 2009 at 9:00 am
• 20 January 2010 at 9:00 am
• 17 March 2010 at 9:00 am
• 19 May 2010 at 9:00 am
• 7 July 2010 at 9:00 am.

Scan also sponsors occasional Scan abstract meetings in Croydon, Tokyo, and Washington, D.C. Contact your SRIC-BI (now SBI) marketing representative to schedule participation in any of the Scan abstract meetings.