Innovation: just fun, or more?
We can no longer ignore it. More and more new technologies are being added that change and make our lives easier. This can be fun new gadgets, but also larger developments that have a lot of impact.
Jurgen Willems
Managing Director at Crius Group
Making the impossible possible
As a consumer I like to let everything come to me and I am particularly surprised at the speed with which this happens. And of course I follow the publishing industry with special interest. That is why I look forward to our publishing congress, Crius Update Live! During the 5th edition in 2019, based on the theme of "breaking borders and boundaries", we discussed how the impossible can be made possible. During this day I noticed that there is a clear thread running through all editions. And that is, you guessed it, innovation! In previous editions, each time under a different theme (such as 'The real future of publishing' and 'Let's do it together'), we talked about ways in which content can be brought to the reader's attention faster, smarter, more efficiently or in a new way.
Is that then the core of innovation? Do it in a different, smarter and / or faster way (than the rest)? It appears so. But then there are still a lot of questions left. How does innovation come about? Is it something you MUST be doing as a company? Does it spontaneously arise from a good idea or a customer question? And is innovation always disruptive? Is technology always required?
Types of innovations
In any case, I think there are 2 different types of innovations. The first concerns developments that an end user can immediately benefit from. Some examples that have already been reviewed during our events? How about an e-book of more than 60,000 pages. Or an online learning platform for children that offers exercises in a playful and attractive way. Or MemoryHome, the app that helps to communicate better with Alzheimer's patients.... Or less technically, the dwarsligger!
The second type are innovations that are aimed at the service provider, in our case the publisher, and that (partly) makes the first innovation possible. Trying something new always costs money and in that case help, advice and technology are very welcome! Examples? If you want to offer customized educational content, you need a system that makes it possible to facilitate the writing and management process. Or, if you want to publish a novel or thriller in the form of an e-book, this can also be done automatically with a few ifs and buts!
Innovation is more than just fun
Back to my questions then. The answer is simple: not all of them can be answered unambiguously. Every innovation has its own story and it is not uncommon for it to be a coincidence. Technology is often required, but not always. It can also be a new business model.
But do you HAVE TO BE engaged in innovation as a company? Here I dare to say yes, with some caveats. Every organization would do well to think about the future and at least check whether the products and services it offers are still in line with customer demand. And even better, whether it is possible to really make a difference.
So: is innovation just fun or is it more than that? I am convinced of the latter, but I am well aware that I still have more questions than answers.
Crius Update Live! 2019: recap
Relive Crius Update Live in this atmospheric video scroll between the photos.
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