Tag Archives: design

by | Wednesday, September 18, 2024 · 7:51 am

Learning from Winners

Advertising, design, global marketing, innovation promotion,

Cannes Lions awards are among the most established awards for marketing, advertising, and creative professionals. The international competition includes three rounds of viewing, voting, and discussion and includes thousands of international submissions.

The juries are comprised of 29 industry experts, representing 15 different markets. The judging consists of four stages: viewing, voting, discussion, and awarding trophies. The jurors review entries and score such as to compile a short list. This list is then reviewed, finalized, and debated.

Among the top winners in this year’s competition:

  • Audio & radio: Specsavers
  • Health and wellness: Dramamine
  • Health Grand Prix for good: UN Women
  • Outdoor: Magnum Ice Cream
  • Social & influencers: Cerave

The top three creative companies:

  1. WPP
  2. Omnicron
  3. Interpublic

Top creative brands of the year:

  1. Coca-Cola
  2. Heineken
  3. Apple

To win a Grand Pix isn’t easy. According to the Cannes Lions Award Map 2024, the campaigns must have a high level of craft, experience, engagement, strategy, creative ideas, and going beyond the brand purpose.

What does your ideal ad look like?

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. Poll students: How many different types of can they recall?
  2. What specific ads can they recall? Why?
  3. Discuss with the class the different forms of advertising.
  4. Show the Cannes Lions Awards Web site: https://www.canneslions.com/awards 
  5. There are a number of different categories of campaigns/awards. Choose one category to examine (ex: outdoor).
  6. Videos compilations of award-winning campaigns: https://www.thedrum.com/news/2024/06/21/cannes-lions-2024-watch-every-grand-prix-winning-ad
  7. Divide students into teams.
  8. Assign each team a different campaign to review and analyze.
  9. Have each team debrief their analysis for the class. Have the class vote on their favorite(s) and least favorite(s) campaign. Why were these selected?

Source: Kiefer B. (1 July 2024). See the Grand Prix winners of the 2024 Cannes Lions. AdWeek; other news sources.

Leave a comment

Filed under Classroom Activities

Tagged as , , ,

by | Thursday, September 12, 2024 · 7:45 am

Learning from Failing – Rough, but Informative

While we all love a success story, sometimes a story about failing is just as informative. We say, “it couldn’t happen to me….” But oh my, it can happen to anyone and any company. After all, roughly 95% of new products fail. Further, only about 20% of new products live longer than two years after launch. Those are daunting numbers.

Despite all these rather glum numbers and examples, innovation in products and services are absolutely critical to companies. What can we learn not just from the successes, but just as importantly from the failures?

Here’s a few examples to ponder:

  • Microsoft’s first music player – the Zune.
  • Apple’s Power Mac G4 Cube.
  • ESPN mobile phone.
  • Google Stadia.
  • Juicero juice press.
  • Keurig KOLD.
  • CNN+ (launched, lived, and died in 30 days).
  • Samsung Galaxy Note 7.
  • Amazon’s Fire Phone.
  • Google Glass.
  • New Coke.
  • Cheetos lip balm.
  • Facebook Home.

What are some of the common elements of the failed products? Well, top of mind comes a bad product-market fit, poor timing, ignoring customer feedback, a poor or incomplete marketing plan, failing to satisfy customer needs, poor quality, or just a me-too product are among the most common errors.

Can you name a recent product failure?

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. Poll students: What are key elements to a success new product?
  2. Discuss the needs of the market along with a solid marketing plan.
  3. Show a video about product flops: https://youtu.be/Hq7Pz27j2lI?si=_peXfR_BFASf3aA8
  4. Divide students into teams.  Have each team select a failed product to analyze.
  5. After they have analyzed what went wrong, have each team either (1) develop a new marketing plan, or (2) explain why the product will never make it in the marketplace.

Source: Cohen, B. (19 July 2024). The man in Silicon Valley who’s completely obsessed with failure. Wall Street Journal; Webber, A. (29 January 2024). 11 of the biggest product flops of the last decade. 24/7 Wall Street.

Leave a comment

Filed under Classroom Activities

Tagged as , , , ,

by | Tuesday, September 10, 2024 · 6:40 am

What Happens to Cars after the SUV Craze?

Automobiles are a big part of the global economy and global infrastructure. How big? In 2021 it was valued at $2.86 TRILLION, and in 2023 it was valued at $3.56 TRILLION.  That’s Trillions with a capital T – and certainly an industry that is future-focused.

In the 1960s there were station wagons, which were replaced in the 1980s with mini-vans. Then, in 2000s, the Sport Utility Vehicle took over the mini-van market. According to Edmunds automotive research company, the SUV accounts for 60% of the U.S. market. However, with the rise of new car prices to an average of $50,000, the industry needs to re-think the products that consumers want.

What comes next after the SUV? Does it have:

  • Batteries.
  • Different driving modes.
  • Dashboards and steering wheels.
  • Voice controls.
  • Emotions.
  • Form and shape.
  • Storage.
  • Speed.
  • Environment concerns.

After all, the increasing use of AI along with autonomous driving options makes this an amazing age of technology and innovation. And of course, challenges abound as well.

Take a few minutes and think about it. What are the problems with today’s cars? Then think about solutions – crazy ideas are welcome. What would your car of the future look like?

Let’s go for a ride.

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. Discuss the framework for innovation. 
  2. Show the IDEO video about innovation for a shopping cart: https://youtu.be/izjhx17NuSE?si=gy8a-Mcpi6xMnoy7
  3. The original design was from 1999. Why do students think it never caught on?
  4. Have the class execute the IDEO process for car design: problems, ideas, crazy ideas, etc… Use large white poster paper for this exercise.
  5. Describe the final future car based on student ideas.
  6. Show video of possible future cars: https://youtu.be/D-f0yVjYBRQ?si=5lpHH2VxGYMGc38p

Source: Berk, B. (8 June 2024). The auto world’s next obsession: What comes after the SUV? Wall Street Journal.

Leave a comment

Filed under Classroom Activities

Tagged as , , , , , ,