Does Innovation Need a Compass?

“You are a Saudi, aren’t you?! Doesn’t your heart ache for your fellow Saudis? Don’t you feel sorry about jobs given to expats in our own country?”

This is how my friend, Mo’taz, used to try to burden me with guilt each time he would see a freshly hired non-Saudi employee in our company. As the head of Recruitment, blaming me was obviously the most logical response Mo’taz would consider. I tried hard but in vain to convince Mo’taz that we were doing the best we could as a recruitment team but the matter was not as simple or even as possible as he might think. Then came that day when Mo’taz was in charge of an important project with very promising opportunities for his career. He enthusiastically came into my office to discuss his new department’s recruitment needs. After the first ten minutes of our meeting, Mo’taz was almost yelling: “Listen to me carefully! Saudis or non-Saudis…it’s none of my business! There is no way I will jeopardize my project so that you and your team can be patriotic heroes!!” I have to say that I laughed my head off at what Mo’taz said.

Let’s take a turn to marketing before we go back to my friend Mo’taz. Unilever innovated a household spray which eliminates odors off furniture, carpets and fabrics. For some reason the product flopped when it was first released. A team of researchers was sent by the company to an average American house to closely monitor the usual cleaning process of an American house wife. The team found out that although the lady of the house did not tolerate odors, she still wanted to be able to “smell the odor of cleanliness” at the end of her cleaning ritual. The product was transformed by the addition of refreshing scents to meet the consumers’ preferences. Sales boomed and “Febreze” turned out to be an exemplary lesson for marketers which stressed the payoffs of exploring and understanding, through scientifically proven research methodologies, consumers’ deepest desires and preferences.

When marketers are done with understanding their consumers, they can then take their innovation, creativity and great ideas to advertising. Innovation in advertising however could be an exciting adventure based on science, or a pure nonsense derived by luridness.

It is nonsense for instance to display your consumers’ high sex drive, using vulgar expressions, on streets’ billboards for their children to watch, and your original product is SHAWARMA, not aphrodisiacs.

Science-based innovation in advertising and communication can be best described in the light of a great book by Jonah Berger, professor of marketing at Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Professor Berger’s book explains why certain products and messages go viral. He lists some common characteristics behind this virality:

· Social Currency: My friend proudly adjusted his eye glasses on his nose while telling me about how he got the latest smartphone at a great price when he used STC application. I can assure you that STC paid nothing to my friend to promote their services, but people share such tips among many others because it makes them look good. When you provide your customers with something that will make them feel exclusive and important, they will more likely to tell their friends and acquaintances.

· Triggers: Ramadan, a holy month for Muslims, and a month where almost every Arab shop for Vimto. When a product is closely connected to consumers’ lives events and habits, it fills the consumer’s life with triggers of your product or message.

· Emotions: I was repeatedly shared a specific advertisement on all WhatsApp groups and from all my social media contacts inside and outside Saudi Arabia. What is surprising is that the Ad is not in Arabic or even in English. It is a video about a very moving story in Thai, promoting an insurance policy that is not even sold in Saudi Arabia in the first place. Playing on the emotions cord in the right way beats the limitations of place and language.

· Public: During the current month you will notice a pink ribbon displayed in several places. You will probably recognize it as the international symbol of breast cancer awareness. The credit of your recognition goes to the 8.000 ladies who set a Guinness world record by forming the world’s largest human awareness ribbon at Princess Noura University in Riyadh in an initiative championed by Alph Khair Foundation. Designing your product or a message to be as public as possible will increase the potential of going viral.

· Practical Value: why should you go?! Get MRASOOL !! people race to show their friends how they use Marsool application to deliver goods and services to their door step because of the practically of this service and the value it creates in people’s lives.

· Stories: Human heritage has been passed on from one generation to the next in the form of stories. The story of your product/messsage can be made to stick.

Now back to my friend Mo’taz. Mo’taz’s enthusiasm for Saudization is undoubtedly derived by his affection for his fellow Saudis. However, this affection was being tested when Mo’taz’s own legitimate ambition was involved. We have been calling for Saudization in the sectors of Marketing and Sales as well as Public Relations and Advertising, for many years now. This does not mean that we do not have to put up with some new practices, unfamiliar conceptions and surprises which are not always pleasant. The society still has a an essential role to perform by which the efforts of the new generations are appreciated and instructively criticized in a way that will adjust their compass to the direction of respected stables without letting go of their innovative spirit.