“How much a company spends on innovation doesn’t matter, because what’s important is what the company spends on real breakthroughs rather than sustaining ideas.”–Better, Faster, Cheaper is Not Innovation
This quote referenced Kodak’s (and many other companies) investment in R&D that improves existing technology, rather than disruptive technology.
It also applies to why many efforts of ministries and non-profits to “innovate” on social or digital media fall flat. I’ve seen upwards of 100 iPhone apps designed by ministries or non-profits without a strategy or purpose other than to “be innovative.” I’ve also seen individual fundraisers create short, personal, and powerful YouTube videos for their donors that transform the relationship between them.
For some communication tactics there is a linear relationships where one can be substituted for the other: A text message can replace a phone call, a Facebook update can replace a verbal announcement at a large meeting, etc. The goal behind this is general awareness.
But when the goal becomes to empower more volunteers, raise significantly more money, recruit or train hundreds/thousands of more people than the year(s) before, there is not a linear relationship. Most of us have learned that creating a Facebook page will not suddenly give us access to 800 million people around the world, even though it’s technically possible.
When you start thinking about significantly changing your methods for accomplishing your goals and stop thinking about switching out traditional media solutions for digital, you will start getting close to significant breakthroughs.