Tag Archives: Innovation

Search Marketing Tips to Improve Search Results

According to a study conducted by Econsultancy, spending in the North American Search Engine Marketing sector is projected to grow from $16.6 billion to $19.3 billion in 2011, a $2.7 billion increase. At Sparxoo, we have written about search marketing … Continue reading →

Posted in Featured by Amy Kenigsberg | Monday, February 6th, 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

2012 Market Trends, part IV

Trend 1-2 Trend 3-5 Trend 6-9 10. Exclusive Access The popularity of Royal-Class airport lounges and invitation-only Centurion credit cards are just two examples of modern man’s immense need for respect and privilege…This ‘exclusivity for the masses’, or “Massclusivity” can … Continue reading →

Posted in Featured by Adrienne Morgan | Monday, January 23rd, 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

2012 Market Trends, part III

Trend 1-2 Trend 3-5 6. Super Healthy “Our intention is to reinvent this category in the same tonality that we have reinvented over the last 40 years the basic commodity of coffee. We see a lot of white space.” —Starbucks … Continue reading →

Posted in Featured by Adrienne Morgan | Monday, January 16th, 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

2012 Market Trends, part II

Trend 1-2 3. Interactivity is Key “This ad unit takes advantage of how users interact and explore with the iPad as opposed to other digital and mobile devices.” —Dionne Colvin, national manager of media for Toyota on its new Yahoo … Continue reading →

Posted in Featured by Adrienne Morgan | Monday, January 9th, 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

2012 Market Trends

Swimming in a sea of data, the Sparxoo Agency team is taking a cue from Web 3.0 to filter the noise and offer up the Top 12 Trends for 2012. Our trend summaries feature quotes, facts, and recommended reading to spark … Continue reading →

Posted in Featured by Adrienne Morgan | Monday, January 2nd, 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Breakaway Innovation and the Vital Idea Ecosystem

If your team prioritizes innovation, we applaud you for recognizing the importance of innovation in gaining competitive advantage. For best results, prioritize ideation and embrace non-traditional methods to come up with ideas. The extra weeks and months of ideation can be the difference between pursuing a winner and a loser. Continue reading →

Posted in Digital Marketing, Featured, Strategy & Trends by David Capece | Friday, November 18th, 2011 | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Words of Inspiration for the Digital Marketer

Technology and consumer expectations change daily; the digital marketer must adapt accordingly.. These industry leaders offer invaluable wisdom to digital marketers who strive to remain nimble and innovative in the evolving online marketplace.     “Customer experience is the new … Continue reading →

Posted in Digital Marketing, Featured, Startups & Innovation by Kristin Masters | Thursday, October 13th, 2011 | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Theatre Entrepreneurs In the Spotlight

Launching a new business merges a balanced blend of entrepreneurial spirit, passion, and the ability to leverage a talent to build a brand. Founded in 2010 by Anna Roberts Ostroff and Alan Ostroff, the origin of Infinity Theatre Company is a model of leveraging talent and building a brand around a value proposition. Although this entrepreneurial endeavor has proven arduous, Anna and Alan have established an innovative business with the ability to inspire and transform those around them. Connecting community to the performing arts is no simple mission, yet these entrepreneurs have crafted a passionate dream into an extraordinary adventure that is becoming a staple in the Annapolis district. Continue reading →

Posted in Branding, Featured by Amy Kenigsberg | Tuesday, June 14th, 2011 | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

6 Innovation Exercises for Brand Leadership

The world’s leading brands continually innovate. While we often think of Google and Apple as innovation juggernauts (and they are), there is innovation afoot at older brands such as Pepsi, McDonald’s, and Mercedes. Whether created organically or purchased, whether incremental improvements or transformational, innovation is vital in today’s rapidly evolving, competitive global economy. At Sparxoo, our team of brand & innovation strategists has led many brand innovation workshops and expert worksessions with Fortune 500 companies. Our formula: start with creativity to spark new ideas and add in strategy to structure and focus ideas across identified goals. Great ideas can come from anywhere, so tap into your leaders, your Gen Y talent, your customers, and industry experts. Continue reading →

Posted in Featured, Strategy & Trends by David Capece | Monday, May 30th, 2011 | Tagged | Leave a comment

Social Gaming Emerging as Next Frontier

ocial networking games are the latest phenomenon in the gaming industry. In fact, one out of every five Americans over the age of six has played a social network game at least once. That’s over 60 million Americans in total, and an average of 10 percent spent an astounding $2.2 billion in 2009 and the market is anticipated to grow to over $6 billion in 2013. Continue reading →

Posted in Strategy & Trends by Ethan Lyon | Monday, January 31st, 2011 | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Happiness is a Business Model at Zappos

Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh recently spoke to American Marketing Association Tampa Bay and shared his journey in creating Zappos, which sold to Amazon for approximately $900 million in 2009. The presentation was part of Tony Hsieh’s bus tour coinciding with the release of his best selling book, “Delivering Happiness.” At Zappos, passion and purpose are the ingredients that lead to profits. They’ve got a truly engaged team, a brand culture that embraces “weirdness” and inspired a spontaneous parade of pirates. We know you want profits, but don’t lose site of greater purpose and happiness. Your employees and customers will appreciate it.

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Posted in Strategy & Trends by David Capece | Wednesday, October 20th, 2010 | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Innovation Strategy Guide

nnovate or die. It is the Darwinian adage for nearly every industry. Innovation drives product and service performance and growth forward while giving brands a leg-up on the competition. Innovation can increase your brand relevance with consumers, while growing revenue and market share. Fund your innovation strategy. Continue reading →

Posted in Strategy & Trends by Ethan Lyon | Friday, October 8th, 2010 | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Green Living Consumer Trend

Green living is taking hold. “Recently while I was brushing my teeth, my 6-year-old son scolded me for running the water too long. He severely reprimanded me, and at the end of his censure asked me, with real outrage: don’t you love the earth?” says Stephen Asma of the Chronicle in his Green Guilt commentary. For those who are embracing green living, check out these new green options: green dating, green travel, green driving, green rooms, and green jewelry.

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Posted in Market Trends by David Capece | Wednesday, August 4th, 2010 | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Consumer Trends in Customization

Founded 13 years ago, Build-A-Bear Workshop was an early entrant into mass customization. With more than 400 stores world-wide, it has successfully scaled to become the largest chain dedicated to the create-your-own trend. Much of today’s innovation is centered around empowering customers to customize products and enjoy truly unique customization experiences. The customization trend ranges from products that spice it up with customized features, to products that are customized from the inside-out.

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Posted in Market Trends by David Capece | Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010 | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Innovation in Social Cause Business Models

NBA legend Magic Johnson recently spoke at Wharton’s first Social Impact Forum saying, “Legacies are not built on how much money is made, because after all there are a plethora of millionaires in the world. Instead, they are built on how many people can be touched with the amount of money made. Individuals are able to set themselves apart by helping communities get on their feet.” Today, it has become fashionable to do good and many entrepreneurs are building businesses with generosity at their core focusing on urban renewal, children’s initiatives, and even the basics such as food and water. Continue reading →

Posted in Market Trends, Social Impact by David Capece | Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010 | Tagged , | 1 Comment

2010 Trends in Innovation

Earlier this year, Bloomberg BusinessWeek published its list of 50 most innovative companies (in partnership with Boston Consulting Group) and for the first time, the majority of companies were headquartered outside the US. 88% of executives in China said they were raising their innovation budgets this year, followed by 82% in South America and 73% in India. The rate fell to 48% in the U.S., ahead of only Japan, where just 34% of executives said their companies planned to increase innovation spending. All of which suggests the U.S. may not be dominating the innovation list again soon. Continue reading →

Posted in Market Trends, Startups & Innovation by David Capece | Monday, August 2nd, 2010 | Tagged | 1 Comment

Apple iPhone 4 vs. Motorola Droid X: The Aftermath

I’ll save you 10 minutes of your life: after playing around with the phones, the reviewers state the winner comes down to personal preferences. The technical specs and pricing comparisons of the iPhone 4 and Droid X are simply too close to call. However, now that both phones are in the hands of consumers, has a clear winner appeared? Continue reading →

Posted in Startups & Innovation by Henry Wang | Wednesday, July 21st, 2010 | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Marketing Analysis Builds Market Intelligence

“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest,” writes Benjamin Franklin. For marketers, marketing research and analysis is an investment that pays off. Build your market intelligence from the basics (market scan and brand audit), to more advanced research (customer and product analysis). Once you’ve implemented a marketing campaign it, too, requires analysis to… Continue reading →

Posted in Digital Marketing by Ethan Lyon | Tuesday, July 20th, 2010 | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

How Insider’s Perspective Can Accelerate Innovation

Innovation can be a fickle beast. Sometimes ground-breaking ideas come at the speed of light while at other times, they trickle in at a sluggish pace. To accelerate your innovation and expand your team’s creative thinking, consider tapping into the talents of… Continue reading →

Posted in Startups & Innovation by Ethan Lyon | Thursday, July 1st, 2010 | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Top 5 Best Practices for Innovation

During Barack Obama’s first Oval Office address to the nation, he called on America’s innovative spirit to drive future sustainability initiatives, particularly in clean energy. Innovation doesn’t stop at reducing our dependence on foreign oil; innovation pushes our society, businesses — small and large — culture and political process into the future. To help usher in a… Continue reading →

Posted in Startups & Innovation by Ethan Lyon | Monday, June 28th, 2010 | Tagged , , | Leave a comment