Association Marketing Springboard

I'm the Switzerland in the smackdown between the innovation tea-party revolutionaries lead by Jeff De Cagna and the "bastion of incrementalism" lead by Maddie Grant. Jamie Notter gives us a nice summary, focusing on how people experience change. From my perspective, we all need to foster innovation in our own ways...but for those of us who are not CEOs or top executives, that means working within the cultural boundaries the leaders of our organizations have set.

But given an inch, you should take a mile.

I equate marketing talent with superhero powers--we have stuff every organization needs for making long-lasting, strategic changes. Didn't realize you were a superhero, did you? ;-) If you want to be an agent for change from within the marketing department, what can you do? Well, wait for the door to unlock and then throw all your talent behind getting that door open. Here are three ideas...

• Use your copywriting and language skills to take rough ideas for change and make them sticky and inspiring.
• Collect data and market research that points to the overwhelming need to innovate, either by adopting new technology, rethinking products, creating a free membership category, or whatever the right change is.
  
• Be a fearless, positive voice in conversations about change, even as you help frame the discussion to focus on the target market that you understand so well.

Sometimes, small things--a line of copy or an e-mail from a member--are big things that can totally change the direction of an organization. The trick is to have the eye to spot it, have the courage to stand behind it, and have the ability to communicate it to the right people at the right time to make it come to life.

Now, about that revolution...