DECEMBER 12, 2008

Inspiring Innovation - The Employee Swap Edition

I think it’s safe to say that innovation doesn’t come from doing more of the same. Google and Procter & Gamble must have had a similar thought in mind this past year as the two companies paired up to exchange employees. For weeks at a time, employees from each company had the chance to get an insider’s view of how the other operates. The purpose of the swap: to learn more about each other and about targeting consumers.

Since the story surfaced last month, I’ve been thinking about this question: If I could spend a few weeks inside any company, which company would I choose? Tough decision - there are lots of great ones out there. And, while Trader Joe’s, JetBlue, Patagonia, and Threadless all made my honorable mention list, my top pick would be Toms Shoes.

• I’m fascinated by Toms Shoes because the company is centered around a simple product — and a much bigger purpose. Founder Blake Mycoskie’s one-for-one business model is very different than any approach I’ve ever seen - he built a business by selling shoes and, at the same time, giving them away. The company seeks to fulfill its philanthropic mission, while at the same time improving its products, mobilizing supporters, and building its brand into a cultural phenomenon. Oh, and did I mention it has all happened in a matter of two years? Impressive from a business and communications standpoint - but also inspiring to employees and customers alike. I think it would be amazing to stand square in the middle of what is, as Ben Mcconnell points out, a case study in consumer evangelism.

I asked a few of my colleagues for their thoughts as well - as you’ll see below, we all approached the opportunity from different angles.

• Corey: I’d pick government consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton. Here at TMG Strategies we know that communications challenges are also substantive challenges – that it’s hard to execute successful public relations strategies without fundamentally altering the way that organizations operate. No amount of eloquent language or slick marketing tricks will get people to buy products or services that they do not fundamentally agree with.  As PR folks like us take increasingly-large roles in management, the kind of empirical, statistics-driven analysis done at firms like Booz Allen could teach us a lot about communications versus reality and how to marry the two. Plus, its Arlington office is less than 5 minutes from my house.

• Kristen: I’d like to swap with San Francisco based Sugar Inc. The Sugar Network is comprised of 16 distinct lifestyle and entertainment sites covering topics that include celebrity, fashion, food, politics and health (my favorite: Yum Sugar). I keep coming back to these blogs for the diverse content, conversational editorial style, and user-friendly design. Others must agree because the network gets over 8 million unique visitors a month. My current work involves looking at the changes going on all around us and determining how they might affect all aspects of communications, business strategy, and innovation. The editors at Sugar also have their fingers on the pulse of emerging trends and they serve up fresh content the way their readers like to get it. It would be a great swap because it is apparent that both of our companies have a healthy obsession with culture!

Every experience would, no doubt, be full of unique takeaways. What company would be at the top of your swap list? I encourage you to add your choice and continue our list via the comment field.