Oliba’s breakthrough in the beer market in 2022
We continue our tour of the most innovative companies in the food sector with Oliba. This Spanish player in the beer market has developed a unique method for making these drinks. Pyrenean olives are what make their composition unique and tasty! Natural, gluten-free, preservative-free products with a strong ecological conscience will intrigue beer lovers. Discover the secrets of the manufacturer making waves among his colleagues in an industry that promises significant growth. Oliba and the beer...
The 5G is on the market and research for 6G is underway
While 5G is flourishing in many countries around the globe, research into 6G is already underway. In this article, we detail the technical and technological aspects of these wireless connections and their uses. Summary The 5G 5G technology for novices Uses and purposes Package options The 6G Technological evolution and objectives Intended uses A look back at the 5G 5G is causing debate, but above all, it is beginning to establish itself in Europe. French operators...
[Podcast] Typewise would like to simplify typing on smartphones
Typewise is a tech start-up launched by David Eberle and his partner Janis Berneker with the idea of helping smartphone users by simplifying typing. This entrepreneurial adventure is proving to be particularly rich in twists and turns. Discover this entrepreneurial adventure in this new podcast. Only for our subscribers: exclusive analyses and marketing advice Email address * Subscribe By signing up, you agree to our Terms of use and privacy policy. "I thought the blog was...
[Podcast] SpaceSense, satellite image processing start-up using AI
SpaceSense is a recent French start-up offering a solution for processing satellite imagery using artificial intelligence. We learn more in this podcast with Sami Yacoubi, co-founder of SpaceSense. Discover this entrepreneurial adventure in this new podcast.Haut du formulaire Only for our subscribers: exclusive analyses and marketing advice Email address * Subscribe By signing up, you agree to our Terms of use and privacy policy. "I thought the blog was good. But the newsletter is even better!"...
[Podcast] Optimising sales prices with Pricing HUB
Discover this entrepreneurial adventure in this new podcast. Only for our subscribers: exclusive analyses and marketing advice Email address * Subscribe By signing up, you agree to our Terms of use and privacy policy. "I thought the blog was good. But the newsletter is even better!" Esteban Hendrickx, art director Sommaire Chapter 1: your entrepreneurial experience in 3² point Chapter 2: The genesis of the business idea Chapter 3: Validation of the business idea Chapter 4:...
Why do we innovate? Prof. Bruno Wattenbergh explains everything to this 9-year-old child
2020 rhymes with new features at IntoTheMinds. As we announced in a previous post, we have launched a series of videos about business. The presenter is a 10-year-old child, Pierre-Raffaele, who receives in his studio, guests who are experts in their field. In the 2nd episode of the series, it is a guest of choice who is welcomed by Pierre-Raffaele. Bruno Wattenbergh is indeed a professor of entrepreneurship and chairman of the Innovation Board of Ernst...
Here’s how those 3 artists fueled their creativity
The process of creation is mysterious. The innovation process is equally so. Even if processes (Design Thinking, for example) try to channel and promote innovation, it is in the field in which creation is central: Art. The act of creation, this mysterious genesis of the Idea, has always fascinated me. As I explained in an article published this year, I firmly believe that the original act of creation is man’s own; this ability to innovate beyond...
CaixaBank: ATMs integrating facial recognition
Facial recognition is becoming a part of our daily lives increasingly, especially with phones that are unlocked by detecting the characteristics of our faces through artificial intelligence programs. In this field, CaixaBank is innovating by integrating facial recognition into its ATMs. Summary Withdrawing money without a PIN code Facial recognition, biometric technology Withdrawing money without a PIN code The purpose of using facial recognition at CaixaBank is to replace the PIN codes (Personal Identification Numbers) that...
Find & Order turns ‘Picking’ into child’s play
We have interviewed Arthur Guelton, co-founder of Find & Order, an indoor guidance solution for retail and supply chain businesses. In this article, we return to the creation and characteristics of this pioneering application. Summary Find & Order at a glance The genesis of the idea Technology used How and where it’s used The future and key figures The service offered by Find & Order Find & Order is a 3D mapping solution combined with an...
Smart bottles, from health to marketing
Objects connected to a Network are becoming more and more common in our daily lives. In this article, we will discuss some initiatives concerning smart bottles. Contact us for your B2B market research Summary Drink more water thanks to smart bottles. Marketing and communication resources. How far can we go? Only for our subscribers: exclusive analyses and marketing advice Email address * Subscribe By signing up, you agree to our Terms of use and privacy policy....
Technology and artificial intelligence in retail
We have recently talked about the role of artificial intelligence in games and the arts, but what about retail? Following our conference on the impact of artificial intelligence in the media, retail and insurance sectors, we return in this article to innovative initiatives taken by retailers to optimise their performance, in particular, those made by Casino in their hypermarket in Pessac, which serves as a laboratory to test these in a live environment. Summary The importance...
Artificial intelligence: partner or substitute for the performing arts?
Many platforms already use artificial intelligence to make personalised recommendations to their users – such as Netflix, Spotify, or the start-up Le Styliste recently discussed on this blog. Today, however, AIs are no longer merely analysing and suggesting but are also used to create and assist in the creation of artistic content. After having dealt with the superiority of artificial intelligence over man in games, in this article, we will look at the advances made in...
Artificial intelligence: a new opponent of reference in the gaming world
Artificial intelligence, algorithms, are now an integral part of our daily lives. They play a role in various fields, which do not always have an obvious link with IT. Indeed, artificial intelligence (AI) is applied in many areas such as robotics, but also games, music, art, health, and many other domains. This article launches our brand-new series on the multiple facets of artificial intelligence by detailing its integration into our modern world. Today we begin with...
Innovation & Design Thinking: 3 secrets to generate better ideas
You know I’m a big fan of design thinking. I’ve carried out many sessions and ideas have popped up that I’m sure, would never have come to mind with Design Thinking. As you know Design Thinking is a real methodology that helps fuel creativity and pave the way to innovative ideas. The purpose of this post is certainly not to deal with the whole method here (there are excellent books and really good trainings to do...
Let’s start the new year with LOVE
Rather than writing a long post to make a recap of 2014 (which we will nevertheless do later), we wanted to start this new year of blogging with a simple marketing idea to inspire you. My colleague Liliana let me discover this idea in December and I kept it aside for this first post of the year. This is a very creative, impacting yet unexpensive marketing idea that was implemented in Japan. Please allow me, in the...
Innovations in the postal sector. Episode 6: let’s go digital
We went through many different innovations during the last weeks. Some of them were centered around postal services, other were completely new but took advantage of the cost structure in place. The challenge is incredible for postal operators. If they want to survive they have no other choice than to innovate widely. In this last episode we explore the digitization trend. Postal operators have long understood that the need for paper documents is being replaced by...
Innovation in the postal sector. Episode 5 : automatic lockers
Here’s already the fifth episode of our series (read here episodes 1, 2, 3, and 4) on innovation in the postal sector. The postal sector is one of the most innovative and adapts constantly to new or emerging consumers behaviors. Automatic lockers is one very successful example. Episode 5: automatic lockers to better match customers’ needs and behaviors Contact us for our B2B studies A widespread solution in Europe As you will read from the section...
Innovations in the postal sector. Episode 4: returning online purchased goods
One crucial challenge of e-commerce today is to manage the offline part, i.e. the delivery. Yet, not all customers order right from the first time; nor are they protected from malfunctions, defects, and the like. Getting returns right (and free-of-charge) has become a must for e-tailers as this impacts the overall customer experience. Read here the fourth episode of our series on innovation in the postal sector (you can access past episodes by clicking on the...
Innovations in the postal sector. Episode 3: new delivery options
Here is episode 3 already of our series on innovations launched by postal operators. You can access the first episodes of the series here (episode 1, episode 2). The innovation we’ll be dealing with today is driven by societal and behavioral changes. E-commerce rise can’t be stopped anymore. We are about to witness some dramatic changes industry-wide and the supply-chain providers will be put under pressure for the next decade to come. Episode 3: in search...
Innovations in the postal sector. Episode 2: insurance services
We continue today our series of innovative services in the postal sector (read here episode 1) with a very interesting initiative of French postal operator La Poste. Not sure this one will be successful as it faces already some resistance. Episode 2: insurance Insurance services in the postal sector La Poste is about to test a new project with Polyexpert to equip postmen with smartphones so that they can photograph damages in the homes of...
Innovations in the postal sector. Episode 1: 3D printing
As announced in our post last week, time has come to give you a comprehensive view of innovations in the postal sector. Some innovative services may be known to you already (depeneding on where you live and how innovative your postal operator is). Most of them will however surprise you (at least we hope so) and will show you the undergoing revolution in terms of business models and revenue creation. As we explained in our previous...
Innovations in the postal sector: business models revamped
The postal industry is unique. Its original business model is threatened and the industry is forced to reinvent itself. What can be observed there in terms of innovation is just unique. I met with Delphine Desgurse in Venice in late January where we use to attend the same marketing conference. Delphine is the vice-president of La Poste, in charge of innovation. Like two years ago she headed a very interesting and inspiring presentation on innovation, with...
The innovation strategy of Edenred to conquer new markets
At the International Marketing Trends Conference in Venice, Damien Joannes of Edenred explained the strategy of his group to diversify its activities and conquer market shares. The key seemed to be in proposing services tailored to evolving needs of businesses. The story starts with the Ticket Restaurant The story started in 1962 with the invention of the ticket restaurant in France. From 1976 until a period of geographical expansion followed and from 2000 until 2010 the...
Will Boco revamp the food-served-over-the-counter sector?
BOCO is one food-served-over-the-counter concept that is currently attracting a lot of attention in Paris. Launched by the Ferniot brothers (Simon is a business guy who has sold his latest food complement company; Vincent is a well-known journalist and TV guy), BOCO was first started in a corner street of Avenue de l’Opera in Paris. I met with Simon Ferniot on a Saturday to discuss the genesis of their business idea, their future plan, and the...
How design can help increase your revenues
The Paris Chamber of Commerce organized this year a contest dedicated to the best design initiatives in retail environments. As we explained in an earlier post we started taking appointments and visiting as many stores as possible that applied (even if they didn’t win a prize). We started our tour with one of the winners, a dry cleaner called “H20”. We met with Bruno Benizri, the founder of the company who, in the meantime, opened another...
Product display: Hublot innovates once again
Hublot is really an innovation champion and it translates not only in the products but also in the way they are displayed. We already reported on in-store techniques that they use (see video) below. This time their store of Place Vendome got also a display innovation that was visible from the outside. Have a look below … Hublot store window in November in Paris from Into The Minds on...
Examples of vertical integration and definitions
Vertical integration is a relatively rare business strategy these days. Few companies still practise it because the time has come to reduce structural costs and cut costs. Among the large groups that continue to practice it, we could mention Samsung, Swatch. Still, these dinosaurs are on the verge of extinction (whereas vertical integration can be a competitive advantage). The DNVB (Digital Native Vertical Brands) have brought this business model up to date. Below you will find...
When innovation fuels other parties’ innovation potential
When innovation fuels other parties’ innovation potential I met at the SIAL 2012 fair with Emmanuelle Bernhardt, the marketing responsible of Groix et Nature, a company based in Groix (Brittany) which specializes in canned sea-food. As many SMEs in the sector, Groix et Nature claims a local positioning, sourcing exclusively local products and branding their geographical origin. This is a common strategy among SMEs and a well-working one in most cases, although the growth potential...
Andresy bets on customer experience … in the marmalades business
I met at SIAL 2012 with Laure Cassan, the energetic CEO of Andresy Confitures, a 50-employee family SME located east of Paris. Laure was kind enough to give me an overview of her products, one of which had been awarded a SIAL innovation prize. I was especially interested in the gourmet marmelades that were launched under the brand “instants gourmands” (“gourmet moments”). In this product category consumers are used to shop by taste (apricot, cherries, strawberry,...
Innovation is a remix
A while ago we were writing about recombination and innovation. We explained that innovation was not only breakthrough invention but resulted most of time from value-added recombination. In a series of 4 videos Kirby Ferguson dealt with this topic and shows how one contribution can fuel inspiration and innovation. Although all 4 videos are fascinating, the one which we prefer at IntoTheMinds is #3. Friday should be the perfect day to allow for a 11-minute break...
Innovation at its best at SIAL 2012 food and drink fair
As every two years we visited the SIAL 2012, which took place in Paris from Oct 21st until Oct 25th, the largest fair for professionals in the food and drink industry. With almost 6000 exhibitors this fair is one of (if not the) largest in the world and obviously one day was not enough to visit everything. We are to strictly keep our deadlines and made prior arrangements with all companies which were awarded a SIAL...
How to fuel creativity and break pattern
Creativity has always been a little been mysterious. Does it mean that it can’t be structured. In his video Scott Schenone details how he breaks patterns and “forces” creativity. “How do you get a carrot ready to eat?” is the starting point of the innovation process in this video. Schenone brings us through problem statement, pattern breaking methods, fastfail prototyping to eventually come up with a new object. Although the example shown in the video did...
Air Cork: the story of an inventor who became an entrepreneur
Beautiful stories need to be known. So is the story of Eric Corti, the inventor of Air Cork. Eric presented his already well-developed concept of wine preserver in ABS show “The Shark Tank”. He turned down a $1m offer to buy his idea and decided to launch it by himself and embrace the entrepreneurship path. This was probably a difficult decision but the challenge was worth it. It was worth the challenge because Air Cork is...
Meeting with a genius: Enric Ruiz Geli
Sometimes you meet up with people that can inspire you for the rest of your life. This happened to me when I met Enric Ruiz Geli, the architect of the MEDIA ICT building in Barcelona 2 weeks ago. I’ll not recount Enric’s life here (you can find enough about him on the internet); in a nutshell Enric won in 2011 the award for the world’s best building and he set up the office of his company,...
How design can enhance business innovation
I spent 4 days in Barcelona in a workshop at ESADE business school practicing techniques used by designers to create. And the least I can say is that those techniques DO help make a difference in business. Let me explain you why. The workshop was organized by the ESADE business school together with the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. The goal was to create new businesses from scratch using the very techniques used...
From ready-to-eat to ready-to-prepare, a new product experience
An important aspect of the work of a marketing agency is that we must detect, track and follow nascent trends in a broad range of industries. This knowledge is required by our clients who expects from us that we have deep knowledge in as many sectors as possible, so that they can benefit from innovating concept and future trends across industries. We track these trends through qualitative analyses, through following up many different firms, visiting fairs...