Microcultures can emerge within a company. These are people who form a cluster consisting of approximately 10 individuals. There can also be several dozen. These people share a common interest, idea, or insight that they share among themselves but do not disclose outside their own circle. These can be innovative ideas that could have significant added value for the company. However, these ideas do not come to light, are not recognized as important as such, or people believe that the management will not act on them anyway.
Another type of microculture might consist of many individuals interacting with each other not physically, but virtually. Just like gamers playing and exchanging ideas with one another, this could also apply to, for example, members of a private forum.
The challenge now is to track down those innovation microcultures.
Task for the marketer
Marketers share the same direction in thought and action as product development teams. They implement a strategy, launch campaigns, draft press releases, and determine the packaging and the brand promise. However, before these processes can be set in motion, the marketer in particular must have delved into the potential presence of innovation microcultures. Recognizing innovation microcultures is therefore an active endeavor that requires attention and depth. Try to spot and investigate the innovation microcultures. As a marketer, you can support, advise, and guide the project regarding these innovation microcultures. In doing so, you can provide added value in the short and long term by leveraging the innovation microcultures within an organization and the organization itself, thereby exerting influence.
So get up from your chair, walk into the factory, the warehouse, the lab, maintain contacts both internally and externally, and look for their ideas and interests.
Internal and external innovation microculture
Within the company, the microculture can flourish in the most innovative way, provided that management recognizes the business benefit and allows the space for it. If this is the case, the company’s interests are mapped out first. However, internal knowledge in certain areas may be insufficient, in which case external expertise can be hired.
But you can also spot innovation microcultures outside your own organization. Every company has external contacts. As a marketer, you can use these to get a behind-the-scenes look and engage in conversations to see what is going on within the external organization. The ideas and vision of that external company may align with your own company’s insights. A combination of innovation microcultures then seems like a logical step. And it doesn’t have to stop at just one external company. For certain innovation ideas, it may be better to involve multiple companies.
