• by Cory Treffiletti , Featured Contributor, August 7, 2013

So far, so good -- if you’re reading this, it’s proof that you don’t necessarily listen to directions.  That means you’re perfect for this business!

Innovation comes in many forms, but its one common thread is a general disregard for direction from others – not out of arrogance, but out of an innate desire to find new ways to do things.  Call it a questioning of authority, but hopefully one tempered with curiosity rather than hubris.  Most of the world’s greatest innovators were always looking for a new angle and a new way of doing things.   Of recent history, I point to people like Steve Jobs and Elon Musk. Who else would question long-established services like trains and automobiles, or how we use the phone?

I bring this up because our industry is in need of a new wave of innovation.  Things are going great -- business is up, we’re creating jobs and digital is slowly taking over the top spot as where consumers allocate their time. It would be very easy to rest on our laurels and enjoy this stage of business, but that’s exactly when things can go wrong.   When you’re right on top is the best time to start looking for new areas in which to innovate, and that time is now.

Here’s where I would place my bets on innovation:

The way we deliver creative online right now is good, but not great.  We are constantly evolving the ways we deliver messaging within the standard IAB sizes, but we should revisit how ads are integrated into content in the first place.  Let’s rethink what makes an ad “standard” to begin with.  In the past, we tested interstitials -- and I’ve noticed them making a resurgence as of late -- but even that’s not the end game.

I don’t know exactly what it will look like, but 3-dimensional video could be an area worth exploring.  Why does the standard Web page have to be a 2-dimensional environment with ads strewn throughout content on a flat surface?  Why not find a third dimension and integrate marketing into that model in some fashion?

Which leads me to the area of digital publishing. Why isn’t the Web evolving to give a third dimension to the way we consume content?  It’s a very linear model now, based on backward and forward exploration, but the Web is a medium of tangents.  When I surf the Web I typically bounce around quite a bit and open multiple windows and screens.  Why can’t that action all take place in one location and be organized in ways that tie them together better?

And that brings me to another area: mobile.  I’ve been keeping an eye on the developments associated with new phones from companies other than Apple, as well as speculation on where the next generation of iPhone will go, and I sense we’re about to see another watershed moment in the mobile world.  With a wave of the hand, literally, we’re going to see the experience on mobile devices shift dramatically.  Gestures and voice-operated controls could radically change how we interact with our devices, and the cloud means that every device is simply a conduit to an experience hosted on the Web.  Siri was a first step, and the “Minority Report” world is not far behind.

I consider a brainstorm to be an open discussion, and I’m curious what you’re all thinking about.  What are you brainstorming in your world?  Consider this a temperature check: Where do you see innovation popping up in the coming months?  What are the areas you predict will be addressed with new ideas and insights?

Where will someone show up who doesn’t take direction well?