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The most popular post I’ve written to date is a review of prediction market software. Today’s post is going to be the same, but for idea/innovation software (henceforth referred to as innovation software). Trying to even find and identify all the different types of innovation software is difficult because of the different ways people and companies think about innovation. Prediction markets are straightforward; they’re futures markets, so the software is largely the interface between the user and the order book on the database. That is not at all so for innovation software. Different people think about innovation in different ways, which I referred to in a previous post. The list below is likely not complete, but I believe it does pick up the major players.

Sites that serve as a comprehensive and reliable filter of information on a topic will be read, but they’ll always have to compete with other fast-paced news publishers. To aggregate information is incredibly easy. To process, analyze and situate it within a big picture context while offering an intriguing/unique perspective is considerably more difficult. Those who can do so will be trusted: they are a valuable knowledge asset for any reader. Detailed, unique content immediately stands out on its own, even without extensive  marketing efforts. People don’t just want to be informed, they want to better grasp a topic in all its nuances. The joy of consumption lies not only in the skimming of a news story but the processing of new perspectives to enrich a personal worldview or professional need.

Ryan doesn’t believe in them. He thinks bloggers should do series posts instead. In fact, he doubts ebooks have much of a future.

For the customer, with a member site you get not just words and pictures but video, audio, discussion, web conferencing, chat, and maybe tools and utilities also. An ebook is capable of more than words and pictures but rarely is.

So good news overall. We’re getting much better tools and more interest, while we can continue to experiment and learn. But with increasing competition, we’ll have to work even harder to deserve and retain reader attention through relevant quality content. Do you agree, or better, disagree? I’d love to hear from you on your views where (business) blogging is going.

The Charlie Rose show began a new series on the future of newspapers. The series focuses on how the web is and other new technologies have caused a great shift in the media landscape. Newspapers are struggling to adapt. Overall revenues have fallen three years in a row. These numbers could reach double digits this year. Many advertisers have fled print for the web. Joining him are Robert Thomson, managing editor of The Wall Street Journal, Mort Zuckerman, owner and publisher of the New York Daily News and the editor in chief of U.S. News & World Report, and Walter Isaacson, president and CEO of the Aspen Institute.

Every senior executive knows that business decisions are seldom better than the information behind them. Yet although it is usually lower-level employees who interact directly with the customer, decision makers rarely ask them how, for example, new products will fare. Leaders therefore deprive themselves of information that could enrich their analysis and reduce the risk of ivory tower decision making. Some executives understand that valuable information lies scattered around the organization but don’t know how to retrieve it. Others don’t even try, perhaps for hierarchical reasons or because they suspect they might get answers colored by the desire to second their real or assumed viewpoint.

Perry shared many lessons learned, and chose to focus people’s attention on the pitfalls of PMs (in addition to their power). Implementation can take a long time. It’s a change management process. Asking the wrong questions can be a killer, but often the right questions emerge after trading begins. Poor incentive structures is the #1 killer, according to Perry. Don’t suppress the reputational incentives associated with PMs. Be explicit and transparent about how traders will be compensated.

Today, MarketingSherpa released the 2008 edition of its Email Marketing Benchmark Guide. According to the press release: "the updated guide delivers exclusive results data from real-life marketers' campaigns. Containing 260-charts and tables, this is the largest and most comprehensive study ever conducted with professional email marketers. Readers will learn how the impact of email marketing has changed over the past year and how to overcome various future challenges of email marketing."

As Doc Searls once said, “There is no market for messages.”  This is a hub between the company and its customers. It’s the new customer service, fusing marcom, PR and customer relations, all in one department.