Want a fresh idea?
Brainstore in Biel and Sparks in Zurich sell ideas on demand
Brainstore in Biel and Sparks in Zurich sell ideas to orderBy Bruno AmstutzEven an abstract commodity like ideas can be marketed with the right strategy. The agencies Brainstore and Sparks deal with ideas and flashes of inspiration and developed a clever business idea for the business with ideas.
If his wife invests ten francs and fifteen minutes of her time, Mr. Meier will actually be in for a surprise this year when he opens his birthday present. That is, if Mrs. Meier does not buy another tie for her husband, but instead has a more original gift suggestion worked out during a flying visit to the Brainstore. The Biel Ideas Shop has been offering fresh ideas "over the counter" since 1997.
However, business with such small customers is only one side of Brainstore's business, because large companies such as Novartis, Migros, Coop, Crossair and General Motors also use the services of the think tank. Brainstore does not want to be perceived as an advertising agency. "We are not only focused on product marketing," says Nadja Schnetzler, co-founder of Brainstore, "we also develop ideas for logistical concepts, new services, teaching aids or Expo projects. In addition, we conduct market research and trend scouting." Brainstore's service also consists exclusively of brainstorming - the implementation is left to others.
In an initial "visioning phase," people from a wide variety of backgrounds are brought together for a brainstorming session: experts, laypeople, and trendsetters. Traditionally, young people are often among them. Under the name Dactis, the Brainstore founders have been running an agency for youth marketing since 1989, which preferred to bring advertising agencies and youth opinion leaders to the same table. Meanwhile, according to Nadja Schnetzler, Brainstore has a network of 2500 people with contacts throughout Europe and the USA.
The market is big enough for two companies
Rainer Holzinger and Umberto Pajarola, the founders of Sparks AG, based in Zurich, are pursuing a similar concept. They, too, use a network of young people as a creative tool. However, their "brain pool" is limited to around 100 people. Accordingly, the brainstorming sessions take place on a smaller scale. "If Brainstore is described as loud, big on media, show and action, Sparks would be more quiet, small and efficient," Rainer Holzinger tries to sum up the difference between the agencies, adding, "Both companies are creative in their own way, but they move at opposite ends of the spectrum."
Sparks has only been in existence since July 2000, but in six months it has acquired a substantial portfolio of clients: SF DRS, the Kunsthaus Zürich, Schering (Schweiz) AG, NET-VR AG, and the advertising agencies Publicis and Lowe Lintas GGK. "We knew Brainstore existed," Holzinger says, "but we were convinced that the market was big enough for two companies of this kind." In addition to developing ideas and original concepts, Sparks also offers clients quick and easy pretests and surveys, which can be an interesting addition, especially for advertising agencies.
Brainstore focuses on the one hand on speed and on the other hand on the quantity of the output. According to Nadja Schnetzler, while advertising agencies often have only three to four ideas as a basis for concepts, Brainstore creates a much larger pool of ideas. A fast output of the brainstorming is also part of the methodology at Brainstore.
Fast decision-making also appreciated by large companies
In this respect, Ms. Meier serves as an exercise object: An idea has to be generated for her within a quarter of an hour. "This gives us inputs in the idea generation process," says Nadja Schnetzler. The private customers' low level of communicative know-how would have to be countered with the right questions in order to arrive at a meaningful briefing. "The process of conceptualization, visualization and quality control is played out in a very short time in these small projects," adds the idea broker. The financial reward for these efforts is rather symbolic, but this is outweighed by the experience gained.
Various large companies rely on this wealth of experience. Regular customers include the Federal Office of Public Health, Swiss Post and the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB). For example, the concept for the Gleis 7 youth card came from the think tank.
In any case, the concept of Brainstore and Sparks seems to be proving its worth and is increasingly successful: Brainstore now employs 35 people and achieved sales of 4 million Swiss francs in 2000.
If his wife invests ten francs and fifteen minutes of her time, Mr. Meier will actually be in for a surprise this year when he opens his birthday present. That is, if Mrs. Meier does not buy another tie for her husband, but instead has a more original gift suggestion worked out during a flying visit to the Brainstore. The Biel Ideas Shop has been offering fresh ideas "over the counter" since 1997.
However, business with such small customers is only one side of Brainstore's business, because large companies such as Novartis, Migros, Coop, Crossair and General Motors also use the services of the think tank. Brainstore does not want to be perceived as an advertising agency. "We are not only focused on product marketing," says Nadja Schnetzler, co-founder of Brainstore, "we also develop ideas for logistical concepts, new services, teaching aids or Expo projects. In addition, we conduct market research and trend scouting." Brainstore's service also consists exclusively of brainstorming - the implementation is left to others.
In an initial "visioning phase," people from a wide variety of backgrounds are brought together for a brainstorming session: experts, laypeople, and trendsetters. Traditionally, young people are often among them. Under the name Dactis, the Brainstore founders have been running an agency for youth marketing since 1989, which preferred to bring advertising agencies and youth opinion leaders to the same table. Meanwhile, according to Nadja Schnetzler, Brainstore has a network of 2500 people with contacts throughout Europe and the USA.
The market is big enough for two companies
Rainer Holzinger and Umberto Pajarola, the founders of Sparks AG, based in Zurich, are pursuing a similar concept. They, too, use a network of young people as a creative tool. However, their "brain pool" is limited to around 100 people. Accordingly, the brainstorming sessions take place on a smaller scale. "If Brainstore is described as loud, big on media, show and action, Sparks would be more quiet, small and efficient," Rainer Holzinger tries to sum up the difference between the agencies, adding, "Both companies are creative in their own way, but they move at opposite ends of the spectrum."
Sparks has only been in existence since July 2000, but in six months it has acquired a substantial portfolio of clients: SF DRS, the Kunsthaus Zürich, Schering (Schweiz) AG, NET-VR AG, and the advertising agencies Publicis and Lowe Lintas GGK. "We knew Brainstore existed," Holzinger says, "but we were convinced that the market was big enough for two companies of this kind." In addition to developing ideas and original concepts, Sparks also offers clients quick and easy pretests and surveys, which can be an interesting addition, especially for advertising agencies.
Brainstore focuses on the one hand on speed and on the other hand on the quantity of the output. According to Nadja Schnetzler, while advertising agencies often have only three to four ideas as a basis for concepts, Brainstore creates a much larger pool of ideas. A fast output of the brainstorming is also part of the methodology at Brainstore.
Fast decision-making also appreciated by large companies
In this respect, Ms. Meier serves as an exercise object: An idea has to be generated for her within a quarter of an hour. "This gives us inputs in the idea generation process," says Nadja Schnetzler. The private customers' low level of communicative know-how would have to be countered with the right questions in order to arrive at a meaningful briefing. "The process of conceptualization, visualization and quality control is played out in a very short time in these small projects," adds the idea broker. The financial reward for these efforts is rather symbolic, but this is outweighed by the experience gained.
Various large companies rely on this wealth of experience. Regular customers include the Federal Office of Public Health, Swiss Post and the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB). For example, the concept for the Gleis 7 youth card came from the think tank.
In any case, the concept of Brainstore and Sparks seems to be proving its worth and is increasingly successful: Brainstore now employs 35 people and achieved sales of 4 million Swiss francs in 2000.
