Innovation is no longer Innovative

Its official the word 'innovative', along with 'unique' and possibly 'green' have become some of the most over used B2B marketing adjectives.  If this is in fact becoming the case, what has contributed to it and honestly can anything substantial be done to fix it in the future.  Everyday we see the birth and death of words and phrases from our common lexicon, and far brighter and educated individuals can explain the vagaries of why we still use 'uncouth' and not 'couth' or how 'cool' became a measure of style over relative temperature.  What is of interest to the tribe of marketing is when has a word, phrase or expression met or passed its sell by date?  Curiously, in the B2C camp of marketing this is far more vitriolic and cut throat topic, having brands rise and fall over a change in phraseology.  The fortunes of Nike in the late 80's with its then newly minted 'Just do it', is not quite capturing the same imaginative space with some of its newer brands, seeking edgier slogans such as 'nothing is impossible'.
 Generally, marketing/advertising/branding 101 theory implies one needs to reposition a campaign/message/brand when customers vote with their feet/eyes/dollars( and Yuan where the case maybe) for a fresher alternative.  However, in the B2B marketing world where quantitative project criteria tend to significantly outweigh emotional ones in buying decisions, many lean toward the product is the message and as such does not need the same marketing efforts as consumer goods.  In my limited opinion, this is a serious misunderstanding of the value of B2B Marketing's role and value.  Words need to reflect thoughts, ideas and ultimately feelings, that can convince, influence and persuade regardless the medium employed, or business sector engaged in.  What is essential is to continue to use well worn/tested words such as innovative, but to frame them in a fresher context.  For example, a statement like,  'this is the most innovative X bearing for Y application', is truly a noise inducing message, a kin to the face book equivalent of, 'i just fed kitty'! Rather, saying, 'X bearing has been producing Z savings/output/etc which is a truly innovative trend in today's bearing sector', might garner more business thought leadership.  While not totally digressing from the well worn one can see that business clients appetite for the regular, and mundane is rapidly diminishing along with the words used to express it.  If we as professional B2B marketers hope to affect change we need to constantly find points of truth and seek to experiment with the words we use to frame them, in order to entice, fascinate and delight our audience. 

US Politics North of the Border and its Global Effect

Whether ones political viewpoint is fundamentally Republican (conservative here in Canada) or Democratic (read Liberal in Canada) the burning business question North and South is what and whom will be good for jobs and business?  Having recently spent the better part of September in Las Vegas at the pre-eminent mining equipment tradeshow Minexpo, several interesting diferences from a marketing perspective dawned on me.  Namely, US media tends to  silo around a left or right wing world view, ala FOX for the right and MSBNC for the left.  Flipping between them as a Canadian I found the dialogue unidimensional and more troubling simplified in the extreme. This is a degree difference from the more layed back Canadian media that atleast on first pass pretends to be balanced in their perspectives.  Secondly, the direct split of business interests along party lines with almost all my U.S. business associates cleary in the Romney camp.  Given the historical benefits to Canadian business exports under past Republican administrations I must admit my personal leanings towards Romney as well, but the point of interest as an outsider and a marketing professional was the clear difference from visiting Mexican, Canadian, Russian and Korean business people I had a chance to discuss global trade and the impact of the upcoming US elections results on possible growth in the mining sector and trade in general. 
The most prevailing opinion amongst non American business people was that regardless of Left or Right leanings the need to reduce debt and stimulate real infrastructural spending was going to determine whether the US and global mineral markets would grow or shrink.  Given the recognition of most educated business people that there is a real need to expand the political debates in the US election and globally to really address the fundamental drivers of prosperity, increased production and cost containment.  As an outsider looking in I can only hope that US business will come together to focus attention on key issues and limit the highjacking of marketing and media channels for fruitless partisan point scoring in the ever connected world.