How will you overcome the biggest challenges facing your business today? How will you identify your next product or pursue the the most lucrative opportunities? With Kindling, you can establish challenges and opportunities as Campaigns that guide your organization towards a desired outcome.
Campaigns are a great way to engage participants in innovating around a particular initiative. Like Kindling Categories, Campaigns are used for organizing ideas, however, they differ in that they are time-limited, with a specific start and end date. Campaigns provide structure for quick bursts of activity and fast follow-through on ideas. Because of the speed with which Campaigns happen, getting things right every step of the way is crucial. The following are some best practices for running a successful Campaign, one which generates enthusiasm among your users and gets you the rapid return on investment you’re looking for:
Get the timing right. Keep campaigns short to keep excitement high. Limiting Campaigns to a two-week time period gives users enough of a chance to innovate without the risk of creative energy petering out. Running Campaigns one-at-a-time enables participants to devote their time and creativity to that initiative alone.
Set clear goals and articulate them to your users. Ensure your objective is clear by establishing the proper context for your Campaign. Are you looking for an answer to a particular challenge your business is facing? Posing your Campaign as a question is sometimes the best way to elicit the response you’re looking for.
Use the Campaign description or a Kindling Post to let people know about your plans for the Campaign. Will there be 1 “winning” idea or multiple ideas approved? Will you moderate all ideas after the end date or as the Campaign progresses? What factors will most influence your decision making? Setting expectations right from the start will guide participants towards finding the best ideas for you.
Generate buzz around your Campaign. Launch your Campaign with a Kindling Post to motivate your employees. Use your existing company workflow to help spread the word. Mark a shared calendar with current Campaigns, or put out a call to action on your intranet or newsletter. Publicizing your campaign inside AND outside of Kindling ensures that everyone is in-the-know about your Campaign.
Choose the best Moderators for the job. Identify the people most passionate about the particular challenge, or who most need the outcome to be realized – they’ll welcome the opportunity for involvement. Then, work with your Moderators to develop a strategy around moderation. Participants who feel they’re being heard are more likely to keep contributing, so choose Moderators who’ll keep the feedback loop humming.
Designate experts from the get-go. Recognize that some ideas submitted may extend beyond the scope of your Moderators’ expertise. Having a team of experts at the ready gives Moderators the support they need and a clearer path towards assessing idea value and feasibility.
Throw in some added incentives. Prizes can help generate additional excitement about a Campaign and they don’t need to be monetary! Incentives like lunch with a company VIP or a callout in a newsletter are sometimes a more powerful motivator. You may even reward participants with the promise of more power in Kindling – like the opportunity to be a Moderator of the next Kindling Campaign!
Follow up and follow through. As a Campaign comes to a close, use a Kindling Post to thank people for participating. Then, once ideas have been moderated or implemented, take the opportunity to announce winning ideas and report back on the results of your Campaign. Following up on all ideas demonstrates your commitment to closing the loop and providing the reasoning behind your decisions. This will ensure continued energy for your efforts in Kindling and set the tone for your next fast-paced and engaging Campaign!