INNOVATION CRUSH x2 PODCAST INTERVIEWS 2011 & 2017
Nicole Yershon - The Diamond in the Rough
As the former founding director the Ogilvy Labs, Nicole Yershon set new precedents in how companies connect with connect with culture. Equal parts brain and brawn, the multiple Cannes Gold Lion award winner has been referred to as "an irresistible force against immovable objects," a metaphor that simply translates into knowing how to get sh*t done. She is also now the author of Rough Diamond, a collection of personal philosophies and experiences that illuminate the innovator's path to success. On her second appearance on Innovation Crush, Nicole breaks down many of the methods to her madness, the personal hardships she's faced, and how she turned those hardships into even greater potential in her business. More at https://www.nicoleyershon.com/rough-diamond/
My First appearance on Innovation Crush
“Innovation to me is… new. Coming up with an idea and not being frightened of it.” – Nicole Yershon
Most times, when we stumble upon new technologies and ideas in the marketplace, we first think, “well who the hell in the world is going to use that?” Some are completely impractical (yet somehow fully funded!), others are way over our heads, and some hit the nail squarely on the head. In a world where technology is continually leapfrogging itself, it’s good to know that there are practitioners out there whose role it is to apply real-world scenarios to the exponential uses of the technology. Enter Nicole Yershon, head of Ogilvy & Mather’s Innovation Lab in the UK.
Ironically, Nicole does not refer to herself as an innovator. In her eyes, the innovators are the ones who are curing cancer and reducing the world’s impact on the environment. However this self-professed “irresistible force against immovable objects” is a Cannes-Lions Gold Lion award-winning marketer who for 13 years has gotten to play in a sandbox filled with social scientists, technology makers, and a gigantic portfolio of brands and partners.
On Innovation Crush, Yershon explains not only the end results of her work, but the rigorous processes by which her team at Ogilvy achieves them. At the end of the day, her team is either harnessing and expanding cultural phenomena, or creating it. And in a world where innovation is often seen as synonymous with technology, it’s refreshing to know that there are those out there who understand that true innovation is a result of looking at how all elements within cultural ecosystems work together. From internal operations to in-depth learning on new topics to an undying fight for an idea, therein lies the potential to develop and implement ideas that improve the ways we interact with each other, discover new interests, and stay connected to the things we care about.