Creativity, Problem Solving and Imagination: A Guide to Innovation - Essay Sample

Introduction

Creativity involves the production of innovative ideas and new insights, actions, or approaches. Conversely, innovation is more focused on more modern ways of changing creativity (Albu, 2017). Creativity is closely associated with two significant concepts, including problem solving and imagination. In an organization, creativity is the production of new views and the procedure of transforming the ideas into useful methods, services, or products (Johnson, 2010). Creativity is subjective and cannot be measured, it is more subjective since it is not possible to measure the mental capacity of an individual to generate new ideas. Equally, innovation is measurable since it entails implementing an idea to make it practical. Creativity is often associated with imagination, while innovation is related to the implementation of the imagined ideal. Therefore, an organization can utilize its innovation to actualize its creative ideas to plan for a sustainable solution and, in return, get a return for its investment. However, a significant number of people do not exploit their potential for creativity, lacking a transparent model to provide a conducive environment to imagine new concepts. The primary difference between the two concepts is the focus that a company has towards attaining a particular goal. This paper aims to highlight creativity and innovation in the context of IQOS (I Quit Ordinary Smoking). The paper gives more insight into how innovation and creativity relate as well as aspects that differ. The relationship between creativity and innovation is further discussed in both organizational and entrepreneurial perspectives. Before concluding the paper, examples of both organizational and individual creativity and innovation concerning IQOS are included.

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Japan is a heavy smoking country; however, statistics on the market volume of cigarettes has consistently decreased over the years. It is estimated that about 29% of adults are regular smokers, including 10% male and 31% female (Auer et.al, 2017). Philip Morris international positioned his company in the cigarette market as a disruptive insider to contest the existing status quo of the demand for cigarettes by providing a smoke-free alternative. Marlboro, the world's famous known cigarette significantly invested in research and development in areas of technology, science, and product development. Investing in experts to promote innovation is an indication that the company embraced changes.

Achieving a smoke-free culture globally, it requires a one o change the way of thinking through innovation and science. This is key to creating pace for product development. Once a company delves into innovation, it takes the creativity of the company to a new level more than cigarettes. Creativity gives a different touch to the business since moving to the technology sectors means that the company is hiring a different profile of professionals that includes marketers who feel comfortable talking about technology (Feenberg, 2010). The primary aim of Philip Morris was to ensure that out of its customers, about 30% who would continue smoking, at least an equivalent number would consider free-smoking products by 2025 (Etter, 2015) The primary aim of IQOS innovation was to create an electronically heated product that would heat and produce vapour that has nicotine, essentially avoiding the traditional burning of tobacco. These represent a shift in Philip Morris International brand from heat-not-burn technology from the ordinary burn cigarette.

Creativity and Innovation in Research and Development

Creativity is vital in the modern business environment to encourage new ideas. Nevertheless, creative ideas require an innovation process to make ideas actionable (Fazli et al., 2018). Hence, emphasizing on the significance of leveraging the ideas surrounding research and development, processes to initiate fresh revenue avenues and models. Creativity acts as a price for admission; however, it is the innovation that is more important in implementing the idea (Chalmers, 2009). The demand in IQOS product indicates there is a high demand for alternative forms of cigarettes, hence the duty of companies to invest in research and development to further innovate (Levy et.al, 2017). Innovations that get rid of the concerns related to the adverse effects of normal smoking. The success associated with IQOS is associated with over a decade of research and development on the reduction of the amount of risk associated with burning the traditional tobacco (Cialdini, 2009). PMI heavily invested in time and resources to ensure a reduction in the intake of harmful constituents found in the ordinary cigarette.

Innovation is a long process that requires time to explore and fully develop ideas. When an expert lives with a particular idea, it eventually becomes part of them. At the same time, they work on the idea of both mind and paper, demonstrating the idea in real-life situations (Bejan and Lorente, 2012). Conversely, time does not have a substantial influence on a solution. It is one thing to come up with an idea while it is completely different from designing and actualizing the idea. PMI invested about 430 scientists in research and development in Switzerland and about $3 Billion investment (Protano, 2016)

Creativity in Marketing IQOS

PMI markets its product IQOS as an alternative to smoking heated tobacco instead of burned tobacco. PMI markets the attributes of IQOS that include no fire or ash, a significant reduction in smell, use of the actual tobacco leaves, and the possibility of smoking in public (Kim, Lee and Paek, 2018). Moreover, IQOS is advantageous compared to the ordinary since it reduces the risk of chemical intake, which is more appealing with the current health trends in japan as well as globally. Emerging markets are a priority towards promoting the smokeless markets. However, cigarette companies have been criticized for emphasizing markets where a majority of the smocking population cannot afford it. PMI invests less in marketing IQOS in developing countries and invests more in IQOS. However, the next challenge the company might face is developing a safer product that people in developing nations.

PMI has involved various below the line advertisements in various countries away from conventional advertising to persuade customers to try the heated tobacco and its benefits compared to the burnt tobacco. These advertisements include social media campaigns, the use of key influencers, and sponsoring activities to interact with customers at an individual level. PMI has employed various forms to penetrate through the Canadian market due to existing bans as well as tobacco regulations. Strategies include launch events that allow marketers and customers to exchange the normal cigarette packets for IQOS devices (Schwartz et al., 2019). Further, they indicate the marketing tricks have made a substantial number of smokers aware of the IQOS. However, the Canadian government has not yet provided the adverse impacts of the new tobacco product.

Focus of Creativity

Primarily, the dominant factors include person, the process, product, and place. The person is central to the creative idea. An individual uses their knowledge and skills to develop the final product while each individual has their own ability to be creative. Creativity is a human characteristic, and intuition from the various branches of psychology plays a critical role in understanding the process of creativity in humans. It takes a considerable amount of effort and time for an individual to develop a 'good idea.' (Sternberg, 2006). Therefore, persistence and having the power to persuade are critical elements that a person must pose to enhance their personal preference or perspective on creativity.

Conversely, the product relates to the characteristics of the product and the procedures for its development. PMI research and development experts first established the problem in the consumption of burnt tobacco, which they wanted to solve. The skilled innovators often search on a specific problem that is a non-obvious hidden prerequisite before idealizing the idea. The product is the ultimate result of a creative process, which is the innovation (Aminullah, 2019). Often, the product is regarded as the outcome of the process as well as the individual. The usefulness and novel aspects of the product are approved by a team of experts in an organizational model. The place represents the environment as well as the climate where the person operates, and creativity takes place. Creativity may start from one individual; however, it would require a helpful environment that encourages more interaction with experts and experienced innovators in the industry (Ries, 2011). Organizational management and culture are critical in promoting creativity among its workers since the presence of rigid processes and stern performance targets might scare away creative ideas (Maeder and Peitsch, 2017).

Relationship Between Creativity and Innovation at IQOS

Several explanations have tried to elaborate on what IQOS does; however, none of the creative ideas are right. IQOS is not an acronym as many have assumed, but a brand name developed to mean innovation and changing technology together with advancement in science that represents a product with reduced risk. Creativity requires extra thinking skills that are critical and are applicable in any field. Supposing a person has some encouragement to perform a particular action, their performance will be technologically adequate when their expertise appropriate. Although the individual might have extraordinary skills, they will not be able to produce creative results when their imaginative skills are low (Botticchio and Vialle, 2009). The essential skills in creativity include cognitive ability, which is detrimental in having a newer perspective about a problem and the use of innovative technologies to implement the fresh cognitive pathways (Brauer, 2019). Creativity and innovation depend on each other, and they are both critical to the success of a business. They both point towards the concept of development; Philip Morris is a forward-thinking manager and has the capability to of new ideas and identify the connection between different things in the cigarette market (Leonardi, 2018). IQOS shows a great deal of innovation in the manner in which they execute the ideas to quality products of great value.

Conclusion

Creativity and innovation depend on each other, and they are both critical to the success of a business. Creativity and innovation are concepts that often keep appearing in a company's mission and vision. Definitely, the two concepts form the principles of the modern company and workplace. It is vital to emphasize emphasizing on leveraging the ideas surrounding research and development, processes to initiate fresh revenue avenues and models. PMI research and development experts first established the problem in the consumption of burnt tobacco, which they wanted to solve.

References

Hulme, David. (2019). AI and Ethics. Innovation Case Studies. Delivered at Goldsmiths University on 10 December 2019

Brauer, C. (2019). Creativity? Where Do Ideas Come from? Exploring Innovative Thinking. Delivered at Goldsmiths University on 01 October 2019.

Chalmers, D. (2009). The singularity: A philosophical analysis. Science fiction and philosophy: From time travel to superintelligence, 171-224.

Bejan, A., and Lorente, S. (May 1, 2012). "The S-Curves are Everywhere." ASME. Mechanical Engineering. May 2012; 134(05): 44-47. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2012-MAY-5

Albu, A. (2017). Fundamentals of innovation. Key Issues for Management of Innovative Projects, 3-24.

Cialdini, R. B. (2009). Influence: Science and practice (Vol...