Glossary
Activate - The third phase of any Cloverleaf project, in which the multi-disciplinary team considers consumer insights, strategic objectives, brand opportunities, and realities of the marketplace in the development of a highly actionable brand/product/service strategy.
Brand - A unique promise to the consumer that the branded product/service will achieve or help them achieve a particular goal, dream or aspiration. A brand exists in the hearts and minds of consumers. The culmination of all brand impressions help to define the consumer's perception.
Brand Equity - The inherent value of a brand.
CoLab™ (Collaborative Optimization Laboratory) - A proprietary research process that provides deep qualitative consumer feedback on newly created innovation concepts. A team of Cloverleaf experts delivers real-time iterative design/copy refinements optimizing the concepts saving time and money.
Collaboration - The act of working together with one or more people in order to achieve something.
Collaboratory™ - An on-line, virtual workspace, where Cloverleaf clients and partners can share in the innovation process: output of the Envision Workshop, reviewing sketches, early hypotheses random thoughts and work-in-progress.
Commoditization - The negative affect of commodity or private label products infiltrating a market or category causing price erosion of branded products.
Copyright - The right of copyright gives protection to the originator of material to prevent use without express permission or acknowledgement of the originator.
Corporate Takeover - A specific innovation technique where corporate brands are used as a vehicle to collide two or more disparate perspectives, ideas or thoughts together to deliver unexpected, yet opportune innovation solutions and opportunities.
Data mining - Synthesizing research data using a new filter or perspective to identify fresh new thinking and insights.
Envision Workshop - A facilitated 1-, 2- or 3-day multi-sensory innovation session that brings together a diverse team of experts to ideate a full range of strategic and creative product, brand and/or service solutions.
Ethnography - A research methodology evolved from social sciences that is used to study the behaviors of subjects in context and in their natural surroundings.
Forced Perspective - An overarching innovation strategy used to collide disparate perspectives, ideas or thoughts together to deliver unexpected, yet opportune innovation solutions and opportunities.
Ideator - One who is trained in the art and science of brainstorming to deliver sudden, exciting and relevant ideas.
Innovator - One who is trained in the art and science of brainstorming to deliver sudden, exciting relevant ideas.
Innovation - The act or process of inventing or introducing something new. Leveraging insights into consumer needs to develop fresh thinking and unique solutions that create meaningful distinctions in brands, products and services, and enhances the consumer/end user's experience.
Integrated Innovation - A holistic approach to innovating products, brands and services by exploring a wide variety of opportunities from every aspect of the marketing mix.
Look/Listen/Learn - An early exploratory phase of the Cloverleaf process, where preconceptions about the scope and direction of the project are defined, a historical perspective is shared, a competitive briefing is conducted, existing research data is synthesized so a solid foundation of understanding can be attained.
Name - An ownable word or descriptor that is trademarked for a product or service.
Nexus - A 12-point technique used to focus collective thinking and intuitively evaluate innovation concepts by applying the necessary reality filters.
Nomenclature - Naming of a product, brand or service.
Perceptual Equity - A consumer's attitude, understanding or thoughts associated with a brand based on what is observed or thought.
Photosynthesis™ - A research process which combines traditional qualitative dialogue with the use of visual stimuli to elicit deep understanding of brand perceptions by helping consumers to articulate their thoughts, beliefs and feelings through images as well as words.
Qual/Quant Research - A hybrid of qualitative and quantitative research used for validation of innovation concepts to garner quantitative data in combination with qualitative insights.
Renovation - The act or process of re-inventing or revitalizing a brand, product or service to give it a fresh look, feel or position in the mind of the consumer/end-user.
Repositioning - Taking an existing product or brand and changing the way it is situated in the mind of the target consumer/end-user.
Revitalization Programs - Significant branding, product or service programs that include giving a fresh, new image and carrying it through to all visual communications.
Service Mark - A service that has been registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) for trademark status and is legally reserved for exclusive use by the owner.
Tenets of Innovation - The Tenets of Innovation reflect an innovation philosophy based upon researching the key attributes and behaviors used by the most successful companies and individuals that have developed the most revolutionary new products, brands services, over the past decade.
Think Partner - A trans-disciplinary expert who collaborates with clients on innovation opportunities.
Trade Dress - A design or mark that has been registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) for trade dress status and is legally reserved for exclusive use by the owner.
Trademark - A product name or brand that has been registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) for trademark status and is legally reserved for exclusive use by the owner.
Trans-Disciplinary - A natural ability to have skills across multiple fields of activities, for example, academic subjects.
TrendShare™ - A methodology used to synthesize and report on emerging trends based on input from global trend spotters, expert panels, trend experts and trend services.
Triple Triad - A research format where three sets of three consumer groups are brought together for specialized insights using research techniques and insights.
Validation - To garner feedback from consumers or end-users to verify a product or service concept is viable.
Visual Communications - Any marketing-related communication that visually depicts a brand (e.g. print/broadcast advertising, collateral, direct mail, promotional materials, packaging, merchandising, fleet graphics, uniforms, business papers, signing, etc.).
Visual Diary - An ethnographic research technique where consumers are given diaries to record details around specific events or occasions for analysis.
Visual Equities - A consumer's attitude, understanding or thoughts associated with a brand's visual assets (logo, color, typeface, illustration, etc.) based on what is observed or thought.
Visual Language - Photographs, images, textures, materials, typography, illustrations, etc. used to help communicate the essence of a brand, product or service in a visual way.