Motivational Speaker

Motivational Speaker

Follow the other hand to become more innovative

Andy Cohen, a marketing consultant and professional magician who also teaches a course on marketing and branding at NYU, has written a new book on innovation that uses magic as a metaphor for understanding how companies can become more creative and innovative. The premise of Follow the Other Hand is certainly an intriguing one - that companies can become more innovative by learning to think like magicians. (As an added bonus, readers of the book will learn a few magic tricks that can be used to impress their clients and colleagues at meetings and corporate events)

Building on his experience both as a professional magician and a marketing consultant, Andy has already helped a number of FORTUNE 500 companies think differently about branding, marketing, and business strategy. Previous attendees of his "Marketing Magic" course at NYU have included employees of HSBC, American Express, Nestle and L'Oreal.

Anyway, Follow the Other Hand tells the story of how a family-owned olive oil importing business learned to become more competitive and innovative:

"Jonathan West's family-owned olive oil importing business is getting drained by competition on all sides and suffering from stale ideas and execution. But after he reluctantly visits a magician, Jonathan learns not just stage magic tricks, but business lessons that enable him to transform his operation.
By following Jonathan and his team on their journey, business people from entrepreneurs to entry-level through middle-management to CEOs will profit from these Magic Lessons, which demonstrate in a uniquely impressive and memorable way five key actionable behavior changes that will immediately help an organization or enterprise grow. And they are all fun tricks that will not only amaze one's associates, but help everyone think innovatively about their jobs.
Each lesson teaches a trick that both informs and entertains, and will mystify friends and associates. A bonus inserted card-trick wraps the lessons of Magic Lessons into an unforgettable conclusion."

For more information on the "Marketing Magic" course at NYU, click here: "Marketing Magic" is a seven-part evening class at NYU on thinking differently and generating innovative business solutions in branding, marketing and customer relationship management. The course includes case histories from GM, Nike, Starbucks and M&Ms."

Also. if you check out the Follow the Other Hand website, you can watch a commercial for the book that aired on CNBC.