Frequently asked questions about 2thinknow, innovation agency.
Who are 2thinknow?
2ThinkNow are the world’s first innovation agency. We offer services to create innovation. For more details about us see the Company page.
2thinknow’s innovation programs have been mentioned in major news. Including in the Boston Globe, New York Times Freakonomics, Reuters, Entrepreneur, The Age, ABC Radio National, Fox, and others including a variety of local and regional news sources in a variety of languages.
What innovation services do 2ThinkNow offer?
The two major innovation services we offer include data: City Benchmarking Data™ and training: the Innovation Course™.
We also offer a range of custom innovation services with innovation analysis, innovation consulting and speaking services.
What types of innovation training do you offer?
The Innovation Course™ as a standard multi-day workshop for learning innovation skills. This is also available also in a wide variety of industry and job variations to suit you, with more details on the website here.
Do 2ThinkNow offer innovation consulting and what is the purpose?
Innovation Consulting Services by 2ThinkNow are currently available. Our consulting services can assist you in implementing innovation in your organization wherever you are in the world.
Where do you offer innovation services?
Globally. See our service locations or ask us.
When did 2ThinkNow start?
2ThinkNow brand was established in 2006 as an international arm of a successful data services company, established in 1999. Subsequently the parent brand was sold by our Executive Director, Christopher Hire. 2ThinkNow started research in 2005, with first sales made in 2007, and the full commercialisation process for our research commencing in 2010. Every year since our company has grown rapidly and acheived further publicity with the goal of creating a more innovative world.
What is your vision?
Our vision is a positive innovation economy in cities globally. This is what keeps the company growing and is our ultimate mission to spread the returns of innovation to organizations and cities. See more about our vision for innovation here.
Since when have 2ThinkNow been global?
We were ‘born global’. 2ThinkNow started offering a small range of data and analysis services overseas and in Australia in 2007. Our first Index launch was in Boston MA then Vienna, Austria. Since 2011, our company now offers most services in USA, Canada, Australia, NZ, UK, Europe and some of Asia.
Can I get a quote for any innovation services?
Yes, it’s simple — fill our our request for proposal form here or ask us to contact you.
How do you keep your prices low?
By designing processes for innovation, and using those processes to create superior outcomes for clients we can lower prices over time. We offer fixed service pricing for all innovation services, except any open-ended custom innovation consulting.
What languages do you deliver services in?
As an Australian-based company, we deliver services in English. Almost all of our staff speak or understand a range of languages from Asia and Europe. For training and events we also can provide an interpreter and translation at added cost for all countries.
City Benchmarking Data is provided in English only at this stage.
What about your website translations?
These are machine translations for your convenience. The quality relies largely on Google, Bing or other translations.
What is the easiest method to pay for 2ThinkNow innovation services?
The quickest method for service delivery is payment by credit card or Paypal. This allows instant approval of your services. There is a convenient summary here, and each product site has an FAQ. If you’re not sure please ask us
Why services for innovation?
Because innovation is the early-stage leader of business growth and healthy communities.
What is unique about our thinking on innovation?
2ThinkNow is in the unique position to give our clients detailed intelligence on business and community segments of urban and regional economies, from an innovation view. When we train, report or analyze for you as a client, we can tailor the output to your industry and key markets (not just ‘general concepts’). 2ThinkNow analysis allows us to tailor our approach to your industry, company and team members.
What are the 31 industry & community segments?
The 31 industry and community segments are a way of segmenting market performance and changes. Segments include Business, Commerce, Sports, Music, Arts, Mobility, Military and other segments centered around customer needs to be fulfilled by the business, government and NGO sectors of urban and regional economies. The 31 industry and community segments are listed here.
What is your Innovation Cities™ Index?
The Innovation Cities™ Index is a world-leading index of cities, that classifies cities for the innovation economy. Our Index analysts rank the the top 100. The Innovation Cities™ Index is published by 2ThinkNow and our index is followed by over 63% of major cities worldwide. Unlike other rankings it is based around pre-indicators for an innovation economy.
Where has your Innovation Cities™ Program been mentioned?
The 2ThinkNow Innovation Cities™ Program has been featured in all major media — over 7,000 global articles, as well as academic journals in North America including Municipal World, and Public Sector Digest. And also quoted in a growing mix of academic papers. More at our dedicated Innovation Cities site: www.innovation-cities.com
I am a journalist, I would like a quote, story or interview. What’s the quick way to contact you?
Please contact us here via special email here, for a rapid response.
Do you collaborate with academics?
We sell to academic institutions. For all analysis reports and data we offer a maximum 20% discount for tenured professors, PhD students and libraries — see to order a copy of the Innovation Cities Analysis report.
Can you recommend any good innovation books?
Yes. We have set-up an innovation book store, full of innovation books and good reading. The innovation bookstore is fulfilled by Amazon for 2thinknow.
Are 2ThinkNow active in social media?
Yes. You can follow us @2thinknow on twitter or join our LinkedIn group. See our social media and RSS pages for more.
Are 2ThinkNow a social business?
2ThinkNow are an innovation agency. We use social means to grow our business, and we price our products fairly and affordably, so that we can have maximum impact in the innovation economy. We are a capitalist enterprise and support the growth of commercial innovation through trade — we are not a social enterprise per se.
What are your working hours?
Our office hours are 8.30 to 5.30 pm Australian EST. Our phones may be accessible outside these hours. For latest operating hours and offices details see here. We use some U.S. and European based services, but most of our work is done in Australia.
What does this mean?
This means if your in the North, we can work overnight your time, and provide answers for you next business day. Which is why we are so fast! Our Comms team can help out with any enquiries, receipts, email responses, urgent requests during Northern Hemisphere hours depending on our current workload of projects
What is the best way to get in touch?
Use the web form on any of our websites, these normally come through to our analysts within 15 minutes. To new customer enquiries our response time is 12-24 hours anywhere in the world, although we may take longer to gather ideas or information for a Proposal. So if we email or call you your prompt reply assists us in creating a Proposal for you.
How can I check my request has come through?
Look for a green success box below your submission. Very occasionally your computer browser may not complete the request properly. You should receive an email from us. Please send us a special email to follow-up if you are in any way unsure.
I sent a request via an online form, how long does it take for a response?
If you are requesting information form us normally 24-48 hours. If after 72 hours you have not received a response, please contact us via this special email — and our analysts will follow-up.
What languages do you use to communicate?
We prefer submissions in English, and answer in English. If you submit in another language, we will answer in English, and all our materials are in English. Our policy is to use English for all communications.
Is there any sort of requests you don’t respond to?
2ThinkNow analysts respond to all customer or prospective customer enquiries. We also respond to most other enquiries, except sales, unclear or overly general requests. Selling language (free, best ever, offer) may be flagged as spam, and may sometimes not be received.
We have some French and German reading skills, and very basic French or German writing skills.
Can I have files sent encrypted &/or other security measures?
Yes, this is available to customers.
Do you have a global network of connections?
Yes. We have been building global connections in over 100 cities since 2006.
How do you deliver your services?
Data services are delivered to your email, we can provide support via email, phone or video skype.
In-person services are delivered at your office or CBD location.
Do you video conference?
We do analyst briefings by video conference exclusively with platinum customers.
Are 2ThinkNow multicultural?
Yes. Few of us were born in the same-city! We embrace difference: different cultures, and understandings, as part of innovation.
When and where was 2ThinkNow set-up?
We were established in Melbourne August 2006.
Are you really the world’s first innovation agency?
Yes. We were established in August 2006, and believe we were the first to use the term.
How do 2ThinkNow add value?
Our proprietary innovation technology enables us to model successful change on a:
- Geo spatial analysis (Cities)
- Structural analysis (business/govt) and a
- Time analysis (Trends).
2ThinkNow are leaders in this field of innovation modelling and analysis. Our innovation models and services derive from this.
What innovation models do 2ThinkNow have?
Innovation models that range from in-use production models (e.g. Innovation Cities™ Framework, HI Loop) to beta prototypes (Change Trends) and experimental concepts.
What are 3 easy ways to leverage your innovation models?
1) Commissioning City Benchmarking Data™ or innovation analyst reports for comparing markets / cities.
2) A tailored Local Innovation Forum™ event or the Innovation Course™.
3) Innovation Consulting services for areas such as metric design or new processes, ideas and marketing.
Who are your product customers or service clients?
A mix of leading corporations, R&D firms, researchers, consultants, city governments, state government, national government, think tanks and others. See the client logo bars on each product site.
Do you have or seek investors?
To leverage our innovation models we seek the right professional fit for sponsorship, VCs and angel funding. See investors or contact us.
How do you create change?
We give people in business, government and community tools to create change.
Can I get a job with 2thinknow?
We recruit and train people, including interns. We will post any positions vacant here.
We are based in Melbourne, Australia.
What is your role in the innovation economy?
Programs creation for your use. We don’t tell you ‘what to change’, except in analysis recommendations related to change trends. We do however have general positive social change values as explained above.
Are there are any clients we won’t work for?
As a socially responsible company, 2ThinkNow avoid any client in adult services industry, gambling, privately destructive industries or any company program that continues to worsen the human condition in our view.
Is that subjective?
It has to be! We are not wowsers, and we are not against smoking and drinking. 2ThinkNow make an ethical decision not to service companies or programs that create poor social outcomes. Gambling is among the worst in this category, yet conversely we have no blanket issue with alcohol, oil, firearms or tobacco as a concept. So decisions are case by case.
Do you have an environmental and equal opportunity policies?
Yes.
What is your unique advantage?
Proprietary innovation models and tools which include the HI loop, change behaviors, trend analysis and the Innovation Cities™ Framework. These are both predictive and supportive of creating successful change.
When was the company established?
1999 for the trading company. 2ThinkNow was established 2006 as a brand.
Who is your Executive Director?
Christopher Hire, an analyst/presenter from government and business.
How do you compete with large consulting firms on large projects?
We sell defined products and services such as City Benchmarking Data™ or the Innovation Course™. We believe in knowledge transfer to our clients, and are priced significantly lower than large firms.
Will you give us data, reports etc for free?
Ahem. No. If you want them for free spend the tens of thousands of hours and many more dollars to create models, data points and case studies. Do not ask us. Not even nicely.
We are not funded by universities, government or charity. (It’s a bit of a gripe, when people ask for data for free!)
But isn’t everything free on the internet?
No. It’s subsidized by adverts (like T.V.) or paid for because someone is promoting a specific agenda. Often there is a hidden cost. We standardise all our data and spend thousands of hours discussing and designing solutions to data problems. Being independent in our analysis, and having a thorough process, means you can trust our data is not influenced by our customers or anyone else.
If it’s free — it’s not free, and perhaps not well thought out.
I received a blocked message in my country for one of your websites?
This may be a government firewall (e.g some mid-East countries, Africa) directed at Western companies, or possibly our location security web IP filters which protect our customers.
I have another question not asked here, can you help?
Well congratulations on reaching the end of the FAQ! Virtual cake! There are all the product FAQs… or you can just ask us.