From co-creation and cultivation of a social community for ideas, to empowering an entire business to work on new product development, brands need to open up if they want to stay ahead of the innovation curve.
Diageo has a a three-pronged innovation strategy that aims to recruit new drinkers, engage current brand fans and disrupt the industry long-term.
By uniting marketing and innovation under the remit of global CMO Pedro Earp, AB InBev has cut development timelines from two years to just 36 days.
Brands are increasingly thinking outside the box with fresh ideas to bring teams together, but will a new focus on cross-functional innovation within these teams lead to a better response to consumer needs?
Marketing Week Explores: As brands strive to develop the next big innovation, the best strategy for success could be to collaborate with partners and search for ideas from across the entire organisation.
From disruptive startup hubs to closely integrated teams, brands are pioneering new models of innovation, but marketing’s influence is key to ensuring these fulfil genuine customer needs.
Rather than fighting against it, brands can use social and the power of crowds as a testing ground for new ideas.
The company behind Mr Kipling and Bisto succeeded in turning around the fortunes of many of its brands thanks to strong agency relationships and a new strategy focused on creativity, innovation and consumers.
Tom Fishburne is founder of Marketoon Studios. Follow his work at marketoonist.com or on Twitter @tomfishburne See more of the Marketoonist here
Despite growing concerns of the impact a no deal Brexit could have on consumer spending, Pernod Ricard believes people will continue to pay for more expensive spirits as they look to drink “less but better”.
With an estimated 1.3 million regular users of CBD in the UK, more brands than ever are infusing products with the extract. But with a complex regulatory environment and drug connotations, how can marketers make the most of this craze?
McCain says its focus on diversity has had a real impact on the business, not just on brand perceptions but also its internal make-up.
Innovation and privacy clearly have a deeply troubled relationship, but marketers should remember that the best marketing will always be about simplicity and universality.
Gillette Labs will focus on attracting smart tech enthusiasts as the brand looks to engage younger consumers through a new purpose and different routes to market.
‘Agile’ looms large among the buzzwords of the moment- and with (mostly) good reason.
Birds Eye is launching a £2m marketing push on its recently launched range of meat-free burgers, sausages and meatballs as it looks to broaden the appeal of meat alternatives among families.
It’s all very well being differentiated, disruptive and revolutionary, but if your main competitor makes a meaningful improvement, your brand will drop behind if you don’t follow suit.
The Cannes Lions festival featured endless ill-informed speculation about 5G mobile networks, all rendered pointless by Mark Ritson’s wondrous new invention – 9G.
The world’s largest consumer brands are sharpening their portfolios, culling unprofitable ranges to free up investment for experimentation and to capitalise on the latest trends.
‘Queen of shops’ Mary Portas believes retail is entering an exciting period where innovation is key and the future of the high street depends on community, connections and removing ‘friction’.
Led by marketer Rachel Eyre, the Future Brands team is looking to bring the best challenger brands into Sainsbury’s and solidify the supermarket’s reputation for innovation in the process.
Cadbury has invested in product innovations and core lines, helping it raise sales, awareness and purchase intent and earning it a shortlisting for Marketing Week Masters Brand of the Year, powered by YouGov.
Steve Jobs built Apple’s brand on simple design and a sparing product line-up, but now its portfolio is a mess of wires and product variants that make Microsoft look like the cooler brand.
