Question

Topic: Strategy

Ideas To Promote The World Innovation Ranking

Posted by mf on 4/7/2009 at 1:25 PM ET 500 Points
PROCESOi, the company I manage is an innovation consultancy firm based in Spain. Last year we conducted a study along with Prof. Ramamoorthy of the University of Houston on the factors that influenced the innovation capacity of firms. It was really an innovative study that became the basis to launch the World Innovation Ranking and Benchmark (WIR).

The WIR is a great product as it responds to market needs. In the first place it helps Innovation Directors (a growing position in companies) measure where they stand in terms of innovation to later demonstrate progress. It also helps them detect where in their company they have the most innovative profiles (one of the dimensions we measure is employees’ brain preferences) and seek for specific actions/resources in other areas (for eg ask HR to improve practices that foster innovation)

It also helps Marketing Directors as a good score in this ranking could mean obtaining a certification of “World Innovative Company” and a lot of good press (some major publications confirmed their interest in publishing), as well as the possibility of using it in marketing campaigns to employees, clients and shareholders.

Our challenge is how to get to a large number of companies (we need to have 100 companies that signed up for the ranking before June 30th), considering PROCESOi is a small company with a great product and a small marketing budget, therefore we need to come up with B2B marketing ideas that will help us attain our goal.

The question is: how do we spread the word? Specifically we are looking for buzz campaigns, online innovation events... and those very simple (and difficult) ideas that cost nothing...

Please no generic answers... we are looking for very practical, down to earth tactics. This is a 500 pointer! And we will offer a free brain preference test to all those people whose answers we put in practice.

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RESPONSES

  • Posted by jplacroix on 4/7/2009 at 3:46 PM Accepted
    Mariana, there are a many social networking tools and approach you can use:

    Tool A: Social Networking as part of LinkedIn, Facebook, Plaxo, etc. These networks feature sub social networks such as Marketing Managers, Package Goods Marketers and Chief Marketing Officers. You can post a question with a link to the survey on some of these but be careful since some sites to not support survey links.

    Tool B: Create a quick video and post on facebook and invite others to comment. Identify the top firms who were listed last year in order to provide context.

    Tool C: The List Inc. is a paid membership ($4,500 U.S.) and on this list you have access to the top marketers in North America. Not a bad place to start.

    Tool D: Blogs, blogs and blogs. Not only create your blogs but respond to like minded individuals who share the same innovation passion. They can invite their clients to participate.

    There are many more opportunities such as Surveymonkey and other online research tools. It only takes time and dedication.

    Cheers
  • Posted on 4/7/2009 at 8:01 PM Accepted
    Mariana -

    I think Jean-Pierre has a number of great ideas for all that buzz. I would also consider TED(https://www.ted.com/). I would contact them and see if they would be interested in helping you out as they are all about innovation.

    They would be most interested in the measurement of employees' brain preference. They have a Tales of Innovation theme that you might be able to contribute to. They also give out TED prizes annually.

    They could be a partner for you and your award, or just a way to get your message out - I'd explore it and see what could come of it. Maybe they could put a link to your survey on their site.

    This might be a longer term strategy but everyone who is interested in innovation spends some time each week on their web site. It's your perfect target audience.

    Good luck. Sounds like you are onto something very interesting.

    Natalie
  • Posted on 4/8/2009 at 7:56 AM Accepted
    hi....
    the above ideas are really helpful and beautiful... apply all these systematically one by one

    1. Generate Media Information
    Generate Information and upload it everywhere and anywhere possible. Generate press releases and media content. Upload it on plenty of press release and news submission sites. Use proffessional tags, so whatever someone types your link must come in the front row.

    2. Social Networking Sites
    Make your Presence everywhere. Target Every genre in this. Target Different different sites according to demography. Targeting Younger generation you have be as smart as they are. Get them closer, offer them applications.
    Target different sites for eg: indians, brazilians prefer orkut over facebook. Other countries prefer myspace, facebook according to their likings.
    Use Twitter, LinkedIn, Ted, Marketingprofs, Mashable, different blogs to different targets. Wordpress offers great interlinked blogging options.

    3. Use video to show how you people do your Survey and searches.

    4. Use Public Relations.(Great Tool)

    5. Come up with a trade show.

    6. Contact Wire Agencies.

    Put up a direct link everywhere that connects to your World Innovation Ranking and Benchmark (WIR).. Go to people till every extent you can go. People will not come to you. Use images, videos, releases, graphics, templates, networkings, test, surveys, freebies. Now you are present everywhere. Start working with them for them and by them. As you have already given them applications, make them attracted to it and let them use it in the way they want. For some time only, to make them addicted. Ask them for the innovative ideas and teach them also. Everyday do something new on every digital platform. Then take the services back. Make your name heard with everyone.

    Only when you will do something innovative then only others will mark you beneficial to take their test. Spread awareness.

    Spreading Smiles :)
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 4/8/2009 at 10:15 AM Accepted
    It seems that you have two target markets: existing innovation directors and larger companies' HR departments.

    But before you launch your campaign, first focus on specifically why a company would care about your services/ranking. Do you have case studies that correlate innovation (in their field) to profitability or employee retention or employee effectiveness? If you're targeting existing innovation directors, they'll already know the connection so you'll only be trying to showcase why your company can specifically help them. If you're targeting generic companies, then you'll have to clearly delineate the cost/benefit of this.

    As for specific ways to get attention, start investigating existing LinkedIn groups (https://www.linkedin.com/groupsDirectory). This presumably is your target market: professionals already interested in innovation.

    If you can create a simple web form to allow people to quickly get a rough WIR ranking for their company, that would likewise be a natural offering (and ripe for follow-up).
  • Posted by mf on 4/9/2009 at 5:20 AM Author
    Dear colleagues,

    Thank you all so much for your very helpful and insightful responses. See simple things are usually hard to find. You can send me an email to marianaferrari@procesoi.com if you would like to take the brain preferences test for free! I would love to offer it to you for such great inputs...

    I will print all of your responses and prepare a campaign. If you want to follow up on what we did and which results we got, drop me an email as I would definitively give you the information and keep you up to date on how things turn out to be.

    Best wishes to all,

    Mariana
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