Saluting inter national ist’s 2007 Agency Innovators
inter national ist’s second annual focus on Agency Innovators reveals that breakthrough thinking in the international marketing arena has few boundaries. Innovation is not limited by geography, age or one’s position in a company. From the diversity of ideas presented by these 24 Innovators — who were nominated by their peers — and some of their colleagues from 2006, a number of trends emerge:
• Innovation is crucial to success today.
• Developing talent to think innovatively is essential to any organization.
• Our digital era is fueling many new challenges and inspiring solutions.
• There can be no breakthroughs without risk taking.
According to a survey report released this year by Weber Shandwick and KRC Research, called The Changing Face of Marketing and Communications in Today’s Creativity Economy, the notion of innovation has moved “from corporate buzzword to business imperative.”
Nearly 60 percent of respondents said their companies are shifting marketing and advertising expenditures to enhance the way they think and talk about their company, not just their products. Furthermore, nearly 80 percent of those surveyed expect tighter collaboration between product development and marketing in the innovation leadership race.
As the role of innovation evolves, marketing and communications will play a greater role in a company’s success more than ever before. Already, 68 percent of senior executives report that they’re expanding their communications strategy.
And inter national ist knows dozens of Innovators who can make that happen.
