2007 innovation tracker

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Turn innovation into action

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uturethinks2007 Innovation Tracker

The Shit rom Creativity to Value



January 2007


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uturethink article: 2007 Innovation Tracker




Executive Summary:

Every year, we poll a group o executives rom around the world who are involved in innovation. In 2006,we launched our inaugural Innovation Tracker, and this year were ollowing up to see how perceptions

and perspectives on innovation have evolved.

In the 2007 Innovation Tracker, we learn that the conversation around innovation is getting more serious.

People are looking at innovation less in terms o creativity and more in terms o business needs and

delivering value. Innovation, in the end, is about delivering results.

But how does this happen? What enables organizations to do this? To create something that is new and

valuable ultimately requires that people set goals or creativity and dene innovation and its bounds. Ater

many years o loty aspirations around innovation, it seems the reality o itthat its easier to talk about

than to actually dois sinking in. Creativity and ideas are not enoughthey need to be structured, de-

ned, and directed in order to result in innovation.

Innovation remains elusive. Many organizations set out to become innovative without actu-

ally dening what innovation means or their business. We learn in the 2007 Tracker that

while innovation requires a number o key components, organizations need to dene what

innovation should accomplish or them.

People want leadership to be more committed to innovationthey need their leaders to

go beyond talking the talk and start walking the walk. Leaders need to empower their

workorce, and dedicate the time and resources necessary to creating a climate that osters

innovation or the long term.

Innovation doesnt happen in environments where ideas, creativity, and curiosity are not

ostered. People need a climate that enables them to innovate. Innovation is not just about

complex idea management sotware or new brainstorming methodologies, its about making

innovation part o the everyday.

People are araid to ail, and eel their leaders are too averse to risk. The Tracker uncovers

a distinct need to dene an acceptable level o risk in an organization, and create comort

around ailure as an acceptable and expected corollary to innovation.

Many people eel they dont have the time and the fexibility they need to innovate. Respon-dents are too busy with business as usual to even begin seriously thinking about new ideas

and innovations or their organizations.

Though creativity is less o a concern in this years Tracker than it was last year, people still

cite their organizations lack o creativity as a hurdle to innovation, and placed more cre-

ative people at the top o their Innovation Wish Lists.


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I. What Is Innovation, Anyway?

According to the 2007 Innovation Tracker, innovation is something newthat satisfes a needandchanges the way things are done.

Innovation remains top-o-mind or most organizations, yet its still an elusive topic that people have di-

culty dening. While this years respondents urnished a wide range o answers when asked to provide

a concise denition or innovation, a number o common themes did emerge. These key themes have

shited noticeably rom those that emerged last year:

> More respondents tied their denitions to addressing needs and generating value this time,

whereas people cited creativity more oten in last years survey.

> The tenor o the conversation is shiting away rom dening innovation by what it means to a more

serious denition o what it does.

>

We see a move away rom a personal denition o creativity toward a more organizational deni-tionthe scope o creativity is broadening rom one-o idea generation sessions to a more

sustainable methodology thats intended to deliver value. Creativity isnt an issue in and o itsel

rather, its a means to an end.

What is innovation? (% who mentioned the ollowing themes)* %change

Is new/unique +9.5%

Creates change/transorms

+9.3%

Is about ideas+8.8%

Addresses a need/Generates value**

+4%

Is about creativity -3%

0% 0% 20% 30% 40% 50%

* Some responses included more than one defnition or theme.

** Addresses a need/Generates value is phrased dierently in this years survey. Last years Tracker cited the theme Simplifes/Makes lie easier.

60%

2007

2006

70%


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Key Themes

Innovation is something new or unique.The ability to create something newwhether it be a new internal business process or a new product or

serviceis the rst thing that separates innovators rom the rest o the pack. A majority o the Trackers

respondents used the words new, novel, unique, or dierent to dene innovation.

Innovation creates change or transorms.

Innovation isnt just about introducing new thingsits about creating new things that also change the way

things work on a large scale. Compared to the 2006 Tracker, we saw a 9.3% increase in the number o

respondents who cited change as a crucial aspect o innovation.

Innovation is about ideas.

Ideas is mentioned in a number o contexts, and is most oten discussed as an aspect o innovation

rather than as a denition in and o itsel. The key is that people understand that ideas are the root o in-

novation, but are not innovations themselves. Ideas are developed, rened, and grown into other types o

innovation.

THEME1

THEME2

THEME3

[Innovation is] the development o a product, service, or process that advances a previ-

ous concept by an order o magnitude, is completely new, and/or creates demand or

markets or itsel.

[Innovation is] a unique, alternate, or new approach.

[Innovation is] all new ways or an organization to make money: this can be a new

product, a package, a business model, etc.

[Innovation is the] utilization o new ideas and ways o thinking in an eort to trans-

orm business with increased eciency and greater eectiveness or introduction o

new products and services to address changing customer needs.

[Innovation is] any non-destructive, purposeul change.

[Innovation is] an idea or a concept that dramatically changes peoples lives.

[Innovation is] harnessing new ideas, translating them into business opportunities and

successully implementing them to lead an industry trend.

[Innovation is] novel and unique ideas.

Innovation may exist at any phase o an idea rom its creation to its nal embodiment.


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Innovation addresses a need and generates value.

Innovation cannot just be about creativity and out-o-the-box ideas, because i these creative ideas ail to

ulll a distinct need or generate value in some way, they havent done anything to improve the status quoPeople are clearly beginning to dig deeper and analyze the roots o innovationthat which ullls a need

and generates value generally simplies or improves lie in some way.

THEME4

[Innovation is] being able to provide value to customers in a way that is unique and

rereshing.

[Innovation is] the advancement o thinking about a product, process, service, or mar-

ket that improves the value to those that interact with it.

[Innovation is] identiying an unmet need or desire and ullling it in a way that seems

obvious in retrospection.


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II. Who Are Todays Leading Innovators?

Apple and Google remain on top while YouTube, Nike, Samsung, and Toyota emerge as new entrantsin the Top 10. Top Innovators go beyond talkingabout innovation and continually generate results.

When asked to list todays leading innovators, respondents named 56 unique organizations, spanning

industries as diverse as banking, technology, consumer products, and pharmaceuticals. Respondents see

innovation in many dierent companies and understand that innovation is about more than Apples latest

iteration o the iPod. Some companies that respondents listed are known or consistently releasing game-

changing products, while others manage to ulll existing needs using new processes or by engaging in

new partnerships.

2006 2007

top 10Most Innovative Companies

Apple Apple

Google Google

Sony Toyota*

3M YouTube*

Microsot Microsot

JetBlue Starbucks

Starbucks Motorola

BMW Samsung*

Motorola Nike*

Target Sony

*new to list in 2007

Whos new? Toyota, YouTube, Samsung, and Nike rose into the top ten this year. How did they get here?

Because they, like the other companies in the Top 0, dont just talk about innovationthey get it done.

Getting it done o course translates into strong sales and success in market, which in turn generates press

and media attention, keeping these companies top-o-mind with consumers.

Innovation seems to be less about perception this year as it is about business growth. People are no

longer ooled by companies that simply talk about innovationthey actually expect companies to deliver

on their promises. Just look at Ford, or example. In 2006, the company launched an extensive media

campaign touting its abilities as a leading innovator and its commitment to innovation as the # priority.Yet no one actually saw innovative products coming o the Ford production line. Toyota, by contrast, just

does it. Its signature hybrid vehicle, the Prius, enjoyed robust sales in 2006 and remains in high demand

despite relaxing uel prices. Still, Toyota has yet to launch a single advertising campaign dedicated to the

Prius. Toyota rarely talks about innovation; it shows the world its denition o innovation with every vehicle

it makes.


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Toyota

As uel prices rose to record highs and the public became increasingly aware o the climate crisis

and global warming, Toyotas popularity surged on the strength o its lineup o uel-ecient vehicles.

Exceptional global sales (2006 revenues topped $68 billion USD) helped ignite the companys growth

to the point that it actually outsold American competitors and pushed past Daimler Chrysler to become

the worlds 3rd largest automaker. I it continues its ravenous growth, Toyota is slated to overtake Ford

(2005 revenue o $76.9 billion) and GM (2005 revenue o $92.6 billion) in the upcoming years to

become the worlds # automaker.

YouTube

Its smaller and younger than Toyota, but still among 2006s Top 0 Innovators. YouTube undamen-

tally changed the way we look at media-on-demand with its easy to navigate interace and its ability to

attract millions o unique web visitors each day. It also received a great deal o attention when it was

acquired by Google or $.65 billion. The Google acquisition suggested to the world that YouTube is a

orce that should not be ignored, and cemented its place in the Top 0.

Lets look at two o the new aces in the Top 0:


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And the Winner Is

When we asked Who was the top innovator o 2006? respondents were asked to name only one com-pany. In this case, the number and range o organizations listed shrunk dramatically. Only 7 unique

organizations were named in this section o the survey. Who took home the Gold? No surprises here:

Company % o Votes

Apple 55%

Who was the TOP innovator o 2006?Google 6%

YouTube 5%

Other 24%

We dug a little deeper and asked why respondents voted or the company they did. Respondents con-

rmed that innovation is about more than marketing, buzz, and perception. The three companies that

were named most otenApple, Google, and YouTubeare all known or bringing game-changing inno-

vations to market. They also innovate consistently, which keeps them resh in the eyes o customers and

top-o-mind when it comes to innovation. Heres what respondents who voted or Apple had to say about

their choice:

The [Apple] iPod required innovation on a number o dierent levels: a new kind o

relationship with music companies to sell their songs, a new business model or an

online store, and branding (expanding their whole innovation brand and creating the

i-ecosphere). In addition, they introduced new concepts in look and eel, and device

and sotware simplicity.

[Apple] keeps the consumers excited and delivers on their promises.

Apple goes beyond understanding the community it serves. Its products, content,

distribution, and interace strategies come rom a level o creative thinking that is truly

outside the box.

#1:

People are talking about what Apple has done in the businesses it has entered how it has shaped prod-

uct design, its iTunes business model, and its overall brand impact. Apple has created a distinct, almost

tangible connection with the public that exists simply because it consistently delivers on its promise tocombine technology, design, unctionality, and usability through the products, services, and experiences it

oers.


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We see a similar conversation rom those that voted or Google, the runner-up or Top Innovator o 2006.

The #3 company, YouTube, is another company that has truly changed the rules o an entire industry.

Consider the impact this small company has had on digital video distribution. Today, almost any kind o

video we want (news clips, home videos, viral ads, music videos, animation, amateur lm shorts) is avail-

able any time we want it. Its easy, ree, convenient, and wildly popular (YouTube receives an estimated

00 million hits per day). YouTube has created a community around video sharing. Users can tag clips

with keywords, rate clips, fag content that may be oensive or illegal, and leave comments and eedback

on clips.

The Top Innovators deliver

products and services that

satisy respondents denition

o innovationeach one isproviding something new that

satises a need and changes

the way things are done.

[Google oers] drastically new services to people that are relevant and change their

way o doing things.

[Google] encourages creativity in their employees and have the brand-name recognition

to launch a lot o dierent tools/products in dierent ways.

[Google] comes up with the most innovative and new products that consumers want

and enjoy. They are constantly changing their designs and eatures.

Google has come up with a number o innovative tools that has spawned a great num-

ber o innovative oerings.

[YouTube] came up with something new a new way o communication using videos.

[YouTube has had a] huge impact on media distribution on the web, rom small viral

level to corporate inringement.

YouTube has made it possible or anyone to become a celebrity instantly, and cut out

the necessity o a TV.

#2:

#3:


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III. Innovation and Your Organization

Aversion to risk, lack o creativity, and lack o proper leadership were cited as key barriers to innova-tion inside our respondents organizations. More creative people, better leadership, and more time to

work on innovation topped Innovation Wish Lists.

We asked two questions regarding innovation insideour respondents organizations:

Reason* % citing reason

Aversion to risk at the organizational level 2%

Lack o creativity 9%

Lack o leadership commitment 4%

Financial pressures and limitations 4%Diculty with change 4%

Absence o a ormal process 2%

Creative, unconventional thinking isnt valued 2%

Slow decision-making process 7%

Focus is on the short-term 7%

Employees arent ree to work on innovative projects 5%

Need* % citing needSmarter, more creative people 34%

New or more committed leadership 23%

More fexible time to work on innovation 20%

New structure with dedicated innovation teams 6%

Better communication through marketing/advertising 6%

Cross-unctional teams, more networking 4%

Increase in R&D spending 3%

More training, rewards, and incentives 3%

Better technological inrastructure 9%

Outside help and partnerships 9%

A better work environment 5%

A consistent, communicated strategy 5%

A denitive process or innovation 4%

What are the biggest hurdlesto

innovation in your company?

What holds your company backrom being innovative?

I money werent an object, whatare the top two things you wishyou had to help support yourinnovation eorts?

* Responses included more than one reason or need in some cases.


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Innovation Wish List

When we looked at respondents answers to both o the previous questions, we noticed our key needsemerge regarding innovation inside respondents organizations:

Committed, inspiring leadership

Smarter, more creative people

! Comort around taking risk

Time to work on innovation


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Committed, inspiring leadership

Innovation has been one o the most prominent

organizational imperatives in the past ew years.

CEOs in every industry rom automotive to phar-

maceuticals talked the talk, but our respondents

believe that ew actually did anything to support

innovation as a ormal initiative. Respondents

voiced a distinct need or committed, inspiring

leadership, with 4% citing a lack o committed

leadership as a barrier to innovation and 23%

listing new or more committed leadership on

their Innovation Wish List. Theres a great deal oinconsistency between what business leaders say

about innovation and what they actuallydo.

INSIDE A LEADING INNOVATOR:

To innovate successully, my

organization needs

The CEOs support. Leadership. No

one works to put everybody on the

same page.

Imaginative leaders who can

execute.

Senior management commitment;

[theres a] lack o a corporateattention span.

100

80

60

40

20

0

85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06

Apple Stock Price 19852007

Apple without Steve Jobs Steve Jobs as CEO

Apple CEO Steve Jobs is an inspiring leaderhe personally oversees innovation projects and is known

or driving his companys success. One need only look at Apple Inc.s stock perormance to see a no-

ticeable dierence between years when Jobs was CEO and years when he was not. During the 2-year

span o Jobs absence rom Apple (between 985 and 997), its stock price remained relatively fat.

Upon Jobs reappointment as CEO in 997, we see Apples stock price increasing consistently over

time, rising to its current price in the $80-90 range (as o 02.2007).

Google ounders Sergey Brin and Larry Page are young, committed, inspiring leaders who work along-side their engineers while shuttling new projects to launch. They both chose to pass up the role o CEO

in avor o more hands-on positions. Brin is Googles President o Technology and Page is the compa-

nys President o Products. They jointly recruited CEO Eric Schmidt in 200 to act as the companys

gurehead. All three are hands-on types who make themselves accessible to everyone in the organiza-

tion. Googles corporate hierarchy is virtually non-existentemployees work together in glass cubes,

eat together at the in-house ca, and enjoy an employee to manager ratio o 20: (the industry aver-

age is 7:). Google ocuses on a culture where all employees have ownership in the business.


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Smarter, more creative people

Many Tracker respondents voiced the need or

smarter, more creative people in their organiza-

tions. 9% o respondents cited lack o creativity

as a major hurdle to innovation and 34% placed

smarter, more creative people at the top o their

Innovation Wish Lists.

The perception is that successul, innovative com-

panies are ull o geniuses and creative thinkers.

While creativity is certainly an important aspect o

innovation, it is not necessarily the most impor-

tant aspect o innovation. People are capable o

thinking outside the box when theyre pushed to

do so, and when they have an environment that

osters creative thinking.

To innovate successully, my

organization needs...

Research and creative sta.

Creative minds and a strong

delivery team.

Open-minded and ree-thinking

management.

One o the biggest hurdles to

innovation in my orgnaization is...

Ability to think outside the box.

Unimaginative people who cannot

see or hear a new idea and cannot

execute.

[Our lack o] creativity and design

experience.

Toyota is known or its lineup o sae, ecient, reliable vehicles. Its not necessarily held as the most

creative company in the world, however. People recognize that Toyotas innovations go ar beyond

mere creativityToyota is amous or streamlining operations in order to maximize production capac-

ity at the lowest possible cost. Other organizations actually visit Toyotas acilities to study its setup and

learn the golden standards o operating eciency. Toyota also prides itsel on its team o engineers

and designers who are capable o working together to create the next generation o vehicles. Toyotas

strategy represents another key aspect o the companys strength as an innovator. As one respondent

put it, [Toyota] was ready or the publics realization that we need alternate energy or personal trans-

portation. Toyota was able to position itsel ahead o the curve by having a line o ultra-low-emissions

vehicles ready or sale during a time when global warming and alternative energy are top-o-mind orconsumers around the world.



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! Comort around taking risk

Aversion to risk was listed most requently as a

barrier to innovation inside respondents organiza-

tions2% cited this as a major roadblock.

Note that the companies our respondents think are

the most innovative are those that excel in balanc-

ing breakthrough innovations (more risky) with

more incremental product/service enhancements

(less risky).

One o the biggest hurdles to

innovation in my organization is...

Our management team is too risk

averse.

[A} lack o risk tolerance [and a]

corporate culture o confict to slow

down change.

The corporate culture and

management. Do they encourageand embrace breakthhrough ideas,

even when they are not popular?

The iPod was, at one time, a breakthroughbut even beore it took o, Apple was careul to maintain

a balance by constantly enhancing its lineup o computers, notebooks, and sotware. Today, Apple isnt

taking a huge risk every time it adds a eature or makes an enhancement to its already successul iPod

lineup. Changing the color o the products casing and increasing storage capacity are incremental im-provements that can be introduced to the market with little apprehension around the products sales.

Apple is, however, taking a signicantly larger risk in launching the upcoming iPhone, as this product

represents two years o top-secret development (and investment), and no one is entirely sure how the

product will are in an already crowded marketplace.

Motorola balanced the breakthrough release o the RAZR with smaller launches leading up to it the

V60, an iconic handset in its own right; the T720, one o the rst clamshell phones to sport a large,

bright, color screen; and numerous variations on push-to-talk phones. It then completely changed

the landscape o mobile handset design with the launch o the RAZR in 2004. The RAZR launch was abreakthroughMotorola designers broke a lot o rules when creating the nal product (the phone was

signicantly wider than the industry thought acceptable and the antenna was mounted in the bottom

o the phone) and Motorola only expected the phone to sell in limited numbers as a luxury item. The

RAZR soon became the best selling mobile handset in history and Motorola has since launched incre-

mental innovations with the SLVR, KRZR, RIZR, and many other devices.



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Time to work on innovation

When asked what they need to support innovation

eorts, over 9% o respondents listed time and

fexibility as key items on their Innovation Wish

Lists. The data shows a desire to explorere-

spondents use words like brainstorm, ideas,

reedom, and ree thinking a great deal in

their responses. They indicate that innovation is

about going beyond the day-to-day, but that they

dont have the time and resources to do so in their

current work environment.

When it comes to innovation

support, I want...

More ree time at work to explore.

Flexibility o time and resource to

spend on longer-term, business-

changing inititatives.

Increased time to research the

major issues in the eld.

Google is a shining example o a company that gives its employees the time they need to work on

innovation projects. Google mandates that employees spend 20% o their time on projects that have

nothing to do with their day-to-day work. These side projectsGooglettesare not just a matter o

un and games. The company has gone on to turn many Googlettes into successul productsGoogle

News, the social networking site orkut, and Google AdSense were all born as Googlettes.



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IV. What Makes a Company Innovative?

A climate that continually osters innovation is the number one attribute o an innovative companyleadership, ideas, and strategy are key to success.

We asked respondents to rank a list o attributes that make an organization innovative:

Attribute 2006 2007 Change

Ability to create a climate that continuously osters innovation 1

Ability to generate business-building ideas 6 2 +4

Creative thinkers 2 3

Having a clear innovation strategy that generates real results 9 4 +5

Excellent product/service design 3 5 2

Breakthrough ideas 5 6

Strong leadership 4 7 3

Constant product/service improvement 7 8

Process that helps identiy the most innovative ideas 8 9

A perceived wow actor 0 10

New products/services representing a healthy % o revenue 2 11 +

Excellent PR and marketing 12

Powerul brand name 3 13

For the second year in a row, the most important attribute o an innovative organization was the ability

to create a climate that continually osters innovation. A climate o innovation is what makes innovation

eorts sustainable, organic, and long-term. The Top Innovators such as Google, Apple, and Starbucks

willully and proactively cultivate a nourishing work environment or innovation. Usually, they end up being

the best places to worktheyre environments where people arent araid to take risks, where leadership

is inspiring and committed, and where a spirit o energy, curiosity, and optimism reigns. An organizations

climate is the oundation upon which innovation can be built and supported beyond the occasional brain-

storm.

Whats changed rom last year? According to Tracker respondents, along with a climate that osters in-

novation, organizations should ocus on generating a steady stream o innovative ideas. But innovation is

not just about ideas, its about ideas that generate results. Business-building ideas ranked higher in

this years Tracker (moving up our spots to #2) than breakthrough ideas (which ranked #6). Business-

building ideas are ones that help to balance a larger portolio o innovative ideas. As noted earlier, break-

through ideas are oten risky, and are also oten resource-intensive when it comes time to push an idea

rom concept to launch.


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We nd having a clear innovation strategy that gener-

ates real results next in our list, up 5 spots rom

last years Tracker. Many companies treat innovationas elusive and intangiblesomething that dees

denition. Leading innovators, however, innovate in

an intentional and deliberate ashion, and generate

results with an eye toward revenue, growth, and prot.

A clear strategy denes what innovation means in a

particular organization and goes beyond simply stat-

ing innovation as a vague business imperative. Every

organization should have a denitive statement not

only or what innovation is, but also or what innova-

tion will accomplish or them. An innovation strategy

provides a compass or eorts and helps to establish

which ideas will take your business in the direction it

needs to go.

I you dont have the ideas,

you get nowhere. I you

dont have the climate that

encourages people to come

up with these ideas, you are

nished.

2007 Innovation Tracker Respondent


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VI. Innovation 2007: Whats Next?

Your 2007 Innovation To-Do List

As you orge ahead in our eorts to innovate, you need to clear the conusion and set an example or oth-

ers to ollow. Innovation is a complex issue that requires strong support throughout an organization, but

regardless o where your organizations stands in its eorts, you can begin shaping the uture o innovation

or your organization. Whether or not youre in a leadership position, there are small steps you can take to

create impactul waves across your organization in the months ahead.

Your 2007 Innovation To-Do List

Get Leadership on Board. Obviously, innovation will go nowhere without management support. I

support is lacking, nd the leaders in your organization who are most likely to successully support

innovation, and begin an authentic dialog about innovation with them. Once youve opened up thechannels o communication, youll begin to see a more committed initiative take shape.

Dene It. What does innovation mean in your organization? Successul innovators clearly dene

what innovation means to them, and what it will do or their organizations. Can you dene innova-

tions impact on your business in a way thats meaningul to everyone in your organization?

Set Goals, Dene Parameters. Innovation can be risky business, theres no doubt about it. But

the best innovators have dened what an acceptable level o risk is or them, and they always bal-

ance big bets with incremental innovations. Initiate a dialogue with senior management and with

the rest o your team to arrive at denitive parameters regarding risk. Be a catalyst in your organi-

zation or removing the stigma rom ailure by understanding that every ailure is an opportunity

to learn, and every learning is an opportunity or innovation.

Foster Innovation. What needs to change in your organization to create a climate that better

osters innovation? Do you need more dedicated space or brainstorms and break-out sessions? A

library stocked with books and resources that will spur new ideas? Generate a list o small changes

you could actually implement over the next 2 months with regard to your work environment. Ask

your colleagues and leaders to do the same. Once youve compiled a master list, prioritize the

changes and see which ones you have the time and money to implement. Remember that even

small-scale changes can have a big impact in the long run.

Shake Things Up. Innovation isnt impossible just because youre not eeling particularly creative.

Innovation lies at the intersection o seemingly unrelated ideas. Reach out to employees in dier-

ent departments so you can share insights and learnings with one another. Reach out to inspiring

individuals outside your organization to uel thinking around new innovations in the marketplace.Set Yoursel Free. Request the reedom to innovate. Empower yoursel and those around you

with new resources and tools that will help you open up and generate new ideas. For example,

try a Ten at Ten rule: every day at 0:00am, take 0 minutes to do a quick brainstorm, scan a

new website, or do anything that takes you out o your day-to-day. Gradually increase the time you

spend on these activities, and integrate them into your routine as a natural part o your day.


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Recommended Tools and Services:

Based on the 2007 Tracker results, heres a ew uturethink tools and services that we recommend:

Climate Action Plan

Are you looking or innovation to become consistent and organic in your organization?

Get a step-by-step approach to build a climate o innovation. Youll discover real-lie

lessons rom the leading innovators, develop a customized plan or your business,

and arm yoursel with inormation and tools to get support or your eorts.

HotSpot: How to Take Smart vs. Stupid Risks

Companies looking to be innovative have a real challenge when it comes to building a

climate that is comortable with risk. The key is clearly setting boundaries or risk-tak-

ing and learning how to best unction within those boundaries. Learn how the leadinginnovators dene smart risks, crat a strategy or smart risk-taking in your organiza-

tion, and arm yoursel with inormation and tools to get support or your eorts.

Leading Innovation Training Lab

Executives hear theory about innovation at every turn, and they have woven it into

annual plans, but many are not clear what to do next. The Leading Innovation

Training Lab provides specic tools and best practices brought to lie with interactive

exercises that help move innovation rom theory into practice or your organization.

uturethink FieldtripTo get out o the box, you need to get out o the oce. Thats a rule or leading in-

novators. uturethink will guide your team on an invigorating innovation eldtrip in

New York City. The diverse array o innovative sites and experiences blended with

uturethinks insights and exercises will ignite resh thinking about current business

challenges.

For these and other ideas on how you canbetter innovate, visit us online atwww.getuturethink.com.


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About the Tracker

The 2007 Innovation Tracker probed the minds o a select group o over 50 senior business execu-tives who are involved in innovation eorts in their organizations. It is intended to monitor current

perceptions and thoughts around innovation: what it is, whos leading the charge, and what the key

actors are that drive its success.

Methodology

We asked participants to answer a series o questions around the topic o innovation. Questions were

both ranking-based (close-ended) and open-ended, and were designed to yield both quantitative and

qualitative responses. The study was conducted using an internet-based survey.

About uturethink About the Research Associates

uturethink helps companies move innovation

rom theory to practice. We oer research,

tools, and services to build innovation pro-

grams and skills. We provide a clear rame-

work or understanding innovation, and a clear

path or driving results.

The Research Associates is a strategic mar-

keting and consulting rm that specializes

in providing customer-centric, personalized,

adaptive and actionable marketing strate-

gies designed to grow businesses. We deliver

marketing research and planning services by

utilizing our proprietary methodologies or col-

lecting, monitoring, analyzing and reporting on

marketing related data and variables.






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Tools

Essentials Guides

Eg

Tools

Advanced Guides

AgTools

Idea Generation

Ig

Tools

Skill-Building

Sb

Tools

Program-Building

Pb

Tools

Cheat Sheets

Ch

Research

White Papers

Wp

Research

Innovator Interviews

Ii

Research

Resource Lists

Rl

Research

Video Webcasts

Vw

Research

Snapshots

Sn

Research

Case Studies

Cs

Research

Futurist Reports

Fr

Training

Workshops

Ws

Training

Fieldtrips

Ft

Training

Advisory Calls

Ac

Training

Keynotes

Kn

Research Membership

Access Research

The best way to keep your fnger on thepulse o innovation is with a uturethink

Research Membership. Youll get com-

plete access to hundreds o timely case

studies and resources so you can stay

on top and stay ahead.

Everything you need to innovate. All in one place.

Innovation is hard work. The good news is, weve done the work or you. With a

uturethink membership, you get an all-access pass to the world o innovation. For

details, visit getfuturethink.com/memberships or give us a call at (+1) 646-257-5736.

Premium Membership

Access Research + Tools

Whether youre starting an innovationeort, or looking or better results rom

the one you already have, you need a

uturethink Premium Membership. In

addition to Research, our Tools address

all the topics you need or a winning

innovation program.

Advisor Membership

Access Research + Tools + Training

This is your ultimate innovation resource:In addition to Research and Tools, you

receive unmetered access to uturethink

experts, and generous discounts on other

services like workshops, feldtrips, and

keynotes.

T U R N I N N O V A T I O N I N T O A C T I O N . | F U T U R E T H I N K L L C | 2 0 0 5 - 0 8 R E P R O D U C T I O N P R O H I B I T E D

2 4 2 W E S T 3 0 T H S T R E E T N E W Y O R K N Y 1 0 0 0 1 | W W W . G E T F U T U R E T H I N K . C O M

2007 innovation tracker

Documents