So, Who Should Control Innovaiton

So, Who Should Control Innovation? Published by Anthony J James LinkedIn Agency Publisher of the Year, APAC

July 1, 2016 @ajinnovator | au.linkedin.com/in/ajjames

+So, Who Should Control Innovation?

5 years ago, the press were triumphantly declaring the victory of marketing over control of social media for brands. Social tools, it was noted, were essential to improving customer experiences and customer service, and custodianship needed to be moved from IT divisions to the communication experts in marketing.

Whether this was:

1.  true, and/or

2.  a good idea

...is up for debate.

Not For Commercial Use Originally Published on LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/ajjames


Now the truism is to say that social belongs to every aspect of business and should not be so heavily controlled by marketing. Indeed the 'poor performance' of social presences for some brands could in part be attributed to gimmicky, artificial campaigns rather than genuine engagement, facilitating streamlined business practice.


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...social belongs to every aspect of business and should not be so heavily

controlled by marketing... Not For Commercial Use Originally Published on LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/ajjames


Right now we're beginning to see history repeat itself for business innovation strategy. While it's certainly true that marketing as a sector is ripe for disruption, and could well benefit from facilitating innovation development, giving marketing divisions total control of innovation for a brand is tantamount to starting a toy store on an iceberg. It might look pretty and eclectic, but it's not selling anything and it just might sink.

Much like social media, innovation can be deployed in a manner that helps change audience behaviours and improves business productivity. But it needs to be handled carefully. And setting the agenda for innovation development should happen across the firm, not just in marketing domains. While the outcomes of innovation may help drive sales or grow a business, the effectiveness of innovation in firms is dependent on practical, thorough stakeholder engagement.


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...setting the agenda for innovation development should happen across the

firm, not just in marketing domains... Not For Commercial Use Originally Published on LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/ajjames


As such, control of innovation development in firms probably needs to sit between operations and strategy management, rather than in marketing divisions. It helps to be able to see things through a marketing lens, but locating innovation facilitation entirely within marketing could blind a firm to the opportunities for process improvement throughout the organisation, and render innovation initiatives as jejune gimmickry.



Brands have an opportunity now, at the birth of the business innovation revolution, to be forward-thinking in their approach to facilitating innovation. Now is not the time to assume that marketing have all the answers. What's needed is education across senior management on the process of incubating innovation, the advantages of 'fast failure', and the sustainability of an agile business.


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I am a C-level, global sales and marketing executive specialising in creative, digital ecosystems, digital transformation, growth strategies and innovative B2B and B2C solutions focussed on

growth. I have been a professional in this space for over a quarter of a century.

My experience extends across most of the major brands, retailers and digital platforms in Asia Pacific, Middle East and Europe plus high-growth emerging markets.

Connect with me today on LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/ajjames

Agency Publisher of the Year Asia Pacific

2015-16

Leadership & Management

So, Who Should Control Innovaiton