How to Build Innovation into Your Organization’s DNA

At Coegi we have always strove to be at the forefront of innovation, including launching one of the first programmatic agencies in 2014, activating and measuring CTV campaigns in 2018 and programmatic DOOH in 2019 at scale, mapping the approach for the ‘cookieless future’ or a variety of other innovations over the last 10 years. At the beginning of 2023, Coegi also established a dedicated Innovation & Research department that will be responsible to ensure that we continue to lead in the areas of technology and digital marketing & strategy. I recently sat down with Ryan Green, Coegi’s SVP of Marketing & Innovation, to discuss how a successful practice of innovation can be achieved within organizations. This week’s Marketing Minutes is a transcript of our conversation.

Sean: So, Ryan. You’ve been at Coegi from the beginning. What do you think has contributed to a culture of innovation?

Ryan: Great question, Sean. I believe it has always started with being open to new ideas and creating an environment where everyone in the company feels comfortable sharing them, even the most unconventional ones. Oh, and I feel that embracing non-traditional hires has also kept things fresh and avoided those pesky echo chambers.

Sean: That makes sense. You know, I've noticed that some great ideas have come from newcomers. Why is that?

Ryan: Absolutely! Even now that we have a dedicated Innovation department, I expect that those new to the company will continue to bring in fresh perspectives. They will not be influenced by a "this is how we've always done it" mindset. Embracing diverse skill sets and backgrounds can really boost creativity.

Sean: So, let's say we've got this awesome idea. What's the first step to turn it into reality?

Ryan: Well, the spark of an innovative idea often starts informally, but then we need to put together a more formal brief. This helps us get input from different folks and evaluate the idea from multiple angles.

Sean: Ok, so how do we move that idea forward from just an idea to something that is actually going to be tested?

Ryan: Well, we have to set clear, data-driven goals and objectives. Plus, it's vital to have someone or a team dedicated to shepherding the idea from inception to a minimal viable product. They should be able to talk with people from different departments and gather feedback. The end goal is to create a proof of concept, check out the financial and market aspects, and get the green light from the decision-makers.

Sean: Quite the process! I know over the years a number of ideas and proposals have come across my desk. Once I have signed off what brings the idea to life?

Ryan: We usually start by finding the right subject matter expert or champion. Surprisingly, it's not always the person who came up with the idea. It can be a bit tricky to navigate, especially if the originator lacks experience with the tools needed for development. They are still involved but perhaps a consultative role, which is still very valuable.

Sean: And then once we've got a minimal viable product, what's the next step? How do we activate?

Ryan: We need to find beta opportunities to put it to the test. Sometimes, unforeseen problems might pop up, and we might need to re-evaluate. But hey, innovation takes time, and we shouldn't give up just because we don't see immediate results.

Sean: 100% agree. For example, I know we spent two years launching our influencer marketing product but the time spent was well worth it as we see the results of those programs today. Can you highlight some of the process that is gone through to get to that point?

Ryan: Sure! Thorough documentation, internal training, and killer marketing materials are essential. And since we might not have deep case studies at that stage, we should highlight the aspirational potential of the idea. And last, but not least, setting rollout goals to measure success that can be shared for future opportunities.

Sean: Awesome! It all sounds so simple but we know of course that it is not. Also, I believe that we have to be willing to embrace failure in the sense that we strive to always take away learnings and improve even when a project does not work out or yield the results expected.

Ryan: Absolutely! And you need to have persistence to see things through and give every project the opportunity to succeed.

Sean: So, to recap, we could say there is a 5-step process to build innovation within the organization’s DNA 1) The initial ideation stage where we need to encourage all members of the company to share their ideas 2) the evaluation stage in which the proposed ideas are vetted for viability 3) the development stage when subject matter experts are brought in to flesh out the concept 4) activation once a minimally viable product is achieved. And information gathering is key during this stage and finally 5) the rollout stage during which we focus on performance and developing case studies for future use applications.

Ryan: That about sums it up.

Sean: Thanks Ryan! Keep up the great work and leadership in driving innovation at Coegi. I am excited to share these insights in my newsletter!

All organizations can foster innovation and create a culture that encourages the exploration of new ideas. Remember, persistence and continuous experimentation are critical to finding successful innovations. Below is a infographic of the innovation process Ryan and I discussed and you can also check out a recent video that touched on this subject here. Thanks for reading!