By: Tawanda Carlton, PR Account Executive

Earlier this month, our agency held our signature event PR Reimagined where our theme focused on how brands, agencies and organizations are mastering storytelling through disruption. Prior to our panel discussion, I spoke with some of the attendees and asked what disruption and innovation meant, and looked like, to them. Their responses were comprised of amazing and grandiose ideas that made me wonder, “Does innovation have to be a major undertaking to truly make a difference?”

No. Not always.

Through their conversation, I also pondered the how and what – how does innovation start to take shape? Who within a company helps move the needle to become more innovative?

This brought me to an important realization: Innovation starts with the company and their culture.

I recognized I knew these answers all along as I’ve found – through working with some of our clients –  true innovation starts with having a creative mind and the courage to want to change. Whether it’s a business creating a new app to help other companies screen employees using biometric technology, or creating a platform that allows institutions to become change agents for social good through giving, innovation takes place when it’s at the root of a company’s culture.

A culture of innovation is the common thread in every business or brand that has decided to shift in the “direction of different”, and there are a few components that I believe supports this theory:

Teams Are Empowered: Our executive team makes a consorted effort to create an atmosphere that inspires the team to think differently and more creatively about the ideas we present to our clients. When team members feel they have a certain level of autonomy to develop clever ideas, campaigns or marketing strategies, those ideas become realities and can help set your company, brand or business apart from the competition.

Leaders Encourage & Embrace Failure: If you aren’t failing, you aren’t innovating. Ask any company and they will tell you that on their path to successful innovation, they experienced failure, and while tough to undergo, it was necessary. When companies can foster unconventional thinking and diverse perspective through trial and error, innovation becomes inevitable. The team at Media Frenzy Global embraces diversity from our leadership team to our interns. We’ve found that having a range of perspectives, skill sets and professional experiences have allowed our company to create without boundaries and produce work for our clients that have left lasting impressions.

Innovation is Advocated for in Not-So-Obvious Ways: We often get in the routine of thinking that “innovation” only happens in “brainstorming sessions.” Innovation can happen through education, dialogue, observation and client feedback. Innovation also happens by teaming up with likeminded individuals and clients who can springboard ideas into action. For example, one of our clients is a legacy trucking company, recently launched a startup company within their organization. Through market research, client feedback and creativity, we were able to devise a strategy to launch their brand in a new and authentic way. No VR/AR headsets or complex activations needed.

True “innovation” doesn’t always happen in a board room or within the intricate details of a strategy. It’s an open, ongoing and transparent collaborative process that requires not only all hands on deck, but ‘all minds in check’. It’s a vital part of a company’s growth and when truly embraced, can lead to great brand success.