Communicating Innovation
Sharing the breakthroughs that will shape the future
Innovative activities are essential for a company that wants to advance and prevail over time, not only by continuing its business but also by expanding it to new and more efficient horizons.
The benefits of undertaking new business processes or launching products and services with disruptive features and/or functionalities often outweigh the risks intrinsic to any innovative activity. Among other advantages, R&D&I activities:
– They allow expenses to be deducted from corporate income tax.
– They allow the business to evolve by adapting to the changing needs of its sector and of society in general.
But making the decision to innovate is not enough to be successful. It is also necessary to know how to communicate it properly so that the innovation brings the maximum possible benefits to the company and to all stakeholders.
The value of adding value
Innovation must be communicated if it is to benefit both the company and society in general. But where and how can it be communicated, what channels should be considered and what processes should be followed to optimise efforts in this area?
Above all, it is necessary to have a communication plan that, from its initial definition and implementation to its optimisation after analysing the results obtained, contemplates both internal and external communication of innovation.
Internal communication of innovation: change begins at home
All the components of a company must share the real need to innovate in order to anticipate the different challenges that may arise on the horizon in the short, medium and long term.
It is essential that everyone feels involved in the actions that are being carried out to involve them in the different processes: new challenges motivate them to investigate new lines of action from a plural point of view, help to align personal objectives with business objectives and increase employee loyalty as they are directly considered in the future decisions of their company.
There are many ways of communicating innovation internally, using online channels (intranets, emailings…) as well as offline (posters, face-to-face events, personal or team talks, etc.). Whatever channels are selected, having a complete internal communication plan, with a well-defined storytelling, will allow sharing the relevant details of each project, boosting interpersonal communication to contribute ideas and ensuring that innovative activities respect an optimal way of working for all members of the organisation (prioritising User Experience Design).
Any innovative process also implies a change for employees. And if we want this change to be well received, we must overcome the natural resistance to change the status quo by clearly communicating the benefits of innovation and informing about all the phases of the innovative project so that each component of the company is committed to building new and exciting paths.
External communication of innovation: the commitment and responsibility of informing society
Innovation not only helps to optimise internal processes, it also improves the image and positioning of a company in its sector, highlighting it as a benchmark even in complex and competitive environments.
Communication and innovation are two intangible, strategic and key values for R&D&I organisations. So much so, that both are interdependently linked and are necessary for the positioning of the entities and the increase of their competitiveness.
Yolanda González Barroso
Strategic Communication and Marketing Advisor at artica+i.
Expert in the design and management of business innovation communication plans and technology centres in the food and beverage and agro-industrial sectors, among others.
Knowing how to communicate innovative activity requires first identifying what it is that can provide a differential value to society as a whole. Once identified, we must communicate it using an appropriate tone and language, taking advantage of the potential of the different communication channels, formats and moments.
The external communication plan, in line with the company’s general strategy, must respond to SMART objectives and take into account the different stakeholders, with the aim of making innovative initiatives known to the widest possible audience. This will help to optimise:
- The technological positioning of the brand or company, making it perceived in its social and economic environment as an agent of change that works and invests in the development of innovation.
- Social positioning, achieving greater prestige by devoting efforts and resources to actions related to research, development and technological innovation and communicating it in an understandable and attractive way.
Our role as experts in Innovation Communication
At artica+i, we offer our clients our knowledge and experience in the field of innovation. In order to communicate and disseminate the benefits of innovative activity to the different sectors of activity and to society in general, we offer a strategic and personalised service that includes:
- The design and implementation of strategic corporate and project communication plans:
- Media relations.
- Management of social networks.
- Website design and management.
- Design of the corporate image of the projects, including logo and graphic elements, corporate manual.
- Design and production of audiovisual material: photography, infographics, corporate videos, office material, merchandising, etc.
- Design, planning and complete organisation of events related to the organisation’s innovative activity: meetings with the media, training courses or conferences to disseminate progress and results.
- Advice, preparation and presentation of strategic communication proposals for R&D&I projects, this being a compulsory requirement in calls for national and European innovation programmes, as well as the design and execution of strategic communication plans for R&D&I projects already approved.
- The European Union itself has taken on a synergetic role in promoting the innovation-communication binomial by transferring it to its main financial programmes to support companies and research groups. Thus, initiatives supported financially by European programmes (including the European Next Generation funds) and even national programmes require the design and implementation of strategic communication plans.
Do you want us to help you increase brand awareness in R&D&I and communicate innovative activity?
If you need to disseminate your innovative initiatives with transparency, honesty, truthfulness and differential attractiveness, complying with the requirements stipulated by the regulations, do not hesitate to get more information about our services. We accompany you in the design and implementation of the most suitable strategy for your company, to achieve your Innovation Communication objectives.
