View from the Top: Arcus Innovation Case Studies
Innovation workshops
Worked on a white space product innovation session with Kraft to identify drivers of growth of emerging product categories. The session included an innovation audit (attached) that has been conducted with management teams of 40 leading consumer product companies. The session resulted in acquisition of two companies in a fast growing market segment. The Arcus Innovation Model benchmarks the company, marketing and product teams on over 30 variables against 200 other companies.
New white space product development
Managed sessions with the Febreze global product development team that identified in-home smells as the #3 unmet need of consumers. This insight was identified in focus groups and insight mining sessions in 18 countries worldwide. Developed brand extensions for multiple applications such as pet smells, cars etc.
Product experience
Managed white space innovation sessions for new product extensions for Pringles. Identified flavour preferences in different markets and aligned the product experience across a time line with the brand position of “once you pop, you can’t stop”.
Green business innovation session
Innovation session for a consumer product company to connect green concerns of consumers with emerging product categories. Analysed 30 green product categories and discussed emerging trends in each one and how these trends could translate into new business opportunities and product development strategies.
Product extensions
Developed product extensions for Mr. Clean with bath and glass spray products through exploratory research to identify new behavioural insights linked to cleaning of different surfaces. E.g. developed a hierarchy of over 25 desired benefits such as streak free shine and no residue for glass sprays.
White space brand concepts
Developed brand concepts for Knorr line of products tailored to new emerging needs based on demographic, culture and behavioural criteria.
Alignment of growth with product portfolio
Aligned 400 products across 8 business categories and 36 industries for AT&T with new top line growth products that were customised for a range of industries from food to pharma in the telecom sector. Restructured the sales organizations with knowledge management and sales strategies.
Emerging consumer needs
Developed concepts for technologies to address emerging healthcare needs for a Fortune 500 healthcare company to address needs for specific health conditions such as cardiac care, diabetes and cancer.
Canadian Marketing Association Innovation Council
Leader of the innovation council. Developed a paper (attached) based on 3 panel discussions with senior marketers on trends in product, brand, marketing and channel innovation. The paper is to be released this fall.
New vectors of growth for a brand with an aging customer base
The client is a $3Billion premier, global specialty Device Company that discovers, develops and commercializes innovative products for the ophthalmology, neurosciences, medical dermatology, medical aesthetics and other specialty markets. Innovation sessions with the client identified new strategies and vectors of growth in emerging consumer segments.
Contact Arcus to find out how to benchmark your innovation strategy:
- A presentation on best practices from 1500 companies
- A culture change audit
- An innovation workshop
- An innovation strategy
Innovation Leaders Interviews
Innovation in healthcare and the “bottom-up Reformation”: An interview with Mr. Neil Seeman, Director and Primary Investigator, Health Strategy Innovation Cell at Massey College, University of Toronto. Mr. Seeman says we need new out-of-the-box measurement tools that recognize “successful failures”. In healthcare, in particular, we talk a lot about our “success stories”. We don’t like talking about our failures. The challenge to admitting to failure has to do with our organizational culture in healthcare. There is a lack of understanding in healthcare that patients are leading what Steve Case calls a “bottom-up Reformation”. Read the interview.
Corporate performance and governance: An interview with Mr. Jim Leech, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP). A message to CEOs on performance benchmarks, governance, risk consciousness and performance systems. First, risk consciousness needs to be built into all processes of the business. It needs to be integral to the compensation and investment process. At times, management has taken on significant levels of risk to produce superior results so that they could increase their compensation. Risk needs to be brought into the equation. Senior executives are starting to understand that. Read the interview.
Globalive’s view on the Innovation Imperative: An interview with Mr. Anthony Lacavera, CEO, Globalive Communications Corp. Mr. Lacavera says its critical for companies to be prepared to grow in a profitable and sustainable way. Globalive’s strength has been low management turnover and a strong, cohesive and consistent strategy. The company’s drivers of success have been the right team and a consistent and disciplined approach. Read the interview.
Brand leadership and vision for innovation : An interview with Mr. Geoff Craig, VP & GM, Brand Building. Mr. Craig argues that leadership is about having a vision for innovation and creating a framework for action around the vision to allow partners and employees to pioneer new ways of working. Read the interview.
Innovation and return on capital : An interview with Mr. Andrew Tremblay, Business Development Manager, Domtar EarthChoice, Corporate Markets Canada, Domtar Corp. Mr. Tremblay says that in capital intensive businesses, innovation needs to be seen as a way to get better return on the capital employed. Read the interview.
A shared vision for innovation and change : An interview with Ms. Kathryn Fitzwilliam, Corporate Vice President, Marketing Resources. Ms. Fitzwilliam says first and foremost you need to make sure that people understand and support a shared objective. Read the interview.