No Innovation without Communication!

Written par

GdeGConsulting

in

Innovate

A Variety of Benefits

As such, collaboration between R&D and communication teams provides a variety of benefits:

Unveiling the details that sum it all up: The new offering changes the company profile de facto. Its specifications demonstrate the new capabilities acquired, the level of technological and industrial mastery, and how the company want to differentiate from competition. Its new functionalities update the company’s purpose, its way of operating with the market and its values.

Simplify to make an impact: when the innovative object is complex, and the project is the result of several years of effort, it is difficult to make it simple! Communication is governed by the iron law of less is more. Eliminating unnecessary complexity, refocusing on what matters to customers, explaining superior performance… this decisive step will make it possible to make an impact on potential buyers. And in addition, creative communication professionals are given the opportunity to make a creative leap o better anchor the innovation into the mind of potential customers.

Clarify to universalise: the clearer the message, the better it will be received by the broad company’s ecosystem, whatever the level of expertise: students, banks, investors, public and local authorities, suppliers, journalists.

Help sales forces champion the innovation: selling a product that the salesperson does not know is a tough challenge: Will I be able to answer questions, when I will have to present the offer to new contacts ? How to justify the price when there are no references on the market ? What about technical experts who will  raise  in-depth questions? In Asia, the fear of losing face can become a show-stopper. A high-quality communication, which enhances the value of the product, is a key lever to help sales representatives navigate efficiently within a potential customer.

Having R&D and Communication deliver together a strong content demonstrates the company’s trust in the new offer. This is even more useful as adoption within the company is never a given, especially within big corporations which gather various cultures and sensibilities.

Success factors

I have learned by experience that there are a few prerequisites for a great collaboration between R&D and communication:

Obviously, make sure that the innovation has the right level of maturity, and that the technical, economic, and industrial performances are where they should be. Communication before the launch to arouse curiosity and be the first in a new market is sometimes interesting.  It must then be scheduled according to the date of obtaining the final test and approval results.

Some success factors are in the hands of R&D teams:

• Do not claim to develop the business. Achieving a high level of expertise is not a reason to disqualify colleagues who are not experts. Close collaboration with certain customers with whom one has worked for years to develop the innovation is not enough either. The whole company is involved in the promotion of the innovation: sales, marketing, communication, as well as many other functions such as purchasing, logistics, production engineering, legal, etc.

• Recognise the added value of communication on certain subjects, such as the trade name of the new product, the coherence of the innovative object with the brand profile, the choice of the moment to communicate, the spokesperson and the proper event to reveal the innovation, etc. 

• Accept that communication should be converted from a descriptive and analytical mode, rich in information, to a narrative mode.  Audiences remember stories better than information.

• Avoid company self-promotion: Innovation is an easy opportunity to promote the company and its teams. But often, it is more effective commercially to give the customer the role of the hero, just because the customer is the one looking to solve a problem, and which decides to change entrenched habits and to substitute one solution for another.

Some other success factors are in the hands of Communication teams:

• Respect the need for confidentiality. Hiding certain parts of the product and production process in videos, keeping silent about elements that are not yet protected by patents. Paying attention to these details builds trust.

• Consult with the R&D teams once the framework of the communication has been established. R&D teams have bright ideas for showcasing the benefits of the offer, e.g., by offering comparative test results, digital simulations, links to beta testers.

• Organise the routing of questions to R&D experts that are asked through websites, conferences, or on social networks. These questions are valuable insights into the status of market adoption.

• Helping selected R&D speakers to communicate the innovation externally. By describing the audience of the media or event, the context of the event, the current themes, Communication help the technical expert to avoid an overly technical presentation, and to strike a chord. By combining the scientific and technical legitimacy of the spokesperson with a well-targeted message, the chances of interest and support are maximised.

Paving the Way for Impact

To summarise, the market launch communication campaign is a critical transition from the development phase to the market adoption phase. Investing thought to prepare it can be more important than increasing communication budgets, because it brings additional relevance, coherence, credibility. The chances to create positive ripple effects within the market are increased. A fruitful collaboration between the two different functions will demonstrates the wonders a diverse teamwork can achieve. This will in turn strengthen the collective pride and the sense of belonging of all employees. They are only waiting for this!