This document analyses the role of the social media in communications about a company’s innovations, identifies the most important tools that facilitate this communication and suggests how can innovation generate value for a brand, wondering what is the effective way of identifying innovation assets of a company from the viewpoint of communication. In Spain reference models in social and professional terms are about search for secure employment in public administrations and large companies. Media in Spain pay less attention to entrepreneurship (especially when it comes to new companies or start-ups) In order to achieve significant changes in this issue, it is necessary to change the existing paradigm and be able to transform information into knowledge. This change implies stimulation of entrepreneurship and innovation at the family, school and public levels apart from the corporate level; emphasize close relationship between large, medium and small companies as well as the public and private sectors; provide incentives and financial support for news media that report about innovation; promote traditional and digital journalism specializing in these themes. Objectives and strategy are the key starting points for planning communication that should conform to the general communication policy of the company. Once this is set, the rest of the key elements are related to creativity and implementation. Thus innovation objectives should be linked to the company’s strategy and all departments should actively participate in the process of innovation, removing traditional divisional barriers. Storytelling is vital at the initial stage, and acts as a focal point that determines the rest of communication and content generation tools through platforms developed for co-creation with customers, face-to-face meetings, etc. In all these media and channels, it is important to control all messages at all stages of the innovation value chain, aligning them with the character of the company and its values, especially those related to transparency, sincerity, the skills to be faster than competitors and be able to keep track of investments. Managing information and sharing knowledge are key elements for any internal communication policy, and their importance increases when it comes to facilitating innovation and doing it openly, in conjunction with external professionals. In the world of Internet communication, content is key. But it is also necessary to identify the messages of this content or to know what media and channels are adequate for communications about innovation.

1. 95 % of those individuals who decide to launch
a business, are close or fairly close relatives of
other businessmen and other individuals who
also decided, in their time, to take a risk and
launch their own business project. However, in
countries like Spain, reference models in social
and professional terms are more about search for
secure employment in public administrations and
large companies, says Francisco Bas, Partner and
Director at Avantia XXI, a consultancy special-
izing in communication of innovations and en-
trepreneurship.
Spain ranks No.32 in the Global Innovation
Index, the global rating published by the French
Business School INSEAD (confer: the USA is
No.4 in the list). This result is clearly reflected in
the footprint of innovation in the communication
media, which in Spain pay less attention to
entrepreneurship (especially when it comes to
new companies or start-ups) than in the United
States. Besides, in Spain there are fewer national
news media that cover this topic. According to
Bas, the issue is also reflected in the importance
attributed by American NASDAQ-100 companies
to communications on innovations compared to
the Spanish IBEX-35.
The Media Life of Innovations
A low or high interest in relations with the
media is clearly translated into communication
on innovations, from presentation of the novelty
and quality of innovation to the coverage volume
that this information will enjoy. The process goes
through four different stages:
What is the role of the social media in communications about a company’s
innovations? What are the most important tools that facilitate this
communication? How can innovation generate value for a brand? What is the
effective way of identifying innovation assets of a company from the viewpoint
of communication?
Strategy Documents
I50/2014
How to communicate
innovation in order to generate
value for the brand and build
excellent reputation
Communication
Insights & Trends
This document was prepared by Corporate Excellence – Centre for Reputation Leadership and among other sources contains references
to the Global Innovation Index 2013 published by INSEAD as well as statements made by Joan Francisco Bas, Partner and Director of
Avantia XXI, and José Antonio Cano, Director of Avantia XXI, during the workshop titled Keys for Identifying and Communicating
Innovation as Value for the Brand, organized by Dircom Association jointly with Avantia XXI in Madrid on March 21, 2013.

2. Insights & Trends 2
How to communicate
innovation in order
to generate value for
the brand and build
excellent reputation
“Innovation
objectives
should be
linked to the
company’s
strategy”
1. Perform innovation and make sure
that this innovation is valuable.
2. Spread information and make sure that
profuse volume of information is shared.
3. Communication media notice the story.
4. The story is published and reaches
the reader or spectator.
In order to achieve significant changes in this
issue, it is necessary to change the existing
paradigm and model, especially in countries
like Spain, says José Antonio Cano, Director of
Avantia XXI. He believes that today power is
not about information, it is about the ability to
transform information into knowledge.
This change implies stimulation of entrepreneurship
and innovation at the family, school and public
levels apart from the corporate level; emphasize
close relationship between large, medium and
small companies as well as the public and private
sectors; provide incentives and financial support for
news media that report about innovation; promote
traditional and digital journalism specializing in
these themes.
Some concepts are more interesting and attractive
for the media, especially those related to the human
involvement in innovations and entrepreneurship,
as well as knowledge, specific patents, investments,
technologies, processes and infrastructures involved
in innovative projects.
Therefore, the task of Communications Directors
of companies and/or their consultants and agencies
is to correctly identify interesting topics and “sell”
them to the news media. If the objective is to
strengthen the company’s profile as an innovator
and its recognition as a leader and reference
point in its sector, it is vital to project security,
trust, determination and the capacity to maintain
sustainability of the business project onto the
company’s customers, employees and investors.
The Key for Communicating Innovation
Like in any communication plan, objectives and
strategy are the key starting points for planning
communication that should conform to the general
communication policy of the company. Once this
is set, the rest of the key elements are related to
creativity and implementation.
Thus innovation objectives should be linked to
the company’s strategy and all departments should
actively participate in the process of innovation,
removing traditional divisional barriers. Here again
Communications Director should play an important
role, taking part in all stages of the innovations process
rather than just in the final part of its communication.
That said, the story that drives the company’s
innovations process, the so-called storytelling is vital at
theinitialstage,andactsasafocalpointthatdetermines
the rest of communication and content generation
tools, for example audiovisual programmes, series and
documentaries, development of video gaming platforms
for businessmen, creation of corporate videos and use of
social networks and online communities.
In this sense, it is important to note the important role
of platforms developed for co-creation with customers,
suppliers and external talent, search for shared funding
via such tools as crowdfunding and face-to-face
meetings during special events for entrepreneurs.
In all these media and channels, it is important to
control all messages at all stages of the innovation
value chain, ensuring that innovation always carries
the “genetic code” or “DNA” of the company.
The following key principles should always be
taken into account in the process of developing
communication strategy:
• Transparency: explain all parts of the process.
• Sincerity: talk about real achievements.
• Time: be faster than competitors.
• Price: keep track of investments.
• Comparison: put value in context.
Finally, it is important to keep track of all performed
actions and compare these results with the results
of the innovation itself, analyzing and comparing
them with the targets.
Open Innovation and Internal
Communication
Managing information and sharing knowledge are key
elements for any internal communication policy, and
theirimportanceincreaseswhenitcomestofacilitating
innovation and doing it openly, in conjunction with
external professionals, says Henry Chesbrough from
Berkeley University, who coined this term years ago.
Collaborative innovation (as it is called
sometimes) needs a different approach to internal
communication then what usually is practised by
companies – suggestion boxes and contests of ideas.
What companies need in fact is communication
Graph 1: Does Spain innovate?
Source: Global Innovation Index.
INSEAD, The Business School for the World.
Regarding the United States:
USA is the 4th
country that
innovates the most
Spain ranks the
No 32 and has
moved down 4
places since 2009

3. Insights & Trends 3
How to communicate
innovation in order
to generate value for
the brand and build
excellent reputation
“Collaborative
innovation needs
communication
that cuts
across different
departments
and establishes
connection
with external
professionals”
According to Cano, the following elements should be
takenintoaccountinordertoplacevalueoninnovation
and achieve the space in the media that innovation
truly deserves, on the Internet and in communication
strategies that companies develop globally:
1. Passion: it is the basis of imagination,
creativity, talent and innovation.
2. Patience: it is the key quality that
enables companies to achieve results in
the medium and long term, preserving
value that the company creates.
3. Persistence: it is essential in order to
develop an innovation that may make
a difference and communicating about
it in an unfavourable environment.
4. Pro-activity: instead of waiting for events,
a company should initiate them and
generate news on an ongoing basis.
5. Money: it is necessary to invest in
processes that lead to radical innovations
as well as in communication tools that
accelerate these developments.
that facilitates contact between departments and
at the same time establishes contact with those
external professionals who may contribute to
achieve outstanding innovation.
Cooperation forums on the Internet are probably
the best tool for achieving this result, since they
link different work groups, facilitate understanding
of the roles and needs of each group as well as
creation of a truly innovative virtual community.
Involvement of this tool helps companies to discard
indiscriminate messaging, and shift to dialogue and
personalized approach.
Conclusion: New Messages
for New Channels
In the world of Internet communication, content is
key. But this does not mean that it’s not necessary
to identify the messages of this content or to
know what media and channels are adequate for
communications about innovation.
José Antonio Cano, Director of Avantia XXI,
stresses the importance of recommendations in
the area of innovations too – in order to achieve
this, one has to involve social networks: a company
should encourage recommendations to friends,
family members and colleagues and be able to share
the content generated by these users.
Graph 2: Innovation Communication from a Process-related Management Perspective
Ethical reflection
Innovation Communication Toolbox
From planning to controlling
Innovation
communication
concept
Analysis,
Goals,
Strategy,
...
Strategic tools
Scenarios,
Framing,
Storytelling,
Issues,
Management,
...
Operational tools
Print
Online
Face-to-face
Network/partner
Objects
Collaborative
innovation tools
Co-creation,
Crowd-Wisdom,
Multiarts,
...
Source:

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