Companies and organizations have many reasons for implementing change or pursuing new innovation strategies. Some change and innovation strategies aim to make a difference in our society, others to help the company remain resilient and yet others to strive for mere survival. Since our focus is to continuously help organizations around the world grow and make a positive impact on their own company and the environment they are situated in, we find it interesting to follow the choices companies make. Here are some change and innovation strategies that companies, institutions and organizations started pursuing in June.
Product Innovation: PepsiCo - As many other companies, PepsiCo is faced with changing consumer choices, demands and taste. As a reaction, the company aims to change the public's perception of soft drinks and reverse declining sales by introducing new flavors and healthier ingredients in a new line of craft-like soda. The line with the name Stubborn Soda, will be poured from a new soda fountain and start with eight fruity and exotic flavors.
Product Innovation and Restructuring Initiatives - General Mills: General Mills plans to remove all artificial flavors and ingredients from its cereal line by 2017. The change initiative will be launched some time in the fourth quarter of this year. The more natural versions of Trix and Reese's Puffs will then use fruit, vegetable juice and spices like turmeric or vanilla for coloring and flavor. Almost in the same breath, General Mills had to announce severe job cuts. 725 positions will be eliminated, 20 of which were located in the headquarters in Minnesota.
Innovation Through Cross Sector Collaboration - NASA and Microsoft: NASA and Microsoft are teaming up to jointly work on Sidekick, a new project using commercial technology to virtually assist astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Sidekick uses Microsoft HoloLens and other virtual and mixed reality devices to assist station crews with assistance when working in space. A NASA spokesperson said he believes this collaboration could also empower future missions to Mars.
Across Sector Product Innovation - Club Med and Cirque Du Soleil: Club Med and Cirque Du Soleil will collaborate for a new summer activity in the club's presence in the Dominican Republic. In the program called CREACTIVE, guests can participate in over 30 acrobatic activities. Under the guidance of experienced Cirque Du Soleil acrobats and with the utmost focus on safety kids and adults likewise can exercise in a unique and fun way. The highlight of this program is a weekly show performed by the guests.
Social Change - C the Difference Cory Cares: A 14-year-old boy impressed us with his fantastic idea that drove him to found his non-profit organization C the Difference. When Cory learned that there were people in his community in Oceanside, New York who were hungry and that the poverty rate had even increased after hurricane Sandy, he decided to do something. He raised money, $100 per month for 12 months to be precise, and used it to fill the local pantries. Soon, he got other organizations to chime in and help him fill the New York pantries in a more systemic way. Check out Cory's website at www.cthedifference.org, Cory believes and has shown that even one dollar can make a difference. Kudos for that much personal and social change leadership. Keep on doing the good work Cory!
Social Change - The United States of America: In a historic decision, the Supreme Court made same sex marriage legal in all 50 States of the U.S.A. The decision was celebrated across the nation as an act of equality and exercising human rights. The ruling set off a cascade of same sex marriages in states where they used to be forbidden.
We know that many more companies, organizations and people introduced change and innovative strategies to their organizations. This small list is just supposed to help spark some ideas of what is possible. If you think your initiative should be on here, help us by submitting it for next month's feature of our Change and Innovation News.
