Vision7 International, the holding company that owns Cossette and the EDC Group of Companies, has launched a new internal unit dedicated to fostering and promoting what it calls a “culture of innovation” throughout its global network.
The new unit, known as the Innovation Group, is headed by Pierre Delagrave, one of Cossette’s founders and now president of media for Vision7.
The group is currently comprised of a 10-person steering committee representing a cross-section of Vision7 employees from North America, the United Kingdom and Singapore.
The idea for the group first arose about eight months ago, Delegrave told Marketing. The steering committee subsequently spent a week in Silicon Valley meeting with companies at the forefront of technology and developing a strategy to create what Delagrave called an internal “movement.”
Delagrave is an ardent proponent of the power of innovation, having overseen the development of new measurement and proprietary research tools for Cossette and its clients, and being among the first to recognize the power of digital with the creation of one of the first dedicated interactive divisions.
Quoting the Greek proverb “The beginning is the half of every action,” Delagrave said that much of the work to fostering innovation within Vision7 has already been accomplished with the creation of the dedicated unit.
The new team’s true work is just beginning, however. Delagrave said that while a listless economy like the one we’re in at the moment can hinder innovation, continual technological progress is creating numerous opportunities.
The group “meets” monthly via the Google+ Hangout feature (which allows for video chatting for up to 10 people) and will be attending key events like the annual SXSW Interactive Festival.
The first output from the group is a company-wide widget – known internally as Wow! – that showcases innovative ideas from around the world and enables Vision7 employees to add their own ideas to the shared board.
Delagrave said that the objective of the Innovation Group is to stimulate employees with innovative ideas and concepts, while also investing in start-ups or acquisitions – provided their expertise can have a tangible benefit for clients’ businesses.
Delagrave said that the intention is to grow the Innovation Group beyond its first iteration by recruiting other members from within Vision7’s global staff.
