Transforming Boston Globe Media Partners’ innovation strategy
How a one-day workshop recentered innovation in BGMP’s communication strategy
The Boston Globe Media Partners (BGMP) Innovation Team connected with the Territory team at InnoLead Impact 2023. We were there presenting a quick workshop on how to set up successful innovative initiatives.
The BGMP Innovation Team works within the larger organization to foster a culture of innovation, which is imperative as the landscape of media shifts, especially considering BGMP’s position as a trusted source to many. They explained some of their challenges working within a larger organization.
Eventually, the question of how to enhance company-wide communication and involvement in innovation arose.
We proposed a one-day workshop to hone in on their value proposition and to ideate ways for creating effective engagement. After the workshop, Territory created a captivating but succinct visualization of these outcomes.
A value proposition is a key resource in aligning and preparing your company for growth. The VMSV (Vision, Mission, Strategies, and Values) Pyramid is a tool to help your team align in several of these key areas.
Starting with purpose
We began by focusing on the purpose of the Innovation Team. Why was it created, and what was it created to do? By unearthing the team’s purpose from the perspective of other people at BGMP, we wanted to help them better understand and accomplish their goals.
Additionally, we brainstormed what the team aims to do within and outside of the greater organization, what their work looks like currently, and what they can do in the future to reach their goals.
This first brainstorming session revealed several critical themes: transformation, upward growth, and collaboration.
Understanding audience
We then turned our attention to their audience, which includes BGMP employees and current and potential subscribers to the Boston Globe.
The innovation team created fictional advertisements for tangible products that demonstrate what they do and how it benefits their audience. It was an unconventional way to communicate a value proposition, but served to help the team understand how to say, “We can help you!’
Describing value
The BGMP team did the hard work of figuring out what they wanted their value proposition to communicate. Every section of the workshop helped to inform them. From examining who their audience is, they identified what would resonate. Focusing on their roles and responsibilities as innovation leaders allowed them to pinpoint their important offerings. Envisioning the future of the Innovation Team provided a broader perspective of the story they would tell.
Now, it was Territory’s turn. We used the insights from the workshop to create five simple statements that explain exactly what the team does. Because we know that visuals communicate in ways words often cannot, we also created artwork to correspond with each of these.
The final product is a simple but powerful one-page document that effectively illustrates the breadth of the BGMP Innovation Team’s vision, mission, and values.
Working with the BGMP Innovation team was inspiring. We especially resonated with their goals of connection, storytelling, and constant innovation. Each participant was passionate about helping their audience, coworkers, and work reach new heights.
Turning new ideas into reality when your collaborators are juggling tight deadlines and strict priorities requires flexibility that can be difficult to manage. Now that the innovation team has clearly identified and documented their value proposition, we’re confident that they are set up for tremendous success.
Ready to embrace innovation at your organization? Territory will energize and propel your growth engine through a fresh perspective on innovation. Our team specializes in guiding you towards identifying and embracing innovative mindsets that can transform your organization into a more competitive, agile, and relevant organization.
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