Innovative: WPP Annual Report

What is the first thought that comes to your mind when you are told to read a detailed report? If you are like most people(including myself), you put it off or find other things to preoccupy yourself with. What if you found out that you didn't have to read the whole thing? That you could watch and listen as well:

The 2009 WPP Digital Annual report takes home today's innovative badge. Here's why: the thought behind the process of putting that report clearly appreciates the time and attention span of its readers. WPP is a leading communications service group that offers services in Advertising, Media, PR, Branding, Healthcare, and Digital (among others). What does that mean to investors? They want to know that this organization is good at what it does. My verdict is that it must be if it can come up with a creative way to sell itself. The report gets an innovative badge instead of a digital one because it combines interactivity, design and multimedia to create a report that is actually fun to read.

Innovative: DoSomething.org

Getting involved in charity is something most people have on their list. But how many people actually tick that action off? An innovative charity website designed to "power offline action" gets the innovate vote today.

DoSomething.org is a website that encourages empowers teenagers /young adults with a straightforward tactic: Leveraging "communications technologies to enable teens to convert their ideas and energy into action." The concept is simple, if you are a teenager who wants to make a change in your community, check out the opportunities available or create a club that supports your cause. This can be done by clicking on the ACT NOW toolbar.


DoSomething is an action-oriented charity that has progressed from the traditional emotional appeal to using instant communication tools. This charity will most definitely appeal to anyone who wants to be involved in their community but doesn't know where to start.

Introducing: Innovative Tuesdays

There's something about human beings that makes us want to create and label. Fashion Designers give their own labels to the clothes they make. In a similar fashion (I love puns) organizations give their products brand names. I suppose it makes sense when you look around you and everyone else looks different. We might share similarities but we all have unique qualities. This concept of personalization will be the focus of this post. But first I'd like to define the two words:


innovative: (of a product, idea, etc.) featuring new methods; advanced and original
personalization: design or produce (something) to meet someone's individual requirements

The feature today is The Magical Story Machine via Springwise. The latter featured 4 other personalization businesses but the story machine stuck out because it's a simple yet innovative method on personalizing an age old phenomena, the bedtime story.

Two years ago, armed with more than enough bags of shopping in my hands, I stopped by a bookstore to buy what I thought was cutest, quirkiest story book for my cousin. It was something about the life size illustration on display that drew my attention. But then when I gave the story book to my cousin, I didn't get the feeling that it was the best gift he had ever received. In other words, I don't think he even read it. What's the point of my story?

I think he would have preferred a personalized version of the story.