Public Sector & NGOs :Year of Innovations, OÜ LH Concept, EE

“The year of innovation” project was initiated by the Ministry ofEconomic Affairs and Communications, and it is based on theinnovation awareness program of Enterprise Estonia.

The patron of the year of innovation was the President of the Republic of Estonia Toomas Hendrik Ilves.

Communication strategy compiled by Aive Levandi:

THE YEAR OF INNOVATION IN ESTONIA

Situation in 2008

•In the end of 2008, 4% of Estonian people considered that they can participate in the development of innovation

•1/3 of Estonian citizens were convinced that nothing depends on their desisions

•38% of people did not have an opinion on the topic

•71% of Estonian citizens were convinced that the government shall have more investments for developing innovation not themselves

•Estonians think that innovation is a technocratic toy of politicians

CHALLENGE

• To change the values of Estonian citizens and make an image of innovation more positive

• Change a topic of innovation less technocratic and closer to a person among wider public of Estonia

• Promote widely behaviours and characteristics which are common to innovative people

TARGET GROUPS

• Media• Opinion leaders• Politicians• All Estonian citizens

• Estonian citizens are more innovative and entrepreneurial

• They have positive attitude towards changes and innovation

• They understand the definition of innovation and the processes it brings along in their own sector, and consider it a part of their everyday life

• Innovation topic has shifted towards less technocratic among Estonian public

EXPECTED RESULTS

MAIN MESSAGES

• The importance and relevance of innovation to every one of us

• Creative and out of box way of thinking and doing things

• The importance of knowledge and finding brilliant ideas in an every-day life

• Innovative, different and brave acts

• The ability to see and notice the ones who do things differently

A Celebrity: Gerd Kanter, Olympic Winner:

PR FOCUS

What is innovationWhy was Year of Innovation

Initiated?

How to carry out your ideas?How to be more entrepreneurial?

How to gain from innovation?NEW is IN!

How to be innovativeHow to gain from innovation?

Best innovation practicesBe an enterpreneur!

NEW is IN!

I quarter

III quarter

II quarter

IV quarter

PR CAMPAIGN: ELEMENTS

• Media relations

•Integration of existing innovation related initiatives and actions, created a common background to leverage their message, blend them into an Estonia-wide partnership.

•Website www.in.ee as a platform to all communication campaign website created innovation community, concentrated all innovation-related information and enabled to exchange experience.

To explain these messages, old Estonian proverbs were used and illustrated by short humoric videoclips, presented every day in Estonian Public Broadcasting

The example: Est TV clip

Through best examples we promoted virtues and rules of conduct which are common to innovative person

HOW WE INSPIRED?

The example: Kerly Kõiv

WEBSITE IN.EE – MEETING POINT FOR INNOVATIVE PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS

• As a platform to all communication campaign website created innovation community, concentrated all innovation-related information and enabled to exchange experience. The website acted as social media site and comprised of users blogs, interactive bank of ideas, calendar of events•The main goal was to involve all innovative people to think together, exchange information, discuss and implement ideas .

•1560 ideas were presented and commented in idea bank. The innovators received feedback and encouragement.

•3048 persons and 1009 companies joined the community and declared themselves as innovators. They were active bloggers and communicators

•1 161 000 visits per year makes in.ee most successful public sector-s website

PARTNERSHIP STRATEGY

• Messages were coordinated in different campaigns, media relations and events

• Personal contacts and visits to opinion leaders.

• Integration of existing innovation-related initiatives and actions, creating common background to leverage their message and blend them into an Estonia-wide partnership.

• Creating Innovation category at recognition events and acknowledegement of innovative persons and acts.

• We appreciate and acknowledge innovators - the ones who dare to do things differently.

• 40 innovation awards have been given out

PARTNERSHIP STRATEGY

PARTNERSHIP STRATEGY

All together: 250 events with 53 000 participants

Star-events and initiatives

• President Toomas Hendrik Ilves is the patron of the Year of Innovation.

• Toomas Hendrik Ilves and CEO of Skype Josh Silverman s dispute on innovation in Tehnopoli

• Lets do it Estonia, Estonia public service portals osale.ee, eesti.ee, internet training program “Ole kaasas” amplified teh message.

• Estonian Parliament discussed innovation on May 21 as especially important issue(part of our project)

• Using bootees with Estonian regional patterns as a best example.

• Conference of inspiration of Lets do it! My Estonia. • Introducing 0-energy house in the center of Tallinn,

Rottermanni square. • Estonian Enterprice giving 1 billion EEK to scientific

development centers..• Bringing the torch with Singing Festival fire by newbuild

ancient boats. • Introducing Year of Innovation at international

conference in Berlin “Innovation and creativity”. • The main issue on traditional week for enterpreneurs

was innovation• There were more than 300 participants in IV Innovation

Conference despite of economical situation.

To promote new products and services a new trademark Uus on IN (New is IN) was created

• „Uus on IN“ was a special trade mark to promote new product and services and to acknowledge innovators.

• The trademark was designed in nine bright colours and it was ment to stick or print onto the products.

• The trademark was introduced in the second half of the Year and there were 80 nominees by the end of the year using it proudly and sending press-releases to annouce the nomination.

Year of Innovation in media:

•111 press-releases were sent and 142 articles were written by the team

• More than 7000 articles and broadcasts on innovation were published during the year in estonian, russian, english and finnish

•Additionally there were hundreds of articles in specialized newsletters, blogs and partnerˇs websites.

•Innovation was discussed as well in very specific publications for example Estonian Farmer, Fishermen Paper, Environmental technics ect.

•Innovation was discussed even in yellow and life-style media as Kroonika, FHM, Stiil, Anne, Diivan

THE CAMPAIGN RESULTS

According to the research conducted in the end of 2009, after the innovation campaign innovation has become natural part of life for numerous people.

Previously technocratic and out-of-the way, innovation has become closer to a person, a handy tool in everyday life which is useful for all Estonian people .

People realised that not every innovation is progressive, one should take in consideration that there can occure side effects as well.

SEMANTIC FIELD

•Political•Technocratic•State-owned•arrogant

Innovation is considered less political, technocratic, state-owned and arrogant

Research in the end of YOI

• Compared to previous year, innovation has been perceived less political and less technocratic.

• Number of people considering innovation as a part of their everyday life has been risen. 40% of respondents consider innovation close.

• In the end of 2009 innovation has the same meaning to men and women. Except women considered innovation more developing than men.

• Number of people not undrestanding the meaning of innovation has been diminished from 28% in 2008 to 12% in 2009.

CHANGE OF MEANING

Research in the end of YOI

• The research conducted in December 2009 was mapping the changes carried out during the year. According to the research the campaign had significant influence to public opinion about innovation, changed the imege of innovation more close an encouraged people to do things differently

• About ¼ of Estonian people talk about innovation every day, they discuss the issue with friends and they act accordingly.

• 78% of entrepreneurs declare that they have been using new ideas, doing things differently, studied something new – been innovative.

• The meaning of innovation has changed. People consider innovation as human-centered, useful and positive. (25% 40%)

CONCLUSIONS

Research in the end of YOI

Some examples of innovations in 2009

•Bootees with Estonian regional patterns

•Bed for children from 0-10 years „SmartKid“ 

•SMS dateing service MobiDate

•Online finance training for households

•DVD for studying weavering

•New innovative building technology – special stilts for unstable ground

•Comfortable way to hold soap in place – simple rope

•Sustainable souvenirs for Tallinn 2011

•Free video calls using your TV set

1

President Toomas Henrik Ilves: “The Innovation Year stirred some thoughts”

17 Dec 2009:“Throughout this year, everyone in Estonia has seen and heard more then ever before about innovation in Estonia, its character, and some of the best examples,” said President Toomas Hendrik Ilves today in Tallinn, at an event to close the Year of Innovation.

According to the head of state, the results of the Year of Innovation serve as the reflection of the desire of the people of Estonia to think of innovations and to get them implemented, to share good ideas, and to listen to others.

“Therefore, it feels organically wrong to speak about closing the year of innovation. The campaign, which lasted for twelve months, was only a beginning, the first step,” mentioned President Ilves.

Estonia more innovative

According to the European Innovation Scoreboard 2009 Estonia has risen to the 12th place being now among innovation followers with innovation performance below those of the Innovation leaders but close to or above that of the EU27 average.

Estonia has shown a strong improvement compared to 2008, providing an explanation why the country hase moved from the Moderate innovators in the EIS 2008 to the Innovation followers, says the report.

For Estonia strong growth in Firm investments and throughputs have been the main drivers of its improvement in innovation performance.

Aive Levandi

Head of Communication of Year of Innovation 2009

Tel +372 52 446 46

[email protected]

Skype: aivelevandi