ECOLAB INNOVATION LAB El Colombiano media company Medellín, Colombia

JUSTIFICATION Businesses are conceived, developed and measure in a world that is constantly in motion, an environment that demands an attitude of permanent renovation, whether it’s inspired by demand, research, or the emergence of opportunities. That’s why we create a medialab called ECOlab. It’s purpose is to promote innovation and company growth. We believe in creativity as a strategic tool to increase income and audience.

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“If the old model is broken, what will work in its place?... The answer is nothing, nothing will work.

There is no general model for newspapers to replace the one that internet just broke”

CLAY SHIRKY @NY UNIVERSITY

CREATIVITY We agree but we believe in:

• Create and maintain new and developing business units, products and services in an effort to increase the market.

• Research new business models. • Develop new activities, products and services that can

strategically grow the business. • Diversify the corporation’s portfolio. • Establish strategies to tackle new competitors

emerging in the information industry. • Promote the business’ long term sustainability . • Transform creativity and strategic thinking into corporate culture. • Be systematic agents of change.

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GOALS

PROCESS Why? Process/ Systematic and

repetitive method of an information

factory

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PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

In search of efficiency and effectiveness. In search of excellence. • Client satisfaction. • Develop new knowledge

and abilities inside the team. • Successful implementation

of the project. • Return on investment. • Brand relevance. • Growth in circulation. • Increase in advertising sales. • Diversification of business

portfolio. • Projection into the future. • Intangible benefits.

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ADVERTISING HEARING

PROCESSES TRAFFIC

COMPANY CULTURE &

BRAND

BENEFITS

PROJECTS 2014

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EXPANSION OF CREATIVE CULTURE IN THE ORGANIZATION

Those who participate in the ECOlab do so on a project-by-project basis and must return to their original positions once these are completed. This allows the Design Thinking methodology to grow in the organization, which celebrated it’s 102nd anniversary thanks to the fact that participants act as agents of change. Goals • Inject a creative attitude into the entire

organization. • Create agents of change capable of expanding

their knowledge and comprehending and thinking about all the elements of the business (content, advertising, and multimedia circulation).

• Transmit joy, curiosity, and an adventurous spirit to coworkers.

• Demonstrate that ‘thinking’ pays off.

Accomplishments • 19 people have passed through the ECOlab.

Record of all practices

developed during training in a

television broadcast.

WEBSITE REDESIGN

Goals • Build digital surroundings that respond to

audiences’ needs • Deliver innovative and opportune content • Extend participation in digital markets • Improve technological infrastructure • Make the interface more user friendly • Increase advertising income

Accomplishments • Users increased by 20% after redesign • Between November 15th and January 20th

the new website has had 42.096.765 views. • Audiences have posted messages on social

networks acknowledging a job well done.

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Old design

New design

Gente is a neighborhood newspaper brand that circulates weekly in four different areas of the city. These newspapers are distributed free to the public and have been a part of the company’s portfolio since 1997; however, they had been at a standstill. Goals • Present a renovated and modern newspaper. • Grow audiences. • Increase advertisements. • Create a digital strategy. • Intensify presence on social networks. • Generate a sense of belonging towards the brand

and a relationship with communities.

Accomplishments • Audiences grew by 40% according to the General Media Study. • Comments on social networks were positive. • Twitter and Facebook accounts were created as part of the

redesign strategy. One for each of the four editions and a broader one for the brand. They achieved the following results:

REDESIGN OF NEIGHBORHOOD NEWSPAPERS: ‘GENTE’ (People)

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New cover look

Periódico Gente Laureles El Poblado Envigado Belén

Facebook 320 316 441 342 351

Twitter 16.701 361 603 658 341

This consists of organizing the team that produces magazines as a business unit that works for the organization as well as external clients using the methodology of the ECOlab. Goals • Create new income for the organization. • Improve internal products using the

Design Thinking process. • Take advantage of the brand’s credibility

and know-how to open markets. • Expand the advertising business by doing

this type of work for third parties. • Increase circulation income. • Grow printing income taking advantage

of the rotary press’ potential. Accomplishments • 23 magazines • 2 new customers (magazines) in 2014 • U$1.245.000 in advertising. • We had 175 clients who paid for advertising

in our magazines in 2014 who had not done so in 2013; these clients generated U$ 525.000 in advertising income.

MAGAZINES AS A NEW BUSINESS UNIT

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Some of the internal publications

Some of the publications for third parties

Development of specific, quickly produced products that take advantage of the market’s current circumstances. Goals • Have a team capable of developing products quickly. • Create products that represent unexpected income

for the organization. • Generate products that impact a new audience

or that are relevant to the organization.

Accomplishments • 1.300 magazines about the World Urban Forum and

1.300 about tourism (in english) distributed free of charge at the event, aside from circulating with the newspaper. Advertising sales reached U$15.000.

• 36.000 magazines for the anniversary of the country’s most influential business organization with U$55.000 in income.

• Magazine about the World Cup distributed with the newspaper and generating street sales of 80%; advertising sales reached U$54.000.

• 39.000 magazines for the business sector with U$11.000 in income.

• 4 awards in excellence in breaking news from the Society of Newspaper Design.

NEW PROJECTS OF OPPORTUNITY

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Dos Puntos Magazine: 70

Years Andi National

Assembly. Past / Present / Future.

The magazine was created in context

with the event.

World Urban Forum Magazine.

Two issues created right

before the event.

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RSE REDESIGN CONTEST

This is a contest in which art students compete every three months with an one-page ad for a social cause. Goals • Connect the brand with a younger audience. • Show the newspaper’s commitment towards

social causes. • Display the brand’s open and adventurous spirit. Accomplishments • 106 participants. • 5 juries.

Back cover with the winning piece.

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TRANSPARENT CANDIDATES

Colombia held legislative elections in 2014. For a 102-year old publication this represents an opportunity to demonstrate superiority in the face of competitors in terms of journalistic values and a wealth of multimedia resources. Goals • Demonstrate the publication’s impartiality. • Help audiences make comparative analyses of candidates. • Motivate society’s interest in the country’s political future.

Accomplishments • Resume comparison software which had 143.866 views. • A microsite devoted to the elections. • Two forums, 12 congressional candidates, 5.000 people

connected simultaneously. • One forum, two presidential candidates, 4.957 people

connected simultaneously and more than 9.000 pre-recorded broadcasts.

• Two live streams with academic analysts, one with over 7.000 and the other with 9.887 users connected simultaneously.

• Recognition from the NGO for electoral transparency for the job accomplished.

• Multiple content in the print issue.

Uploaded and completed candidates' registration form uploaded to the Transparent Candidates site.

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OPINION WORKSHOP

This has to do with the creation of a monthly forum, an op-ed column that runs Monday thru Saturday and a microsite for the promotion and expansion of college students’ opinions. Goals • Connect the brand with students in all

undergraduate programs. • Include younger citizens’ opinions in

the editorial product offered. • Promote a culture of debate in

society.

Accomplishments • 132 columns since July 21. • 39 undergraduate programs • Sold out forums • Broke record for the most read

column in one day

Corresponding blog, to which the

chosen op-ed columns are

posted aside from academic

information.

Ad inviting people to participate:

Op-ed columnist wanted: "Young

enthusiast, critical and a good write who is currently

enrolled in college."

Presentation in print issue.