Innovation—the trendy word that everyone loves but doesn’t love to define. Google can generate 2,820,000,000 results in .52 seconds on “What is innovation?”, but we think it takes longer to explain. It’s common knowledge that agency life revolves around growth and innovation and that it is an essential part of day-to-day operations. But what does it truly mean for each individual? How can one person innovate?

Innovation is the introduction of something new, which is nonexistent without change. Whether big or small, internal or external, change occurs when people begin to push against what they know toward what is new. Going the extra mile, going above and beyond—whatever you may call it. This form of growth is what pushes a team, and therefore a business, forward. As methods, solutions, and algorithms are ever-changing, agency team members in every department continuously encourage each other to push boundaries to innovate for their clients and career development.

Innovation is not a part of Telegraph—it’s who we are. Telegraph is full of ideators, inventors, and creators with different unique talents and skills that mesh together to create the final product of what you see on your screen. Sure, the final creative product may leave you admiring the work, but who coordinated the project? Who made sure the creative brief aligned with the client’s goals? Who implemented the website changes?

We know this blog wouldn’t be complete without collaboration from the Telegraph team itself, so we put the ball back in their court. Whether it’s watching the latest Adweek webinar, scrolling through LinkedIn, or collaborating with teammates—here are three of our team’s tips on sparking inspiration and innovation:

1. Seek out inspiring work and research your favorite brands.
   NOLEN: Associate Creative Director “I seek out designers and brands that aren’t necessarily the most popular or most well-known, but who are doing the most interesting work. “Interesting” usually trickles from the bottom up, not from the big guys on down. When I come across an interesting brand I dig around to find out who crafted it, and if the rest of their work is interesting I explore it as much as I can. I try to figure out how they think because you’ll never be innovative by simply copying. But if you can decipher how other people think, learn how they create signals and messages in response to the zeitgeist mix and match all this thinking and then cross-pollinate it to the brands you’re working with, that’s when innovation can happen.

   “WHITNEY: Account Executive “I follow local and out-of-state agencies on social media to keep up-to-date with what cool ideas and projects people are working on- always helpful to see how others respond to clients’ needs. I also follow general marketing accounts that push global content and updates that help me prepare for what’s to come next. I think internally pushing to show each other our completed work and also collaborating ideas amongst the AEs always helps get different perspectives and pushes us to do better.”

2. Use your industry resources.
   EMMA AND SOPHIA: Brand Strategy “One way that we stay innovative in the brand strategy field is by listening to relevant podcasts that discuss topics we are either familiar with and want to explore new methods in that space, or that we don’t have as much experience with and are eager to learn more about. We collaborate and challenge one another to think differently and outside of standard expectations. We brainstorm and push ourselves creatively to come up with unique solutions and brand positionings for our clients. We ask each other, “Why?” to help us dig deeper into different topics and ensure we have a strong rationale and strategic thinking behind everything we do. We also leverage research platforms to keep us informed on the latest trends, insights, and statistics about our clients’ audiences, industries, and consumers in general.”Recommended brand resources:
   
   • Podcast: The Brand Master Podcast
   • Articles/blogs/newsletters: Medium, Forrester, Marketing Brew
   • Books: The Brand Gap, Building a Storybrand, Zag
   • Webinars: ADWEEK, Gartner, Resonate
   • Platforms: Numerator, Sparktoro, Statista

   ABBY: Account Executive “As an Account Executive, I stay innovative by continuing to learn whether that comes from my peers and colleagues or client research. I use Google Alerts to stay up to date with news in the industries my clients fall in. As a Samford graduate, one thing that I want to be better at is reconnecting with my Alma Mater through the Young Alumni Association and the events they host throughout the year.”
   

3. Lean on your community for support and inspiration.
   MICHELE: Project Manager “How I stay innovative in my field is by being part of other project management communities whether that’s on LinkedIn or online. Listening, conversing & learning from each other in the industry pushes me to not only evaluate how I project manage at the moment but also provides new and more efficient perspectives for future projects as well. The Telegraph PMO team is truly a spectacular group of talented individuals that I feel lucky to be a part of.”

   LOREN: Project Coordinator “The biggest tool for me to stay innovative is by collaborating with others around me, especially when I’m working with others in different departments. I try to create a supportive and encouraging environment so everyone feels confident bringing their own creative freedom to the team while staying in line with the overall project.” 

This collaboration between teams is the story we TEL. It includes hours of naming labs, storyboard brainstorms, and endless research—but it only takes one spark to ignite a flame. While tasks can be checked off a to-do list, innovation and learning are never done. So keep reaching, pushing, moving and shaking—because innovation is a lifelong skill.