Innovation is often thought of in terms of products. Inventing new kinds of product and service is certainly something that’s required if your company is to be unique, but it’s not the only kind of innovation. As well as invention, you can innovate by doing something unique in marketing, branding or business organisation – something which sets you apart from the competition.
Here, we have picked five sets of company founders who have truly been “great British innovators”. For our list, we looked for several main characteristics.
First, and most obviously, they had to be innovative, either in business methods, technology, or something else.
Secondly, though, they had to have built one (or more) successful businesses on the back of their innovation. And finally, they had to be alive – which sadly ruled out the great innovators of yesteryear.
James Dyson – Dyson
In many senses, James Dyson is the definitive British technical innovator. His dual cycle bagless vacuum cleaner took over 5,000 prototypes to perfect, but became the fastest-selling vacuum cleaner in British history and has taken his company from nowhere to a major player in the market.
Dyson is also one of that rarest of British companies – one which is as much of a success overseas as it is in the UK, with 2005 seeing the company’s products outsell all its competitors in the US when counted by revenue.
Richard Reed, Adam Balon, Jon Wright – Innocent
In the marketing world, “doing an Innocent” has become almost a catch-phrase. While Innocent’s products – fresh fruit drinks – are a great example of a simple, high-quality product, what sets them apart – and what makes them innovators – is their approach to marketing. As Reed told the BBC, “if we call the company Innocent, we have a responsibility to be innocent” – and so all their communications are styled in a simple, personal and refreshing way. Or, as Reed puts it, “we take our product seriously, but not ourselves.” It’s no wonder that other, less “innocent” companies have been scrambling to try and copy the style.
Richard Branson – Virgin
That Richard Branson is one of the country’s most successful business people is never in doubt. The Virgin logo is carried on products from cosmetics to airlines, and is probably one of the most-visible logos in the world.
But what is not often remembered is how radical this idea actually is: that a brand can be on so many diverse products while having a consistent set of values underneath it, giving a unique Virgin “flavour” to each and every product. No other brand has been so successful in extending itself in this way. There have been misses as well as hits – Virgin Cola has barely troubled its bigger rival, despite Branson riding a tank into Times Square on its American launch. But even these misses haven’t damaged Virgin’s reputation – or that of Branson himself.
Herman Hauser and Chris Curry – Acorn Computers, ARM Limited
In terms of technology, Herman Hauser and Chris Curry have probably been more influential than any other UK businessmen – and some of their spin-offs have become worldwide market leaders.
The pair first came to prominence in the early 1980’s as founders of Acorn Computers, the company behind the BBC Micro – the advanced, low-cost machine which found its way into thousands of schools across the UK. Although subsequent machines didn’t do so well, Acorn spin-off ARM Ltd designed the ARM processor, a low-power chip which has found its way into most of the world’s mobile phones.
Trevor Baylis – Freeplay, Trevor Baylis Brands
Another in the long line of “great British inventors”, Baylis’ avuncular appearance occasionally masks a unique combination of business acumen and social responsibility. Baylis’ personal focus is on using technology in innovative ways to address social problems – such as the wind up radio, his “signature” product which is intended to allow people living in remote areas without access to electricity to stay in touch with the world.
With his new company, Trevor Baylis Brands, he is looking to promote the activities of inventors, showing people with good ideas how to turn them into something that can either be licensed or form a new business. If he can achieve this goal of acting as a conduit for good ideas, he will have added an extra excellent stage to an already-inspiring career.
Think we have missed someone? Think that one of our innovators isn’t really good enough for the list? Email us, and let us know – we’ll pick the best comments and publish them here.
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