The collaboration between BT and Energizer Battery through an innovation hothouse helped Energizer change its approach to innovation. BT consultants ran a boot camp and ideation process that resulted in 166 new ideas from Energizer employees. The hothouse team developed three of these ideas into business proposals. Energizer executives were impressed with the results and impact of working with BT, and the collaboration helped Energizer embed a culture of innovation throughout the company.

1. A BT Innovation case study
Energizer Battery
Innovation that keeps on going
“I am confident that we are in BT innovation consultants help Energizer see new
a better place today than we avenues to sustainable business growth
were before working with BT. We
have much more to learn from
you, and will be working to pull A business built on innovation
together a meeting in the coming
Energizer Battery is one of the world’s RTEC is part of the US-based Corporate
months to talk more about other leading manufacturers of premium batteries Executive Board, which provides best
ways to embed innovation into and flashlights and is possibly best known practice research, decision support
our culture.” for its advertising campaign featuring tools, and executive education to a
Joseph W. McClanathan the unstoppable Energizer Bunny. Part of membership that includes the world’s
President and CEO Energizer Holdings Inc. the group also has leading corporations and not-for-profit
Energizer Battery a personal care division that includes the institutions.
Schick-Wilkinson Sword range of grooming
products and other well-known brands
such as Playtex and Wet Ones. The group
Innovation practitioners
has 23 manufacturing facilities across BT operates with an open innovation ethos
five continents and it markets and sells its – a transformational mindset that re-casts
products in 165 countries. traditional roles in the innovation value
chain. This groundbreaking approach has
From the outset the Energizer Battery been recognised by external bodies, not
business has been built on innovation least by RTEC who produced a 2007 case
– one of the company founders invented study showcasing BT’s approach as a global
the first dry cell battery for consumer use leader in innovation.
in 1896 to power home telephones. Like
most companies in today’s competitive In response to Energizer’s request RTEC
environment, Energizer continues to look for recommended three companies, one
ways to grow its business. To respond to the of which was BT. Mike Rivard, General
challenge and enable diversification from its Manager, New Business Development at
existing portfolio the company knew that it Energizer Battery, says: “We were fascinated
needed to revitalise its focus on innovation. by BT’s approach, particularly the operation
of its new ideas scheme and the way it
Dan Stuckey, Vice President, Strategic quickly validated and pursued business
Business Units at Energizer Battery, opportunities with a hothouse approach.
comments: “We recognised that the We wanted to learn more and through RTEC
company was not fully leveraging the sought to establish a dialogue.”
creative minds of employees and it was
taking us far too long to get new products BT set up a team of experienced innovation
to market. Furthermore, we needed to practitioners to consult with and advise
generate great ideas for better business Energizer. John Nevins, who led the BT team,
sustainability. We wanted to see how other recalls: “Energizer executives came to the UK
companies approached innovation, so we to meet with us face-to-face. That helped
contacted the Research and Technology us to understand the challenges they were
Executive Council (RTEC) to advise us.” facing and recommend a way forward.

2. A BT Innovation case study
Energizer Battery
Our proposal featured a six-week long The boot camp commenced at the Energizer
“The Prime Pump campaign hothouse commencing with a three-day office in Westlake, Ohio in late March
really captured the imagination boot camp to impart learning. These were 2008. Mike Rivard recalls: “We had a hand
and passion of Energizer people succeeded by an ideation session, followed picked team of people providing broad
by a programme to evaluate, develop, and representation across the company to make
and got us off to a great start. It communicate the new ideas.” things happen. No one fully understood
allowed us to reach out around what they were about to commit to, but
the globe and pose targeted The requirement was for seven Energizer
they were united in one thing – they all had
Energizer’s best interests at heart.”
questions of our colleagues. We people to be dedicated to the task, plus
collected 166 new ideas from over the senior sponsor, Mike Rivard, on a part
time basis. The programme was designed to The boot camp enabled the Energizer
100 people in a matter of days.” enable skills transfer by sharing BT’s approach team to learn more about the BT approach
Mike Rivard to innovation, drawing upon the skills and and provided an understanding of its
General Manager, New Business Development
Energizer Battery
experience of seasoned practitioners. potential to deliver value quickly. It also
gave an induction to a range of tools and
techniques that BT uses to evaluate new
A key feature of the BT proposal was the
ideas and business plans; and provided an
very tangible outcome. Using a classic funnel
understanding of BT’s innovation ecosystem.
methodology, the hothouse would choose
new ideas from across the company and
develop formal proposals for consideration Mike Rivard observes: “The boot camp really
by a senior steering group. Against strict focused our minds and our approach. It was
business criteria these would be honed down tough at first but we gradually began to pull
into the ones that would deliver real and together as a team. It was a real eye-opener
immediate business benefit for Energizer and began to make us think and behave
and/or provide a platform for the future. differently to how we had in the past.”
Generating ideas The boot camp led straight into an ideation
day when the team began to evaluate and
To generate the raw material for the ideation develop the new ideas from the campaign,
session and subsequent hothouse phases as well as others put forward by the team.
BT recommended an Energizer Prime The output was a series of one-page
Pump campaign, part of the BT New Ideas business cases that described each idea, the
scheme. This would encourage Energizer fit with Energizer strategy, the commercial
staff to put forward ideas for new product or rationale, and the business benefits. These
market development and create the means were then clustered into 14 groups and
for the company to tap into the wealth of prioritised, based on market attractiveness
knowledge and innovation inherent within and ability to execute. This ultimately
its workforce. provided a shortlist of nine propositions for
the team to develop during the next phase
The Prime Pump campaign was conducted of the programme.
just prior to the boot camp and was
managed and hosted by BT using a tailored The Energizer hothouse team developed
version of its New Ideas application. Mike the selected ideas through more advanced
Rivard says: “The Prime Pump campaign research and dialogue and created more
really captured the imagination and passion detailed outputs. These were first critiqued
of Energizer people and got us off to a great by the BT consultants and then socialised
start. It allowed us to reach out around the within Energizer before being presented
globe and pose targeted questions of our to the steering group. Mike Rivard notes:
colleagues. We collected 166 new ideas from “The steering group was impressed with the
over 100 people in a matter of days.” achievements of the team in such a short
time. We selected three of the ideas to work
up into formal business proposals over the
final three weeks of the hothouse.”

3. A BT Innovation case study
Energizer Battery
Reaping benefits
“The ideas that we are now
pursuing could well make a The hothouse team held weekly conference Dan Stuckey concludes: “The ideas that
significant difference to the calls with BT to review progress and, just we are now pursuing could well make
before the second steering group meeting, a significant difference to the future of
future of Energizer, but one thing the BT team returned to the US to provide Energizer, but one thing is for sure and that
is for sure and that is that the final consultancy and guidance. Mike Rivard is that the collaboration with BT has helped
collaboration with BT has helped recalls: “The BT team added enormous change our company forever.”
value in preparing us for that crucial second
change our company forever.” review, enabling a much higher level of
Dan Stuckey That gratitude was echoed by the
critique and analysis than we would have
Vice President, Strategic Business Units President and CEO of Energizer, Joseph W.
done on our own. Our executives were
Energizer Battery McClanathan, who remarked in an email to
very complimentary about the way the
members of the BT executive board: “I am
information was presented and endorsed all
confident that we are in a better place today
three of the ideas.”
than we were before working with BT. We
have much more to learn from you, and will
The programme has had a lasting impact be working to pull together a meeting in the
on individuals involved in the hothouse coming months to talk more about other
and many commented that it had been ways to embed innovation into our culture.”
a wonderful personal development That meeting has now been scheduled and
opportunity. Mike Rivard says: “Most of will focus on planning a second hothouse to
them agreed it was the hardest they had generate more new business development
ever worked but the most fun they had opportunities for Energizer as well as extend
ever had. The level of commitment from BT and spread the learning.
was fantastic. Many of the people involved
feel completely reinvigorated in their role
and have become evangelists for the new
approach.”
About the BT Open Innovation approach
At BT the strategic importance of innovation is evident at the highest
levels. Today, open innovation is transforming the way BT innovates for its
customers and brings products and services to market. Recognition that
innovation in the product pipeline alone is no longer a differentiator in a
fast-moving ultra-competitive marketplace has led to the creation of a
new organisational structure that harnesses innovation globally for the
benefit of BT’s customers, employees and shareholders.
The process underlying BT’s open innovation strategy is the Innovation
Continuum, an end-to-end framework enabling seamless integration of
innovation activities at every step along the value chain, from spotting
a market opportunity and conceptualising a product or service to the
development of distribution and marketing infrastructures. BT’s open
Offices worldwide
innovation strategy also cultivates close links with other innovation
The services described in this publication are subject
partners, helping to manage research and development risk.
to availability and may be modified from time to time.
Services and equipment are provided subject to British
Telecommunications plc’s respective standard conditions
of contract. Nothing in this publication forms any part of
any contract.
© British Telecommunications plc 2008.
Registered office: 81 Newgate Street, London EC1A 7AJ
Registered in England No: 1800000