Innovating Ethically

Flannery Jewell
fj206516@ohio.edu

Chris Hellmann, Vice President of Innovation and General Manager for Coca-Cola Freestyle, returned to Ohio University November 8th to speak about his career journey and give tips for students going into the business world. Hellmann runs Coca-Cola's innovation center and manages Coca-Cola Freestyle, the customizable soda dispenser found in restaurants across the country. A person who is responsible for a billion dollar brand needs to have high ethical standards that impact important decisions. During his talk, Hellmann discussed the meaning of innovation and how people can create breakthrough products and businesses that compete (and create competition!) in modern markets.

Hellmann said that the definition of innovation is "something new that creates value." In our fast paced world, companies always need to innovate to stay relevant. Innovation requires a lot of creativity, but never stolen from another place. When Coca-Cola created their Freestyle machines, they patented them immediately, and also patented the technology that the machines use. The technology is called "microdosing" and essentially it mixes "doses" of syrup with carbonation to create whatever drink a person wants. Pepsi now has a similar machine, but it uses different technology. Although Pepsi wouldn't be able to legally use microdosing in their products, this goes to show that there is always an alternative way to innovate that is perfectly ethical and doesn't involve stealing others' technology.

Another point that Hellmann made was that in order to stand out in todays markets, businesses need to create "disruptive technologies." These are new innovations that revitalize a dying industry. His example for this was Uber, the digital ride app that revolutionized the stagnant taxi industry. In order to do this, one has to do their homework and understand the guts of the particular industry they are looking to innovate. It's all about finding the right time and method you will use to help your business. Hellmann is a marketing and sales specialist, but at the innovation center he manages, he oversees a team of engineers. Although they do not come from the same career backgrounds, they all are working toward the same goal. Hellmann makes sure that they keep an open dialogue and stay on the same page with each other.

When applying for his position, Hellmann emphasized the importance of storytelling. He said that in order to market yourself, you have to be able to tell your own story in a way that is relevant to the company you are interviewing for. As a journalism major, I know how to tell stories, but I never thought about applying that to myself. Hellmann said to figure out the problem that the employer is trying to solve by hiring you, and to base your story around that, using your experience. This does not mean fabricating anything, just framing your experience so it is most applicable to the job you are applying for.

Hellmann's presentation helped me understand that there are always ways to innovate that will not violate anyone's code of ethics, and that as long as you develop good common sense, you can be successful.