Netflix

Not so much a single innovation as the successful application and extension of an innovative business model, Netflix has impressed by building on what it already had. Taking advantage of the growing digital economy, it’s changed the way television, in particular, is accessed and absorbed

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals

2014 was the year Regeneron’s Genetics Centre became fully operational, and new research collaborations, including with Columbia University, were announced. The centre will allow Regeneron to continue its work in biopharmaceuticals

Airbnb

In 2014, Airbnb launched its first global marketing campaign – ‘Views’, by agency Pereira & O’Dell – to showcase its offerings around the world. It worked – the company has continued to grow, and Airbnb is now enshrined in tourists’ thinking

Sallie Krawcheck, Ellevate

Krawcheck’s purchase of women’s networking club 85 Broads, which she rebranded as ‘Ellevate’, has helped open up chances to professional women across the globe. In a world in which equal pay and opportunities have still not been achieved, her efforts are a welcome step

Marc Benioff, Salesforce

The cloud computing applications offered by Salesforce provide easy-to-use solutions that can be integrated with other software. In late 2014 Salesforce introduced the Customer Success Platform, which brings together apps for sales, service, marketing and analytics

Salesforce has revolutionised the way companies do business. The software platform creates a new form of delivery in the way companies serve client and supplier needs, utilising cloud technology to store enterprise data while incorporating each company’s unique architecture. Previously at Oracle as its youngest ever vice president, Marc Benioff made startling progress in the company, and recognised the gap in the market that led to the founding of Salesforce. The organisation now has a global clientbase and continues to grow.

Supplements

Innovation 40 - 2014

Netflix

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals

Airbnb

Sallie Krawcheck, Ellevate