Cream's cream of the crop

Online intelligence service Cream "The Innovation Exchange" (www.creamglobal.com) is celebrating the most innovative companies from the last 12 months in its new book, No Apples: 100 Other Top Innovators. Cream focuses on innovation in the media and marketing industry and used votes from industry professionals combined with its own editorial expertise to compile the 'Cream 100'.

Olivia Solon, editor of Cream, says: "The subject reflects the core values of the Cream brand, which provides thousands of world-class examples of media, marketing and innovation to clients that want to share knowledge and drive best practice. Every day we see revolutionary business models, new challenger brands, technologists and pioneers all rising from a bleak economic backdrop, and this book brings together the best of them."

Why no Apples? The core issue is...

"Why did we call the book No Apples? When we set about seeking submissions for this book, it wasn't a huge surprise to see that a lot of people agreed that Apple is an innovator. This is good for Apple, but not so good if you are trying to create a book of 100 innovators. As a result we had to specify that people 'didn't just nominate Apple' in our nominations requests, hence why we've called the book No Apples."

The beautifully designed, hardback combines stunning imagery with in-depth interviews with key players at companies including Intel, Nike, Fiat, Spotify, ASICS, VW and Kodak. The 100 companies contained within the book, dubbed 'Cream 100', include brands, agencies, consultancies, technologists, charities and funding bodies - all committed to embracing new challenges and uncharted territory.

No Apples: 100 Other Top Innovators is designed to celebrate and inspire, but also has its practical uses as a PR tool or company keepsake. A preview of the book can be viewed at: www.blurb.com/books/1283318 and copies can be purchased online at www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1283318 or customised versions are available by contacting Jo Kent at cc.derauqsc@oj or call Jo on +44 (0)207 367 6978 to discuss your requirements.

More about No Apples: 100 Other Top Innovators

To qualify for The Cream 100, in the last 12 months companies had to either:

• Launched a new, innovative product or business model, or
  
• Transformed a business / repositioned a brand, or
  
• Come up with outstanding ideas for a range of clients, or
  
• Developed a new technology that has changed the marketing landscape, or
  
• Innovated to make a process or product more sustainable, or
  
• Challenged the „norm? in their geographic region or market sector

The book features a foreword from Matt Kingdon, chairman of ?What If! The Innovation Company. There are eight categories of innovators including Game Changers; Rookies & Mavericks; Multi-taskers; Technologists; Enlightened Veterans; Local Heroes; Catalysts and Social Entrepreneurs.