safaricom sign posts/FILE
World acclaimed business magazine, Fast Company, has named Safaricom the 9th most innovative company in the world, finishing ahead of global brands like Apple, Google, Facebook, Coca-Cola and Samsung.
In the annual issue of ‘Most Innovative Companies 2013’, Fast Company singles out Safaricom’s Daktari 1525 service where subscribers get one-on-one consultation with a doctor for a small fee.
“Local telecom giant Safaricom has built a vital bridge between doctor and patient…this year, it is boosting marketing to get more customers calling, and more Kenyans healthy,” states Fast Company.
Fast Company says the publication of The Most Innovative Companies as the most significant, high-profile editorial effort of the year. The editorial team spends months gathering and sifting data, to identify those enterprises that exemplify the best in business from across the economy and around the world.
“The end result is a package that dares to be different, emphasizing not just revenue growth and profit margins but also progressive business models and an ethos of creativity.”
The Magazine has named Nike as the number one most innovative company of 2013 for many of the sport’s company disruptive innovations but more specifically for the FuelBand bracelet and Flyknit Racer shoes.
FuelBand electronically measures your movements throughout the day and displays how many steps you have taken, how much calories you are burning and shows you how you are doing to beat your daily target. Flyknit Racer has been touted as a major risk to the traditional shoe-making process. The feather light shoe is created from knit threading rather than multiple layers of fabric.
Amazon came in second most innovative followed by Square, Splunk, Fab, Uber, Sproxil and Pinterest. Retail store Target closed the top 10 most innovative companies.
