Sensis launches SensisChallenges

Sensis has launched SensisChallenges – a specialized practice for the design and execution of custom challenges. A Challenges practice within the marketing agency, this new unit will utilize the firm’s digital marketing, technology and innovation expertise to create, manage and execute custom challenges.

“We run challenges that uncover solutions, inspire co-creation, and deliver impactful results,” said Sensis founder and President José Villa. “From design to management, we use our behavior change marketing expertise to craft Challenges that deliver actionable solutions, helping our clients discover the next big thing from unexpected places.”

“Some of the largest enterprises and biggest brands have problems that can be solved by the collective genius of experts out there in various fields. What many companies are missing is a mechanism to find these ideas and harness them in a way that is a win-win for both the brand and the innovator,” said Michael Contreras, who leads the new SensisChallenges practice. “It doesn’t matter if solutions are needed in the world of art, technology, medicine or education, through Challenges, innovators can come together and mash up perspectives, coming up with new solutions to old problems, all while winning big prizes for their thinking.”

Since launching, Sensis has built its portfolio to include eight Challenges across the public and private sector, awarding more than $3 million total in prizes. The access the agency has to some of the most experienced contest experts in the field of open innovation, along with Contreras’ extensive knowledge as an ex-rocket scientist turned-challenge expert, drives the success of the agency’s Challenge work. Prior to becoming Director of Challenges for Sensis, Contreras launched and ran the multi-million dollar Catalyst Energy Innovation Prize program featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, GigaOm, and CleanTechnica, and was a Principal Investigator and Spacecraft Engineer at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. A former Fulbright Scholar, Contreras firmly believes in innovation through the global exchange of ideas.