The Gap Between
Innovation Vision & In-Market Performance
Innovation Is a Strategic Priority — Yet Growth Impact Lags
Nearly 80% of CPG executives say innovation is a top-three priority, yet only 1 in 5 companies have seen launches translate into real performance gains.
Source: BCG, 2023
Cross-Functional Friction Slows Execution
Three out of four cross-functional teams underperform on key business metrics slowed by unclear roles, misalignment, and decision bottlenecks.
Source: McKinsey, 2024.
Burnout Is Eroding Innovation Capacity
66% of employees report feeling burned out; a record high that drains creativity, slows innovation, and fuels turnover.
Source: Forbes, 2025.
Market Complexity Is Outpacing Innovation Systems
About 20% of decisions in the typical consumer journey are now influenced by large language models. The consumer landscape is evolving faster than traditional innovation systems can adapt.
Source: BCG, “The AI-Driven Consumer Journey,” September 2025.
Innovation doesn’t fail because of ideas or process gaps.
It fails when it’s treated as a function or pipeline,
rather than designed & operated
as an integrated system.
our pov
Closing the gap between innovation vision & in-market performance requires operationalizing innovation as a high-performing, integrated engine; one that consistently delivers solutions that are desirable to consumers, viable for the business, and feasible to execute at scale.
Sustainable innovation performance depends on aligning both the structural drivers of the organization & the human dynamics that power execution.
When innovation is managed in parts, performance becomes inconsistent and reactive. When designed and operated as a system, it becomes a reliable engine for growth.
Innovation is not a function to optimize.
It is a system to design.
what we do
Co-design & operationalize fit-to-purpose Innovation
Engines with CPG innovation leaders
We ensure innovation operates as an integrated system that consistently translates vision into in-market performance.
We align Strategy, Systems of Work, Team & Culture, & Leadership — the four wheels of the Innovation Engine — to accelerate speed-to-market and strengthen commercial impact.
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The innovation
engine model
STRATEGY- Clarify where to play & how to win. Vision on how to build the future. Define innovation priorities that link consumer insight, business ambition, & resource focus — turning vision into a roadmap for growth.
TEAM & CULTURE- Build a culture of trust, accountability, and creativity. Equip team members with skillset and mindset around shared goals and clear roles so collaboration fuels momentum instead of swirl.
LEADERSHIP BELIEFS & BEHAVIOR- The decisive factor in making innovation work. Leaders set the tone for clarity, learning, and resilience — modeling the mindset and presence that drive progress without burnout.
SYSTEMS OF WORK- Design a learning system, with clarity of principles, governance, & decision pathways that keep innovation moving. Replace rigid processes & checklists with adaptable teams with clear systems of operating focused on clear criteria and deliverables.
strategy
team & culture
systems of work
leadership & behavior
The innovation engine model
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SERVICES
Innovation Engine Audit
We assess the strength and alignment of your Innovation Engine and develop a clear roadmap for innovation transformation.
Outcome: a prioritized plan to close the gap between vision and in-market performance.
Innovation engine design
We design a fit-to-purpose Innovation Engine and equip your teams to run it.
This includes operating model design, governance alignment, and targeted training to build the capabilities required for sustained performance.
implementation and optimization
We pilot, embed, and optimize the Innovation Engine in real time.
Through hands-on support, capability building, and leadership enablement, we ensure the system performs — not just on paper, but in market
ABOUT our founder
Vivian Rhoads
Founder, Rhoads 2 Growth
After more than 20 years leading innovation inside global CPG organizations, Vivian recognized a recurring pattern:
Innovation doesn’t fail because of ideas. It fails when structural systems and human dynamics are misaligned.
That insight became the foundation of the Innovation Engine Model — integrating strategy, systems of work, team culture, and leadership behaviors to drive sustainable growth.
Rhoads 2 Growth operates as a curated ecosystem of senior innovation and transformation experts — spanning strategy, consumer insight, design, agile implementation, product development, training and development, and more — orchestrated by Vivian to design and operationalize high-performing Innovation Engines for enterprise growth.
* 20+ years innovating globally with disruptive + market-leading brands
* 10× revenue turnarounds from innovation initiatives
* Cut timelines from 21 → 6 for speed-to-market
* 100s of new products launched globally across channels
* Certified Leadership Coach for Organizational Performance by Heidrick & Struggles
* TTI Success Insights Partner
* Women Defining AI Advanced AI Training
BY THE NUMBERS
BRANDS WE WORKED WITH
“Vivian possesses the rare combination of a highly purposeful and visionary leader with strong strategic and innovation capabilities, along with being highly self-aware and people-focused. She helps those around her thrive and feel cared for, which amplifies her leadership capability far beyond the standard hard drivers we’re all too accustomed to in the business world.”
Peter Green, Co-Founder Humanizing Work
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