Game Changer: How to update a business model in the media communication agency industry

Abstract: This thesis aims to examine what part, or parts, of media communication agency’s business model that should be updated in order to become a game changer. To examine this, first a qualitative research approach is used to describe a media communication agency’s current business model, the current business model are then described in the form of a Business Model Canvas. As game changers often are equal to innovators and the unit of analysis in this thesis is a media communication agency’s business model it was needed to examine where in a business model there is potential for innovation. To examine this, The Business Model Canvas, first introduced by Osterwalder and Pignuer, represented the different parts of a business model and the three different innovation models from The Business Model Innovation Framework, introduced by Giesen, Berman, Bell and Blitz, identified the potential for innovation in the business model.

To apply the findings on a media communication agency’s business model a case study at one of Sweden’s most prominent media communication agencies was undertaken. As it was needed to examine what innovation model that were best aligned with the concerned industry, the capability of the studied agency and the visions of the studied agency interviews were held with mangers and expertise individuals from within the media communication agency industry.

The results of this study showed that the game changing parts of a business model is dependent of which kind of innovation approach that is used in the business model innovation process. The innovation approach or model that are most aligned with the company and its industry gave the result of both which part that was critical to be a game changer and how these part could be utilized by describing what each innovation model included for kind of innovation actions. This study also confirms the complexity and hurdles of business model innovation.