Case Study: Verizon Wireless achieves $25M in business benefits and unified enterprise innovation with HYPE Innovation

Verizon Wireless - Customer Case Study

Verizon Wireless, the largest U.S. telecommunications provider with over 185,000 employees, needed a global innovation platform to unite multiple business units and external initiatives. The core challenge was to merge local mindsets into a cohesive innovation culture, collect cross‑unit insights and employee feedback, and expose gaps in product and service offerings.

Planbox delivered a single enterprise platform that aligned five major business units while preserving unit-level branding and admin needs, and opened the innovation process to external participants. The campaign drew 1,300+ submissions from 125+ countries (backed by a national TV blitz), awarded $11M in prizes, reduced evaluator headcount from 1,500+ to 285, increased idea submissions 16% year‑over‑year, cut average turnaround time 21%, and generated over $25M in business benefits.

Verizon Wireless

Bill Ruhl

Director CMI Excellence and Marketplace