The Annenberg Innovation Lab is a high-energy, fast-paced Think & Do Tank in the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California. We define innovation as a social, collaborative process involving artists, scientists, humanists and industry professionals working together on new problems and opportunities raised by technological and cultural change. Our mission is to foster real-world innovation at the dynamic intersection of media and culture.
The Lab emphasizes research that combines theory and practice to understand the ongoing evolution of media and its impact on governments, businesses, education, creators and consumers, with a particular focus on the future of the media landscape and its impact on society over the next 3-5 years.
By mixing leading domain experts, thought leaders, scholars and practitioners from across USC with sponsors and research partners from some of the world’s most innovative global companies, foundations, and public sector entities, the Innovation Lab has pioneered breakthroughs in multiple areas, including big data social sentiment analytics and the use of transmedia techniques in branding, ideation, social curation and storytelling.
In its short history, the Innovation Lab has attracted support from leading media, technology, telecom and consumer products companies from around the world, including BET Networks, Cisco Systems, DirecTV, Disney, Dreamworks Animation, EPB, Fox Broadcasting, Havas Media, IBM, Intel, The Los Angeles Times, Mattel, Orange, Paramount Pictures, Petrobras, Spark 44, Verizon, Viacom, and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. We have also received funding from the Ahmanson Foundation, the Blackstone Foundation, the Digital Media Learning Research Hub supported by the MacArthur Foundation, and the Gates Foundation to work on projects at the intersection of social and technological spheres.