Here is a useful Futures tool if you are looking for trends that would impact your brand, business or community.
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It’s often argued that one of the attributes making us human is that we have both consciousness and a conscience. We are capable of thinking, reasoning, and acting — of behaving as rational, autonomous and ethical beings. We’re familiar with the idea that individuals are shaped by the time and space they find themselves in. We know that our context provides us with social notions of responsibility, accountability, agency, and intentionality. In short: we are socialised to adhere to particular moral rules, actions and reasoning within our social context. What happens, then, when individuals act within the context of an organisation? Can an organisation be moral? We could argue that morality here would be shaped by individual choice, environmental factors, and organisational structures. In industry terms, the concept we’re looking for is “brand community”. Take note Bo-Kaap is Cape Town’s cobble-stoned, vibrant-coloured, community-oriented neighbourhood and oldest suburb. What started out as rental homes for enslaved peoples was later transformed into a colourful expression of freedom. Today, the community faces challenges of eviction, gentrification, property development and advances by wealthy outsiders looking to relocate to a prime urban location. Recently, protests were held in a call for the protection of this heritage site. With the rise of ethical consumption, we’re increasingly seeing corporations come under fire for their seemingly immoral and unethical behaviour. The community of Bo-Kaap is united by a strong bond, communal purpose and shared sense of belonging. Threats to this community appear to be organisations and corporate individuals lacking integrity. Lesson 1: build a brand community It seems that “growth” remains the strongest word in the corporate dictionary. Companies constantly want more consumers to buy into what they are selling, but there is a limit to growth. Companies risk losing their existing community in their pursuit of others. The problem with focusing on an untapped market is that organisations chance losing those who already form part of their brand community. Sometimes, fostering existing loyalty is more valuable than chasing after uncertain growth. In the case of the Bo-Kaap, enabling and empowering it to be sustainable, recognised, and respected is vital to the continuation of the community, as well as its meanings, values, history, and culture. Building a deeply rooted sense of connection is difficult to do in any context — sustaining an existing one is simpler. There’s a kinship among [people] who have sat by a dying fire and measured the worth of their life by it. — William Golding, novelist Lesson 2: conduct ethical business We’ve all at some point come across the phrase “the triple bottom line”: people, planet, and profit. While it’s admirable to address these three areas of responsibility, there are several others that should be taken into consideration. Some of these include: environmental sustainability initiatives, philanthropic giving, ethical business practices, economic responsibility, legal dimension, and more. It’s wise to respond to trends of ethical consumerism while upholding the values of the organisation. In conducting ethical businesses, it would instil a deep sense of responsibility towards the brand among its community. It’s through the brand community that its attitudes, meanings, behaviours and more are furthered. Morality differs in every society, and is a convenient term for socially approved habits — Ruth Benedict, anthropologist. Lesson 3: apply community-based solutions Most marketing, advertising and business strategies aim to attain new customers and consumers. Alternatively, some brands are turning to community-based approaches in which they encourage their audience to be active participants in conversations and brand engagements. Traditional marketing tends to be one-sided and instructive, while a more-modern approach is non-intrusive and addresses the needs of existing community members. Tips on how to conduct community-based marketing Everyone sees what you appear to be, few experience what you really are. — Niccolò Machiavelli, diplomat. This article was published on Marklives
Too often we treat a complex problem as complicated and lose sight of possible solutions or desired outcomes. Zwelihle’s unrest is just one example of how a complex problem can be overcomplicated and threaten the sustainability of a system or organisation.When presented with a problem, we can place it in one of four categories:
Take note Zwelihle — the name translates to “beautiful place” because of its prime location between sea and mountain — is a township situated between Hermanus and Sandbaai, Western Cape. Most of its residents have disproportionately less income compared to their more-affluent neighbouring towns. What started out as a small and peaceful march to the mayor’s office around a year ago (News24 reported this in December 2018, but residents say there were peaceful marches prior to that), with the intention of raising concerns over housing and service delivery, was met with delayed and unsatisfactory responses from local government and leadership. Since then, it has evolved into a series of protests involving multiple participants and concerns. The matter has escalated into something far beyond its origins. We find ourselves in a time of rapid change. Complex contexts produce complex problems that require adaptable solutions. A community, organisation, family, and country are all complex systems with multiple moving parts that interact with one another and create different results. If an organisation remains unchanged, it would be vulnerable to surprises. The key is to transform with the times, foster an environment of learning and creativity, engage critically with participants in the system or organisation, and continuously reflect on where the organisation is and where it needs to be. Lesson 1: Socialise strategically An issue within Hermanus and Zwelihle is that there is a strong focus on difference rather than similarity, destruction rather than creation, and continuation rather than transformation. The time and place have changed but the narratives, relationships, power-relations, and logic stay the same. Hermanus and Zwelihle are largely stuck in a cyclical pattern that regenerates the past, rather than moving forward toward a different future. This is the same for organisations which have an internal us-vs-them behaviour that creates social exclusion or outcasts in the workplace, organisations which place levels of employment on a hierarchy and separate task teams to construct boundaries between colleagues, and organisations which prefer ‘business as usual’ and defend the way things have always been done, rather than being disruptive, transformative, and progressive. The difficulty lies, not in the new ideas, but in escaping from the old ones — John Maynard Keynes, economist Lesson 2: Promote participation The unrest in Zwelihle has revealed a gap in leadership and mistrust in government. Protest and police intervention have highlighted the powerplays between leadership and residents, and it has encouraged resistance to authority. What’s needed here is a shared sense of purpose, a goal of a sustainable future for all involved, incorporating diversity, and a reframing of narratives to be more inclusive, to be motivated by an ideal future, and to incorporate multiple perspectives in developing the solution. Organisations that experience fading corporate culture, disconnect between colleagues, or a lack of faith in management, should consider revisiting their mission and reformulating their vision. There needs to be a plan of co-operation, coherence and positive competition put into place. The future is already here — it’s just not very evenly distributed — William Gibson, writer Lesson 3: Diversify sustainably Hermanus has traditionally been financially viable for three main reasons: tourism, small business and access to labour from neighbouring areas. Owing to the protests, holiday-goers are at times prevented from entering Hermanus and surrounds, warding off tourism and the potential income that comes with it. During protests, employees residing in Zwelihle are prevented from going to work, and this negatively impacts their own finances, the businesses they work for, and the town’s overall viability. It is vital – for an organisation’s survival and sustainability – to diversity its offers and income streams, and to prepare for those unexpected surprises in its ever-changing environment. One way of being prepared for the unexpected is to first understand what is happening or changing in the organisation’s immediate and broader contexts by paying attention to news and narratives being circulated. The second step is to map these changes in terms of trends, quantitative patterns, and anticipated outcomes or scenarios. Finally, the best way to anticipate the future is to create it; influence the desired outcome by developing a plan, vision, and actions needed to make it a reality. The best way to predict the future is to invent it — Alan Kay, computer scientist This article was published on Marklives
There are many sides to a story. Brands often attempt to control their narrative, but neglect to realise the impact that different perspectives have on telling an authentic and holistic story. The small town of Nieu Bethesda is just one example of how narratives can take on a life of their own, and create an entirely new brand story. Nestled deep in the Karoo is a forgotten outpost. This isolated place that, at first glance, appears to have missed the 21st Century, is Nieu Bethesda. A key driver of tourism – apart from the allure of escape from busy city-life – is the narrative surrounding the artist of the Owl House. This home-turned-museum filled with cement sculptures, glass fragments, and speculation, deeply inspired South African playwright, Athol Fugard, who then wrote The Road to Mecca. It is his story to which many attribute Nieu Bethesda’s prolonged existence and current success as a tourist destination. Take note There are many stories, rumours and myths surrounding Nieu Bethesda, and the Owl House in particular. These stories are sources of information, meaning, interest, speculation, and conversation. To illustrate the complexity and potency of storytelling – especially when considering the multiple perspectives from which a story can be viewed, interpreted and explained – we can explore an example of the elusive mermaid. There is evidence to show that millions of years ago parts of the Karoo were underwater. When the ocean receded, it left pockets of fertile land and underground caverns – believed to be the hiding place of the mythical Karoo mermaids. There are rock paintings depicting fish-tailed human figures, and folktales that warn of these alluring creatures. Some interpret the story to be a warning rather than historical account because water is both scarce and dangerous; the story of the Karoo Mermaid could be told to prevent children from drowning or wasting water. Mermaid sculptures feature in the Camel Yard of the Owl House, too – adding to its mystical enchantment and perhaps another layer of interpretation to the age-old tale. This is just one example of how there are many sides to a story, and highlights the importance of piecing together different elements to get the full picture. Lesson 1: collaborate and create collectively The case of Nieu Bethesda teaches us that it is important for brands to incorporate multiple perspectives in order to formulate a holistic perspective and inclusive story. Storytelling is a way for brands to construct meaning and to reveal different lived experiences of their consumers. Brands that collaborate with consumers as active participants are successful in creating shared meaning and a collective identity associated with their brand narrative. Human beings participate in history both as actors and narrators – Michel Trouillot, Anthropologist Lesson 2: tell timeless tales Even though we live in times of accelerated change where the present rapidly disappears into the past, we will always be able to find several timeless human truths that stand the test of time. Themes like ‘belonging’, ‘identity’, ‘honesty’, ‘commitment’, ‘hope’ and others are relatable regardless of time or place. Brands that incorporate these human truths into their narratives are able to speak to a wider audience, across generations and geographical borders. The more things change, the more they stay the same - Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr, novelist Lesson 3: disrupt without destroying The things we think about become the words we speak and the actions we do. The opportunity to communicate ideas to a large audience comes with the responsibility to effect positive change. Brands that are aware of the politics and poetics of storytelling are more enlightened and progressive in the way that they present their narratives, and are capable of being disruptive. Are we the result of our history, or the cause of our future? – Philip Spies, Professor This article was published on Marklives
Mai Mai is a traditional Zulu market situated in Johannesburg’s CBD down the road from the trendy Maboneng Precinct. When you arrive there, you’re likely to find a row of taxis being hand-washed outside the entrance while Maskandi music blares from their speakers. To the left of the market is a food area, tables and chairs set up in clusters and grills lined up underneath tin roofs with pigeons perched on top. Women with long skirts and painted faces sort through piles of raw meat. To the right of the market is an informal settlement — the dividing wall plastered with posters advertising live music performances by Maskandi artists. Walking further into the market space, there are makeshift stalls selling sweets and blankets, and cages stuffed with chickens stacked against a wall with a mural painting depicting a village scene. Further along still, some men play card games with MTN-branded playing cards, and others play checkers on tables constructed from cement blocks and chipboard. The air is thick with smoke, varnish, herbs, and stagnant drain water. When you reach the actual market — the small brick trading rooms that used to be stables for horses in the 1920s — you see a beer depot, a small dance space, coffins, animal skins, fighting sticks, pots, drums, beads, and branded car‑tyre sandals. Take note There are three distinct types of car-tyre sandals sold at Mai Mai: izingcab’lela (similar to ox-leather sandals that originated from KwaZulu-Natal), dabula izinzwane (meaning “cut between the toes”, worn by traditional dancers from nearby hostels) and izimbadada (branded fashion-statements). What makes these branded izimbadada so intriguing is that they make a very bold statement about branding. Each pair of shoes is sold for the same price, regardless of which brand they feature — whether it’s Nike or Lacoste, Puma or Adidas, Gucci or any other brand, it’s all the same. Brands here are all the same. They are assigned a collective identity: they all cue aesthetic value (stylish and trendy), economic value (branded items are known to be expensive), personal value (an expression of identity), and use value (an indicator of social status). Lesson 1: Understand the context of consumption Mai Mai market, as an example, shows us the impact migration may have on a person’s lifestyle, mindset and consumption behaviour. In an increasingly globalised world, we have access to more at an accelerated rate. Often, commodities act as a connection between ourselves and our environment — and so brands need to fight to stand out and stand for something among the clutter, chaos and confusion. They should also be adaptable to different contexts, not simply a global campaign transplanted into a local setting. Material culture gives symbolic meaning to human activities —Ian Woodward, author Lesson 2: Use material culture creatively The dancers and stick-fighters from nearby hostels refer to their wounds (obtained through fighting or dancing) as ‘decorations’ that hold the stories of their past experiences. Adornment plays a big role in ceremonies, celebrations and rituals the world over. Similarly, in everyday life, clothing is an expression and extension of our personal identity. In addition to this, brands enable us to renegotiate our external identity by adding messages and meanings to how we present ourselves and to the story we communicate about ourselves. Your body is the canvas of your life —Johnny Clegg, anthropologist Lesson 3: Know your consumer Mai Mai market shows us that global brands are aspirational, but that they lack individual meaning in this space. Consumers who frequent this market range from youthful newcomers to older regulars, from migrant workers to business professionals. They tend to be after the same thing: they are looking to maintain a connection between the two worlds they occupy: a fast-paced, ever changing, westernised, modern cityscape and a familiar, grounded, consistent traditional landscape. Global brands have the opportunity to acknowledge the consumer’s style, values and aspirations — and to respond in a localised, personalised, authentic way. Status symbols can serve expressive functions, relating to a person’s own style, taste or cultural values, as either real or aspired to — Erving Goffman, sociologist This article was published on Marklives
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MARGUERITE COETZEE
ANTHROPOLOGIST | ARTIST | FUTURIST CATEGORIES
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