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Pointers and commentary on emerging futures issues collected by Z + Partners
Sony PSP "Cocoon" Concept Furniture
A group of students from the Royal College of Art in London have designed a series of Iron-Maiden/Burkha-like pieces of 'furniture' inspired by the forms of people sitting, standing or leaning against walls engaged in playing the PlayStation Portable. The sculptures (that's really what they are) are fabulous pieces of social commentry on the peculiar brand of social autism of the deeply-plugged-in. From the website:
The cocoon-like nature of the furniture is related to the experience of playing games on the PSP. Initial inspiration came from observing group play at a barbecue: when still light in the early evening, a group of players put their coats over their heads to create shade and see the PSP's screen better. Despite not being able to see each other at all, they continued to happily taunt, insult and otherwise interact with each other as is the norm throughout the course of a game. Later on, we observed people huddled together during play, adopting statue-like poses and postures – some sitting, some standing, some leaning – largely unaware of the party going on around them. (AZ: here's a great picture of this behavior.)As the realism, sense of psychic investment and intimacy of these devices continues to climb, one wonders if a social disapprobation of gaming in public will emerge. After all, we ban sex in public, but some of the things we do on our PSPs are just as, if not more intimate.
The PSP Furniture will be on display at RCA from 2-10 December 2005.
Neema's Networks
Photo of Neema by Alex Zolli
We spend a lot of time here at Z+ Partners thinking about networks: how to create them, when and where they should grow and, most importantly, who can benefit from them. For that reason (amongst many many others), we were fortunate enough to exchange ideas and aspirations with Neema Mgana, Sun Participation Fellow at PopTech 2005 and a nominee for this year's Nobel Peace Prize (through the campaign 1000 Women for the Nobel Peace Prize.)
Neema's work with HIV/AIDS in Tanzania led her to create one of the most effective knowledge and resource-sharing networks for development in Africa. It began as an organization working with a few groups in Tanzania. Today African Regional Youth Initiative has blossomed into a continent-wide network with over two hundred groups in all countries in Africa.
Now Neema is moving her network strategy to the global level as she works collaboratively to develop the International Council for Global Initiatives, an effort that facilitates cross-regional collaboration with groups and individuals involved in international development.
With the power of these networks behind her, Neema spoke to us about challenges that have yet to be solved:
The advances made in the last few decades in terms of advancing children’s rights to survival, education, and health (i.e. through agreements such the Convention of the Rights of the Child) are being threatened in several countries and are actually reverting back to 1950’s statistics. This reversal is being done by three leading factors: HIV/AIDS, poverty and armed conflict.
More than 1 billion children are being underserved and their health is being jeopardized.
The second thing on my list is the “digital divide.” In Africa, out of 800 million people in 2001, only 1 in 4 had a radio, 1 in 13 a television set, 1 in 40 a telephone and 1 out of 130 a computer. The divide is increasing. Solutions to the digital divide do not include giving everyone access to a computer and the Internet as the infrastructure for ICTs is not adequate in most African countries.
Although we can put heavy investment into technology, we need to equally address some of the underlying issues that are challenging the African continent. Is it moral or ethical to focus solely on technology when entire populations of people are dying in the prime of their lives? Life expectancies in Swaziland, Mozambique, Zambia and Lesotho will all be under 40 years by 2010 as a result of HIV/AIDS. In Botswana, the life expectancy will be 29.
Virus: Virtual and Real
In the midst of growing concerns about the H5N1 virus, there is another virus killing off the innocent in the virtual world. The BBC reports that the online game World of Warcraft is suffering from the spread of a deadly disease:A deadly virtual plague has broken out in the online game World of Warcraft. Although limited to only a few of the game's servers the numbers of characters that have fallen victim is thought to be in the thousands. Originally it was thought that the deadly digital disease was the result of a programming bug in a location only recently added to the Warcraft game. However, it now appears that players kicked off the plague and then kept it spreading after the first outbreak.
Kim McKay and Jenny Bonnin on Marketing and Social Change
Kim McKay and Jenny Bonnin of Momentum2
We've recently formed a strategic partnership with Momentum2, a terrific social and strategic marketing firm based in Sydney, Australia. Run by Kim McKay and Jenny Bonnin, Momentum2 has helped create breakthrough social marketing programs in areas as wide-ranging as environmental cleanup and genomics. For example, they were instrumental in creating the My Green Bag program, a partnership with retailers that has led to hundreds of thousands of Australians to replace their disposable shopping bags with sturdy, reusable bags. They are masters at creating this kind of positive change on a massive scale.
(You can read more about this terrific firm, and our partnership with them here.)
We sat down with Jenny and Kim to explore their approach to social marketing, their outlook on the field, and what drives them to ‘change the world’.
AZ: First off, what was the personal experience – your epiphany moment – when you decided to focus your business on social marketing?
Kim: I think we’ve both been involved in social marketing in one way or another for most of our careers. If there was one moment though that stays with me, it was the first Clean Up Sydney Harbour Day in January 1989 when 40,000 people turned out to remove 5,000 tonnes of rubbish from our beautiful harbour. I knew my marketing and communications skills, learned through years of working on global events and consumer marketing, could be used to make a positive difference to the community – and our environment. I ‘sold’ the issue of community participation to drive change using the same principals that I would have previously used to sell a bottle of soda or a new fragrance.
Jenny: I have always practiced social marketing even when it wasn’t called that to varying degrees of success-- however my epiphany moment was only relatively recent when I understood that I had been training all my professional life for NOW. All the lessons and experience came together in a moment when I just knew that I was old enough and strong enough to take on a big challenge that would highlight key issues. Prof. Tim Flannery at a Business Leaders Forum in Melbourne in 2004 showed photographs of how the world’s ecosystems and natural environments will be affected over the next 100 years and I knew that I had to help. I know how to generate publicity for these issues through creative media management and promotions. This is what I have always done but frankly now my old clients just don’t seem to have the meaning in them that I have found in our new projects.
AZ: What’s changed about the world that’s created an environment where social marketing has developed as its own ‘discipline’?
Joint Response: A realization by governments and business that communities (people) hold enormous power to enact change. Whether it’s through consumer or shareholder behaviour, employee concerns or community action we, the people can make or break organizations or respond well to issues of global relevance.
Undoubtedly, the impact of the internet as a global ‘community’ and a media entity in its own right and the impact of mobile phone usage/text messaging in organizing public action almost instantaneously has put real power in the public’s hands.
We’ve seen companies collapse virtually overnight because their reputation has been damaged and we’ve seen others survive principally because their investment in the community ‘trust bank’ has been at the core of their operations. Social marketing – both the conception of ideas and the way they are enacted and communicated, has to be part of the operating remit of organizations.
AZ: You’ve both been incredibly successful at social marketing – what are the principals or ‘drivers’ of your approach?
Kim: I’m particularly interested in creating public participation in programs – taking ‘awareness’ of an issue and moving everyone along to ‘action’ and ‘involvement’. After years of experimenting with different programs and seeing what the consistent elements of a successful campaign are, I’ve come up with my four ‘essential elements’:
1. The Charismatic Leader
Communities look for leadership and an authentic and passionate voice can make all the difference. I don’t believe in ‘conscripted’ celebrities – just find those natural leaders who speak from the heart to ‘sell’ the message.
2. Public Participation
If you touch people and raise their awareness about an issue, then you have to provide them an outlet to become involved – and that’s more than simply registering on a website (although that’s a good start!). Give them something real to do – where their participation (time and commitment) will provide some personal fulfillment and make a difference to their world.
3. It’s All About Communications
Most organizations still fail to realize that they’re in the communications business – if people don’t know about your issue then how on earth do you expect them to become involved or react? Communicate, communicate and then do it some more. Get the best, most creative, public communications people you can find and understand they are your most important asset – more important than the lawyers (you can tell that’s where I started …but it’s true!).
4. Creative Budget
Once you’ve worked out that it’s all about communications, then ensure your budget reflects that. When we first did Clean Up, I directed 80% towards telling people about the project and only 20% towards the operations. It was the right approach, but how many organizations are brave enough to split their budgets that way?
Jenny: Basically, I think if I can’t see and understand what is going on then neither is anyone else. I totally believe in a picture telling a million stories and have always ‘seen’ if the message is clear. I guess as a creative and perceptive soul it is easy for me to work in the social marketing arena with the following guildelines that seem to still work!
1. Think big – why not? Audacious goals are definitely a huge personal driver
2. How does it look? – Design and the message is all about harnessing focus
3. Passion - Sell it in Yourself! - How many times can the personal power of the project creator get it happening when others can’t?
4. Believe that you can really make a difference – To the detractors and those who give up too easily I say “if you think you’re too small to make a difference, you haven’t been in bed with a mosquito!”
AZ: What is the reaction from senior executives in corporations to social marketing – are they ‘embracing’ it?
Kim: It’s still hard to get the financial controller on board but it can be done! We think the last few years have demonstrated that corporate social responsibility should be a core function of any business and in the future, triple bottom line reporting will be the norm. Employees, shareholders and communities will demand it. Social marketing is part of this – a way of connecting the organization with their community in a practical and positive way.
Jenny: We live in a new era and we have to change how we live to build a better and healthier society. Some ‘ old school ‘ management styles can’t cope with this yet and often dismiss social marketing as ‘soft’ but we think time’s up! “If a river can alter its course over a lifetime so can we” (www.howies.co.uk)
AZ: There must be times when social marketing misses the mark – when good ideas go bad. Is there a recent example you can cite?
Joint response: It makes us think of the quote…….."The hottest places in hell are for those people who try to manipulate the idealism of others for their own selfish ends."
You have to be mindful when you’re creating a campaign to not be too clever or mix your messages. And above all, be truthful – don’t ‘mask’ your actions behind another issue. The public/consumers are much smarter than most marketers give them credit for – never insult the intelligence of your audience.
We did see a bad consumer products example recently – an on-pack communication for Dannon Yogurt in the US. Dannon is saying:
“Each year, it takes 3.6 million pounds of plastic to create overcaps for Dannon’s 6 ounce cups. Simply put, we recognize that there are other uses for plastic! One of them is making toys available for needy children. To recognize this, we’re making a onetime donation to Toys for Tots®, enabling them to give toys to more needy children this holiday season.” (www.dannon.com)
This is disingenuous. Firstly, Dannon is saving a lot of money by discontinuing the use of plastic lids on their yoghurt. And, it’s an environmental issue too – they’re actually doing something positive for the environment by reducing the impact of their packaging – but we think they’re too sensitive about their other environmental practices to go there. So, they’re claiming there are better uses for all that plastic they have saved….toys! Give us a break! It just doesn’t ring true. It’s great they’re making a ‘onetime’ donation (we couldn’t find how much the donation is worth on the website) and that they’re promoting a good cause around the holidays, but the positioning is all wrong and it leaves a bad taste in our mouths!
