Journal Entry No. 03:
12.06.2019
By John Davison
Some Words About Words.
If you’re sceptical about the way some brands use words to communicate about themselves i.e. visions, mission statements, straplines etc. , you’re probably right to be. There are some extraordinarily vague, pretentious, meaningless and frankly awful examples around (these are all real):
“Be Your Way” / “What Business Wants” / “You Can Make It” / “Make More Happen” / “Live Your Life”.
That last one is a particular bland favourite ☹.
However....there is a fundamental need for your business to communicate to the world.
Defining an empowering context for your business can be a guiding force for years to come. It can be the ‘North Star’ by which all decisions are made, not just marketing ones, but ALL strategic and operational decisions too.
Ikea are a great example. From the beginning, they declared the intention to: “create a better everyday life for the many people”.
Not only has it guided every part of their business model - from the way that they design, to the manufacturing processes and the ultimate pricing structure that allows the products to remain affordable to the masses. It has now even transcended furniture; the company is now partnering with Addidas, Lego and Sonos as it intends to be the source for well-designed, affordable… everything.
This belief also informs their advertising, resulting in one of the most talked-about campaigns of the year so far…
When your context is bigger than your product or service, it can act to inspire new ideas and actions ongoingly.
WeWork moving into living spaces and childcare is a lateral move from just scaling their workspaces, informed by their belief in ‘utopian communities’.
It’s worth noting that Apple save their PR announcements for an annual, high gravitas ‘unveiling’ event, to align with its belief in creating amazing customer experience.
It’s also interesting to observe that when an expansive empowering belief is missing for an organisation, decision making, ethics and public perception usually takes a nose dive.
It always occurred to me how lack-lustre and uninspiring ‘Don’t be evil’ was for a company the size and power of Google, and, I would argue, no coincidence that it has finally acted to remove thousands of extremist videos, after years of inaction around its algorithms helping extremism thrive. With nothing to guide it beyond increasing engagement and making money, it has become a huge negative force in the world IMHO.
Enron’s mission statement contained the line: ‘Ruthlessness, callousness and arrogance don't belong here.’ Ironic that their toxic culture –one that supported greed, aggression and plain illegal behaviour – lead to the complete downfall of the organisation.
It’s not enough to say what you don’t want.
So if there is a lack of clarity, inspiration and excitement in your business decision-making, perhaps the place to start is your core brand belief – what is it that you stand for? The End.
Journal Entry No. 02:
13.03.2019
By John Davison
Here at GW we encourage and empower founders to be brave enough to position their businesses as unique, strong brands; to follow their own path and see the future through a unique lens. AND we recognise, that to put yourself and your business in a pioneering space, can feel intimidating to say the least.
There is a passage in Adam Grant’s book – ‘Originals’ that touches on a few stories of reluctant leaders from history, all of whom had to be encouraged, supported and coaxed by their peers …
The Declaration of Independence, for instance, nearly didn’t happen as George Washington was focussed on managing his business affairs and only joined the cause after John Adams nominated him as commander in chief of the army. “I have used every endeavour in my power to avoid it,” he wrote.
Martin Luther King was not interested in leading the civil rights movement, preferring instead to focus on his church work and education. Again, he was nominated for the presidency. “It happened so quickly that I did not even have time to think it through. It is probable that if I had, I would have declined the nomination.” And his ‘I have a dream’ speech only happened because a colleague proposed he should be the closing speaker.
Steve Wozniak, founder of Apple, refused to leave his full-time job at Hewlett-Packard, even after securing $250,000 investment. “I was just afraid,” he said. He only took the leap as a result of encouragement from Steve jobs and multiple friends and family.
There are many other examples throughout history.
Now, you may be disappointed to discover that these people weren’t natural, unstoppable visionaries. Personally, I find it reassuring that even history’s most extraordinary people were still human, still scared of taking a leap into the unknown. Which means the only difference between any of us and these mavericks is, firstly, a supportive environment; and secondly, the willingness to have a crack and take action, despite the fear. The End.
Journal Entry No. 01:
06.02.2019
By John Davison
One of my most memorable lectures at University was by graphic novel illustrator and designer Dave McKean. Actually, the only thing I can remember was his one line of advice to a room full of under grad illustrators – “find your voice”. That instruction has stayed with me as a creative professional ever since (which, sadly is freakin’ ages. Like 20 years). I spent years searching for this elusive voice mainly by copying other people, following trends and attempting to keep my finger on the pulse. Alas to no avail. Then something happened when I turned forty. I just started drawing like I did when I was a kid. For the pure pleasure of making marks on a piece of paper. With no consideration of opinion, admiration or approval. And there it was. My voice. There all along.
Why am I telling you this? Because I think that’s really what I intend GoodWeird to be – a way to find and express your voice. Which doesn’t require adding anything. It’s already there. It sometimes requires digging beneath a few layers and trusting in your own brilliant eccentricities. The End.