FOLKLORE

Tom Wittlin writes...

Written April 2016 ECOMMERCE MULBERRY - Mulberry.com The loved English heritage brand that for years eluded to a life of quirky eccentricity, creativity and good taste all served on a bed of wholesome country living has taken a dramatic twist for 2016. Their new website which launched last month, gives little away with regards to future direction. A short teaser film shows even less of what we’ve come to expect from Mulberry, but its the images gracing the homepage that raised eyebrows. A model sporting a crew cut hugging pieces from the collection shot in what looks like old school - a subtle gag there? Either way, its a far cry from Tim Walker's fluffy monsters and Alice in Wonderland theatrics. I’m all for changes in direction, it keeps you fresh, but unless everything was completely broken a brand should respect its story. I know several Mulberry fans who’ve been turned off by this new look, yet Creative Director Johnny Coca says he wants to respect and capture this thing with such importance to our nation. For me, he’s not done that - yet. In a time when brands are embracing the humour and quirk we expect from Mulberry, I wonder if they’re simply ahead of the game in this move back to serious - interesting to see where he goes next.

Max Strom; writer-teacher had some alarming things to say about the state of the human race.

Did you know that 80 million Americans take sleep medication every night? Or that 40% of people don’t exercise? What about the fact that by 2020, depression and anxiety will be the world’s leading cause of disability?

If you think that's scary, consider that, in this world of hyper-connectivity, people feel more isolated than they've ever done before. And while this dilemma ticks away, we continue to put our stresses and grievances on the backburner - to hit our targets, keep up the good work, and become successful. It's no wonder that, somewhere down the line, you'll realise that you might not survive your success.

Using a toolkit of poignant anecdotes, thought-provoking parables, and a variety of practical breath exercises, Max made things clear. The breath, not medication, is the answer to the grief we carry around with us. Away with panic attacks, away with sleepless nights, away with the fight-or-flight mentality. By taking time to be mindful, and to breathe deep, we can overcome stress, be inspired, and fulfil our potential.

Folk believes that every challenge and obstacle we face in life, love, and business can be conquered with a simple change in perspective. Last week’s Leaders Breathe event is the first of many, designed to dismantle, probe, and reflect upon the corporate status quo. If you'd like to discover how Folk turns these theories into practice to disrupt the digital landscape, drop us an email.

Are you a leader who loves to learn? Do you spend your spare time working on yourself, your stories, your habits and your communication skills so you can give more and be better at what you do? 

What if there was one thing you could do for free everyday to power-charge all the learning and growth you invest your time and energy into? What if this one thing could dramatically improve your performance, focus and empathy as a leader? 

This event on Wednesday 10th February will give you everything you need to make huge shifts... 

December 2015 THE BEST OF

Digital brand films / campaigns of 2015

Johnny Walker Blue Label

If you're going to do a film, this is a way to go...

Honda Road Readers

Honda demonstrating their intelligence; where you can, be useful

Opt Outside Friday

Encouraging the world to look beyond rampant consumerism.

ENVIRONMENT

Adidas / G-Star / Parley for the Oceans

Each year 8 million metric tons of waste plastic ends up in our oceans. The worst part is that plastic, for all it’s genius - doesn’t degrade. Which means each year more is added, and not disappearing. What happens is aquatic life mistakes small pieces of plastic for food and as a result either dies or gets caught for our consumption - then we end up ingesting it too. It’s a problem often overlooked by many companies creating new products daily. There is hope however: non-profits such as Parley for the Oceans are working with brands like Adidas and G-Star Raw to produce fabrics made entirely from ocean plastic to manufacture new products. It can be woven to produce clothing or formed to produce shoes and soles. All it really requires is intelligent thinking that considers planet before profit. Something we wish to encourage more with the brands that we work with is this type of thinking. We understand the beauty, craft and creativity in luxury products however, the question is how can we continue to bring this appreciation for aesthetic to life, without harm to others or earth. Read at Business of Fashion here

SMART STORE

Van Heusen

Not luxury, but garment maker for ‘professionals’ Van Heusen opened a 'smart store' in India trying out the use of digital in a physical environment.  You wander in, get scanned by something that takes your measurements allowing you to move about the store interacting with the other digital services that are tailored to you. Further gadgets include; a style bar; where you flick through digital looks and even change the mood depending on the look, and style tips - for those in real trouble. I don’t know - maybe I’m old fashioned, (or not a Van Heusen customer), but this feels too much too late. I don’t think we’ll ever move away from personal service, that’s what makes luxury and the physical shopping experience what it is - someone’s time. Technology is there to save time and money, so if all you’re doing is interacting with a computer in store, you may as well just do it at home - no?  

I don't believe I ordered this?

As part of my work I spend a lot of time researching and gathering information on what's happening within the digital world. Some things are good, others not so. I thought it'd be a useful exercise to share that research yourself, to let you know what's going on and the sorts of things we look at.

Be well,

Tom Wittlin

Creative Director

www.wearefolk.com

Hello, Tom here again.

Innovations reporter, PSFK, released their 'Future of retail' report this month, containing the usual mix of future trends and hair-brained concepts from left-field creatives. There can be a tendency to show off whizzy features first, and actual, practical usefulness second...  so the real clever stuff stands out when the customer's put first and smart thinking triumphs over smart tech.  

Below is an idea that stood out, plus a couple of other interesting things happening online.

(Don't worry - there's no mention of the bloody John Lewis advert)  

Enjoy.

RETAIL CONCEPT

BMW - The Experience

An idea relatively sacrificial in terms of direct sales , focuse d on giving new customers an insight into the work of the German maker.

This retail concept experience involves being picked up by a BMW, driven to an exclusive event, learning about the brand, and being immersed in a full sensory show. You'll get sales spiel - however not from BMW, but BMW drivers - more useful and likely to generate more authentic advocacy.

It's a concept, but I love its originality. I'm not target audience - I'd opt for a 1957 Mercedes 300 SL myself - but the idea of a brand creating an expression of themselves as something I could enjoy  whether I buy or not , trumps adverts telling me to buy a BMW for  the kudos .

Read more about the concept on PSFK

CAMPAIGN / TECH

Burberry / Mario Testino / Snapchat

I didn't really want to mention Burberry again this month, but this is rather good.

Their latest campaign picked up on the urgency of fashion by launching their SS16 collection via Snapchat. A series of images, shot by Mr Testino were live to those in the know for just 24 hoursbefore the catwalk show in London. It attracted enormous attention; as much for the mobile-only social   platform as the collection and photographer themselves.

This is brilliant not because Snapchat is 'cool' but because it demonstrates how well Burberry understand their audience. Nobody (they're interested in talking to) uses desktops, it's happening in people's hands and it's happening now. Somewhat unnerving. Think about it too long it'll send your head into a spin. But if you consider they've come to understand that's where their customers are, then just built ideas from there, it's easier to fathom, and makes perfect sense.

Read more about the campaign on WWD

CAMPAIGN

REI - OptOutside

Sorry - I also didn't want to mention Black Friday - but American outdoors brand REI have done something worthy of mention.

As most brands begin putting in extra security and hiding away breakables ahead of today's ridiculous sales, REI have done the opposite. They're closing all 143 of their stores and told staff to take the day off and go outside and do something other than shopping. They also invite us to do the same.

We exist in a mad consumerist age where for many, ownership and status have replaced enjoyment of freedom and life. Brands today have such immense power of suggestion and influence over people (more than governments on occasion), it's time they used it to do good.

This is so incredibly brave, and a bold step towards making the world a better place.

http://optoutside.rei.com

I don't believe I ordered this?

So since last month I've added a few new people I've met to this list, as such you may be wondering why on earth this email has landed in your inbox.

It's really rather simple: as part of my work I spend a lot of time researching and gathering information on what's happening within the digital world. Some things are good, others not so. I thought it'd be a useful exercise to share that research yourself, to let you know what's going on and the sorts of things we look at.

Tom Wittlin writes:

Given the disproportionate amount of time I spend scouring the web finding fashion and luxury brands leading the way creatively and technically, I thought I could make use of this reading by writing it down and sharing it with others.

Namely, you.

Each month I'll endeavour to provide just 3 or so noteworthy events from across the internet - along with a personal critique of each. Be it a campaign, website, film or collaboration.

There's no statistical data nor hypothetical predictions and statements telling you what you should be doing, this is purely things people are doing or have done - or just things that have caught my eye, as a creative director.

I'm writing only to people I know personally, but if you'd prefer to be left alone, please write and let me know, I do hope you find this useful.

Prada - Inside Me

A series of abstract short films casting the viewer into imaginary worlds to promote a line of bags.

This is cool. In an age where luxury brands can look and feel the same online, creativity is one defining factor. Blending live action with a painterly style akin to A Scanner Darkly, this abstract, artistic concept breaks from the norm and whisks you away to another world.

No gimmicks, no sharing, no logging in or accounts, this is simple, straightforward artistic and original. Hats off Prada.

http://www.prada.com/en/collections/inside-me.html

Kenzo - Flower the world

Plant digital flowers over the world and send them to friends using Google maps.

I've always admired Kenzo for their progressive thinking and devil-may-care styling, but despite the cute message this feels a bit pedestrian.

Burberry did Kisses with Google over 2 years ago - a smart, well adopted concept. By contrast, this seems a bit behind the times. I've planted a flower - now what? Said flower doesn't appear on Street View to brighten up dull streets, and I'm not sure why (beyond curiosity) I'd bother to do something like this. Then again, I'm not a girl nor do I wear perfume.

http://www.flowerbykenzo.com/en-us/flower-the-world/experience

Burberry / Apple Music

Burberry launch a channel on Apple's new music platform.

Burberry have always championed new music, starting with their series of acoustic films online and in-store shows, so this is a natural progression.

If you're an Apple music user, you can follow Burberry as a 'curator' of new musical artists and live videos - part of Apple's strategy to collaborate with brands owning a real appreciation for music.

We’re proud to announce that Folk has become one of the founding B Corporations in the UK. We’ve joined a global movement committed to using business as a force for good. B Corporations are for-profit, purpose-driven companies, redefining success in business.

It’s not quite 10 years old yet, but the movement is here for the long-term. So far, it’s making waves in 41 countries, in 121 different industries. As we’re writing this press release, there’s a total of around 1,300 B Corps business worldwide.

Companies are awarded B Corps certification based on their social and/or environmental visions. These companies focus on creating benefits for everyone - whether they’re clients, staff, or the surrounding community.

To certify as a B Corps, we've completed a rigorous assessment. The performance standards are comprehensive and transparent, and measure a company’s impact on all its stakeholders, e.g. workers, suppliers, community, and the environment. But while we’re over the moon to have made the cut, we’re not resting on our laurels just yet.

“We have always felt passionately about doing good with business” says Jo Cruickshanks, Folk’s founder, “but it's never been officially baked into our whole organisational structure and at the heart of our decision making process, from the day-today right through to the board level. The B Corp movement allows us to authentically commit to our purpose as a business and a group of people, whilst at the same time putting us in a community with other leaders and game-changers doing the same. This is a very exciting time for us all and we are delighted to be at the forefront of what I am sure will be global change for business"

Louis Pollard writes:

Freedom, but at what cost?

The teal thing: it seems the deeper we go, the more we uncover. That said, we’ve been pretty good at overcoming challenges so far. And any teething pains... well, they’re relatively short-lived, most of the time.

Nevertheless, there is something on my mind.

As someone whose work is fuelled by unpredictable pockets of creativity, the nine-to-five has always felt odd to me. If I search for the catalyst to a creative campaign, for example, chances are I won’t find it. It’ll find me, probably, and when I least expect it - some six to eight hours down the line.

If this kind of thing happens during a traditional working day, what happens? Well, I can’t sit there being unproductive, or the shiftwork gods will smite me down. So, I slug on through, feeling totally not-in-love with the dribble materialising on the page. Then, at 5pm, I pack up my things and go. On the walk home I feel a little ashamed. Then, I spend the whole evening thinking about how half-arsed that particular piece of work felt. That affects the next day, for sure - and though I’m not proud to say it, that’s happened before.

But now, honestly...

… I feel free. I’m safe in the knowledge that if I’m stuck, I can take a breather, and come back to the task with fresh eyes. For me, most of my inspiration comes late at night (it’s when I do my personal writing, and thinking, and so on). I love coasting on the winds of a creative moment, so I do - and as a result, my projects are brimming with energy. And because I’m positive about my work, I’m positive about doing it more, and more, and more. The nine-to-five, for me at least, is not just arbitrary - it’s a hindrance.

I’ll sum up by referring you to the fable of the industrious mouse, the moral of which is more or less: have fun, but be sensible, and work hard. To be fair, I know we do. The challenge, I suppose, is keeping it up.

Here’s a quote from Russell Ackoff: 'The righter we do the wrong thing, the wronger we become. Therefore, when we correct a mistake doing the wrong thing we become wronger. It is better to do the right thing wrong than the wrong thing right.'

Makes sense. And it describes what happens to us when we try to create change at work: It’s not always going to feel great, and it could go horribly, but it’s better than doing things wrong.

On that note, this week’s journal entry is about cultivating frustration, because we’re starting to get vocal about things. For example, how do we recruit if we don’t have set job descriptions? How do we tell people what we do? How do we measure success? How do we run our teams around our clients, and keep productivity high? Why do we do things that way if the result isn’t the very best? Why, why, why?

Questions with no set answers produce lots of frustration. However, this means we’re on the path to doing the right thing right, not the wrong thing right.  We’re wholeheartedly becoming a business that believes in and trusts in people. This means a lot of questioning - what is, what has been - and it means channeling our frustrations. What’s even trickier is that we have work and projects to run. I guess the good news is that those frustrations are already turning into progress. There are more questions about whether what we’re doing is on purpose for each client, about how we’ll know not just whether this project is a success, but whether it was worthwhile and meaningful. This has brought a whole new level of collaboration and creativity to the fore, and that, whilst bloody frustrating because it takes more time in the beginning, is something very real, and exciting.

There’s freedom in frustration. Next time you experience that at work, try shifting the perspective; see that it can mean something better's emerging. See what happens and let us know what you discover.

I’m also curious to know what you think about teal, about what you'd like explained (if anything), and what you honestly think from the outside of Folk. Email me at [email protected].

Yours frustratedly,

Jo

Fear only rules us if we let it …

Last week, Tom posted an article about Folk becoming a teal organisation. So, what’ve we learned in seven days?

To sum it up in one sentence: We’re beginning to see past our own fears and patterns.

We’re learning to embrace and celebrate confusion, and the unknown. Sounds a bit weird, I suppose. But, we’re all conditioned to avoid, or at least minimise confusion. We spend our lives trying to be certain, to know what’s going to happen next. We’re experts in doing this, and we all sit in meetings pretending we’re absolutely certain about all sorts of things.

But we’re not. It’s an illusion, and what the tealward move is showing us is that uncertainty is okay. It actually helps us to become better, faster, and more connected as an organisation. The realisation many of us have come to is that our aversion to uncertainty is what limits true potential, creativity, and connection. By championing certainty, we let fear call the shots.

Let me give you an example.

One person, a long time Folk ‘manager’, found himself fundamentally questioning his worth now he was free of his management title. He was confused about his contribution to the business, and felt like he didn’t know whether he was worth his wage. And he wasn’t the only one. Anyway, we chatted. I asked him about his purpose, his experience, our purpose, and how to be most effective for our clients. Lightbulb moment.

Teal isn’t anarchy, or a flat hierarchy, or even consensus building. Teal is about contribution to a greater purpose - and an understanding that no-one is ever really right, or certain. Some people may have more experience or influence, but they still don’t know for sure. This gives everyone the freedom and permission to participate and contribute. And this is what it’s all about. The work. We’re not ridding ourselves of a job title to be a ‘cool, happy-clappy creative agency’. We’re relinquishing ourselves of the need to be told what we do, by whom, so that we can be fucking good at what we do for our clients. We’re doing this to shift the mindset from: ‘I do this’, to: ‘Is this the right thing to do?’.

I don’t want to get paid to pretend I know, I want to be paid to disrupt, transform, and make a difference. I want to challenge the certain in other organisations to really understand and craft things that mean something to people. Our strategies and solutions are not based on assumptions, but on the uncertain; on the emotional, intangible, ever-changing behaviour of real people out there in the world. Only by beginning to peel away those layers of conditioning can we really allow ourselves to know others. Then we can build and make things that matter.

We can see early on that those conversations and opinions about job titles are part of the game.  But they’re not the important the issue here, really.  It’s much deeper, much more human and much more emotional. Teal is total, personal acceptance and integration into an organisation. Hierarchy is present, but it’s on another level. There’s an unwritten freedom… and it’s within this freedom that you’ll find Folk’s heightened state of accountability.

So, confusion is everywhere at Folk at the moment. And from this confusion, we’re asking, ‘Is that the best way?’, ‘Why do we do it that way?’ ... Is it coincidence that our productivity is up, new opportunities, and partnerships are up, and team morale is up? I don’t think so, but I won’t claim to know for sure. Then I’ll get too comfortable, and stop loving the chaos.

If you’re interested in our journey, I’d love to hear from you. Drop an email to [email protected].

Tom Wittlin writes...

If you know anything about Folk, you’ll know we're not a traditional agency.

A lot of agencies brandish themselves as ‘different’, but seldom few actually demonstrate how they are.

The Folk difference has always been clear.

Begin with the purpose in mind and let that be the guide.

Not the spec, the budget, the whims of the stakeholders, the financial targets, the hits, the views, the shares or even the sales.

The purpose.

We’ve been banging on for day and age about how important it is to have a genuine, damn good reason to go out into the world and expect someone to part with their hard earned cash to own something you have got to sell - and to be 100% authentic, we’d admit to it working sometimes, and others less so.

The reason it wouldn’t is usually down to levels of acceptance everyone has to putting their hearts on their sleeves and genuinely wanting to make a difference - over making sales.

To be clear, this isn’t a slight on any client (or other company) for whom the temptation of huge profit margins becomes too big to ignore. We’re first to admit, to display this level of bravery is something that requires a complete shift of vision and mindset. All the fears the business would collapse, that it’s ‘not what people want’ and all the other excuses or thoughts that keep us in our boxes are experienced by people as completely real.

But they are just that - thoughts. They don’t really exist, unless you make them.

A willingness to let go of the old paradigms of how a business should be gives access to a completely new realm of possibility. It gives an individual, or an entire organisation a new sense of excitement that outsiders want to know about - they want in on, because, for some arcane reason, the people at this place not only WANT to work - they’re excited by it.

So what is it that drives that? And how do you stay fresh.

But not making an effort to ‘stay fresh’ - and simply allowing you to be yourself.

This has been our message to clients for years. We’ve always asked, "how can we demonstrate this level of bravery and attitude towards a new way of working that proves our commitment to be led by purpose?” and today that question was answered.

Last week was a momentous day for Folk. That morning, Jo, Folk's founder dropped a 9am bombshell on the entire team.

Going forward, Folk would operate under the following set of rules:

No job titles.

No bosses.

No targets.

No KPI’s.

No working hours.

No time tracking.

And no fear.

A bold move.

To take a company that has existed for the past several years on a very tight, rigid structure that many hours has been spent developing into; what would seem like to any outsider ‘utter chaos’ appears professional suicide.

But this is all about trust.

Jo spoke directly to the hearts not the minds of the team, when she shared her desire for us to create even better work for our clients, from a place of total authenticity and devoid of boundaries that she’s willing to jeopardise (potentially) everything in the next 6 days.

After her announcement took place, if we all wanted to bugger off to the pub without a single ounce of fear for reprimand, we could have done.

So far, nobody has.

Over the next 6 weeks, Jo and I will be keeping a diary of the effect this extraordinary change in structure has on; clients, the work we produce and the team itself. Our goal is to share how something as open minded (and hearted) as complete trust has on a team of 25 people who are all used to operating in a 9-5 mentality.

At the end of week 6, we’ll review how it’s gone using a results chart, then make the all important decision on whether to maintain this way of working, or revert back to the existing hierarchical operation.

Welcome to the page of Folk, Poole. We're an agency with purpose that starts with why, because...