strategy
frameworks, useful questions, and thoughts around our practice :)
strategy
We are living through an era where trend cycles move at hyper-speed, compressed into 24-hour cycles. Every day, there’s a new shiny fad, a new viral moment, flocks of forecasters and oracles eager to crown them with a new catchy title, in an attempt to drive engagement and visibility in the feed. Yet, these isolated spikes flatten the story and... See more
Research as a form of pattern disruption
LLMs will raise the standards for our trend research. Machine and human sense-making operating in tandem, expanding what’s possible and helping us break free from our filter bubbles.
AI offers breadth - it aids me in cross-referencing unprecedented amounts of disparate information sources and millions of data points. With Sublime’s ‘Chat’ function,... See more
AI offers breadth - it aids me in cross-referencing unprecedented amounts of disparate information sources and millions of data points. With Sublime’s ‘Chat’ function,... See more
Research as a form of pattern disruption
look for, more specifically, are ‘weird’ signals. Weird signals are behaviours and phenomena that feel strange or out of place. But importantly, they also tend to hint at unanticipated future cultural upheavals. As cultural futurist Jasmine Binaexplains: “weird signals usually give us a glimpse into the future we can’t see yet. Every major cultural... See more
Research as a form of pattern disruption
5 types of human connection:
Self-connection
Micro-connection (e.g. chats with the barista)
Relational connection: within small groups (social media gives an illusion of this)
Intimate connections
Collective connection: through shared values, beliefs and interests
— Playground Zine
To stick out, brands are reliant on hyperactive, often unhinged, social handles, whose success is measured by how well the mimic prevailing trends and create stunt content rather than communicate larger brand ideas.
— From “Not a Playbook”
Are we soon going to step out of the fad cycle to re-prioritise ideas? Do people even know what ideas are anymore?
Strategy is a combination of imaginative and singular thinking. Strategy is a point of view.
The sound of distant living
That model is dying because it doesn’t match the shape of the work anymore.
The work now is faster. More fluid. More intuitive. It doesn’t move in a straight line from brief to execution – it loops and iterates and responds in real time to culture and data and platform changes. It requires people who can think and make across disciplines. It... See more
The work now is faster. More fluid. More intuitive. It doesn’t move in a straight line from brief to execution – it loops and iterates and responds in real time to culture and data and platform changes. It requires people who can think and make across disciplines. It... See more