PLM may sound simple, the art is all about science and magic. Ensuring that you understand what is happening in the world, in terms of the environment (where the stuff to make everything comes from = science), knowing as much as you can about the people who could buy it and what they need and want (even if they don’t know it yet = science) and putting something together that talks to you and me in such a way that we want it (magic).

This article focus on the start of any PLM journey WHO, WHAT, WHY…How could Reebok sell trainers for $1?

So, what is this really about?

• Generating employee loyalty?
• Creating and innovating projects in poor and developing areas of the world?
• A chance for people to feel good again?
• Corporations doing good, really? Just think about what Coke did years ago. They went to the far flung places in the world and sold their product at a price point that area could afford. Where ever I went with my backpack in the world I could share a coke with a local it was awesome and created world domination because of brand loyalty, people have grown up with that brand – it’s a fundamental part of their lives and has kept Coke at number 1 – creating brand loyalty is what this is all about isn’t it?
• Even if it is it’s a slap on the back all round because economically this is what developing areas need. Source the materials locally so the people involved in that get money to invest in looking for better materials, get the local workforce to make them, so they have money to buy them (and educate their families which will lead to lots of other ideas) – it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Sustainable PLM is still finding its feet in industry and I think this is a great example of just what can and needs to be done by companies who want to future proof what they do and how they do it. They say it’s a social project which is interesting and I assume a nice PR angle. Social is just one aspect of work that is being addressed adidas are creating projects that address the future needs of doing business, finding new markets and ultimately new consumers.

Interestingly the article focuses on the price point and how they are having to go back to basics to figure out how to make this work and what the price point is, it may not be a $1…this is fantastic and a exercise every business should be doing right now. Forget the term recession, our world has changed and we need to know how to work within the new rules.

How are you looking forward to see who your future customers are and how you are going to reach them no matter how unrealistic that may sound? May be everyone should start a $1 project…

Firstly, it’s free to play. You can build villages and help neighbours for ‘joy’ currency, in-game coins for real charitable works which are converted to real-world non profit donations that promote healthcare and education. Buying an in-game fountain, for example, contributes a donation for cleaner water. Players can support projects they choose that help people around the world and then track them on a day to day basis. But perhaps most commercially distinctive, players can generate a donation from a sponsored advertiser through ‘joy’ points, without any money out of their own pocket.

I’m not a gamer myself, but could this ‘social gaming’ be a thing that really takes off? Two problems I can see create an interesting debate. Is the very attraction to gaming, in that it’s disconnected from the mundaneness of real-life, undermined by this link to the harsh reality of the real world? Further, is linking this harsh reality for some to frivolous play-time for others ever going to be good thing?

Personally, I fell in love with this idea. The question of success will be answered in how well it’s executed. Social enterprises often struggle with the straddling of economic success and moral purpose, needing to be doing ‘good’ in two often incompatible ways. The key in delivering success in all areas will be answered by asking how well they are fulfilling their players, investors and customers’ needs.

Also really interesting that the fastest shrinking country is Moldova, why? emigration. Whereas the the fastest growing country is Qatar, why? immigrant workforce. Bring in the statistics on urbanisation and a good bottle of wine and we could be hear for some time.

The numbers are not accurate but we know that the message is correct the world population is growing at speed and we need to be aware of the challenges that creates.

Impact on the environment depends on population size, consumption and how technology effects the environmental impact. Of course we need to look at ways we can reduce consumption and improve technology – we need more innovation in these areas.

Is a diverse group of people more innovative and creative than a homogeneous one? Is migration going to be the worlds self healing programme? I have no factual data on this but I do know what I see. The worlds greatest cities are already inhabited by large and diverse foreign populations and there are lots of migrant entrepreneurs. The transnational companies we work with have diverse working teams that create innovative behaviour just because of the differences in the group.

The world is getting bigger and its changing.

Mobility of highly skilled workers has been increasing due to globalisation and the growing importance of the knowledge economy, many companies already benefit from this and countries too benefit from the transfer of new ideas and work practices; there is an increasing amount of new knowledge and ideas that we should be harnessing and using to solve the problems we face.

The younger migrants seem to have a great skill base, are more entrepreneurial, less risk averse and believe that they will move several times in their life and commute between countries. This is just what the world needs surely? Is the biggest challenge how we bring that together and make it work? The heart in the picture represents what we need to achieve, as we tell our clients most weeks; talking about and planning change is easy its the execution of sustainable change that is difficult and of course makes the difference.

As the 3,641,850,266th person alive on earth I want to make a difference, what about you?

In a staggering feat of twisted logic, lawyers for Coca-Cola are defending the lawsuit by asserting that “no consumer could reasonably be misled into thinking vitaminwater was a healthy beverage.” I completely agree with John Robbins who says I still can’t get over the bizarre audacity of Coke’s legal case. Forced to defend themselves in court, they are acknowledging that vitaminwater isn’t a healthy product. But they are arguing that advertising it as such isn’t false advertising, because no could possibly believe such a ridiculous claim.

” Noting that the soft drink giant wasn’t claiming the lawsuit was wrong on factual grounds, the judge wrote that, “Accordingly, I must accept the factual allegations in the complaint as true.”

I can’t help but think that the constant threat of strike action, especially as they approach the busy Christmas period can only be compared to a ritual of self-harm.

Change is Necessary

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has agreed that ‘change is necessary’ – So what’s the problem?

In short they would like…

• Job security
• No redundancies
• Higher pay
• Shorter working week
• More quality time
• More say in job roles

I wonder, during this time of economic recovery, how many other businesses are maintaining the status quo?

Unfortunately the reality is there will be a price to pay for modernisation whether that is job cuts due to automation, higher prices to customers or privatisation.

Royal Mail has a lot to live up to, they are a ‘British institution’, and both employee and customer will have a perception of what this means. Has our relationship with Royal Mail forced them to hold back on radical modernisation? Or did it make them complacent?

Is it too Late?

The price of a stamp is a bargain, for 39p you can send a standard letter 1st class to anywhere in the UK, it’s incredible that they have been able to offer this service for so long. Personally I would like it to continue and would be happy to take a price rise on the chin if I knew that my letter would arrive when I needed it to. Solutions are rarely this simple, the postman is still delivering my mail but the envelopes are marked ‘UK Mail’, they offer the same service for just 32p.

It seems all are agreed on the fact that change is inevitable, for Royal Mail and their competitors this is ‘consumer led’ and as a result ultimately needs to lead to increasing customer satisfaction. For Royal Mail it’s a game of catch-up, will they do or die?

“He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery.” – Harold Wilson

“We are not paid to think, just do – copy, paste, print”

I read this on Nina’s twitter, wayofthemonkey and it got me thinking about the mentality behind the statement, why people would feel this way and wondered, are they missing out?

Why?

• Most of us ‘need’ to work; does this ‘need’ limit our enthusiasm?
• When an activity is non-negotiable do we switch to auto pilot?
• If we imagine what is ahead does it look too hard?
• Does thinking everything through slow us down?
• Will thinking force new and uncomfortable experiences that could lead to change?
• Will our wider network support new ideas?

When you consider the reasons why a person would feel more inclined to just ‘put their head down and get on with it’ you begin to wonder ‘is thinking a trap’?

“Just Do It”

In 1988 one of the most famous advertising slogans was coined for Nike – “Just Do It”. The campaign has been a remarkable success given that 80% of trainers sold in the USA are not used for the purpose for which they were designed. The ads rarely focus on the product, but on people, they give an insight into the intense, inwardly focused competitor. Nike has attracted those who want the image without incurring the pain.

The truth is success is rarely nurtured in isolation. The sporting icons that Nike focuses on are undoubtedly great, but are they made greater by reaching out and utilising the talent of a combination of resources?

Reach out

When we focus on ourselves we are in danger of becoming detached from what is happening around us. I am not just talking about our immediate team of people, company or community, but also the wider social network that we now have the ability to reach out to in so many ways.

Reaching out is an opportunity to increase knowledge. Extending our network of resources helps us to unlock untapped potential and access what is inside people, be it stories of success or failure.

Are You Missing Out?

One person can not be great at everything. Thinking and engaging opens up everything we do in the world, its like ‘magic’.

If we can set aside our fears of the changes our thoughts may bring, we will discover that every day holds the potential for something new.

Think about it – Don’t miss out

Why was Picasso so successful, sought after and inventive? He was not afraid to challenge what had gone before.

How many times do you hear the statement ‘there is nothing new or original anymore’?

Is it true?

Surely everyday little pieces of original creation go missed by the world at large. In fact, have we all become desensitized because we are bombarded with so many things at such speed? Do we take enough time to realise how things knit together?

21st Century Originality

It is the knitting together that creates the 21st century originality. As an example, over lunch with Ralph Ardill from the Brand Experience Consultancy he was talking about the science project he had launched in Dublin, The Science Gallery. Building an experiential science centre is not original, but the key to the success of that project is that disenchanted teenagers who don’t know what they are into (art, media, science, music, porn, etc.)? will walk through the door not to be a spectator, but to be the creators of the projects that go on inside that building.

It is their hope that one of those participants will ultimately become a Nobel Prize winner.

It is the creative and inspiring knitting together of old and new that will enable that to happen.

Move Forward

We have to look back to move forward. The art is to deconstruct something that has been successful and be bold enough to push that vision so that it creates a new legacy.

This art of deconstruction creates disruption. This process un-nerves people, pushing them outside their comfort zone, but only by doing this can we hope to create something of substance and originality.

What are you going to knit today?

Congratulations to PZ Cussons who today celebrate the unveiling of their £26m Innovation Centre. To Cheeky Monkey the Innovation Centre was much more than a building project, it was the bringing together of 3 businesses onto one site.

The Cheeky Monkey team had the honor of directing the wider Innovation Centre project, overseeing CBRE and Bennetts Architects as the construction team who were one of four main streams that contributed to the overall delivery of the PZC Innovation Centre.

Nothing makes us happier than to see this vision being unveiled and we would like to congratulate all employees of PZ Cussons for having the courage to invest in such a venture, swimming against the tide of businesses no longer investing in the UK.