InEdit 1The Impact Issue

Q1 2014 London

InEdit 1The Impact Issue

Q1 2014 London

Cover ImageHigh-speed impact experiment performed at the NASA Ames Vertical Gun Range (AVGR). It shows the evolution of the hot vapour and debris (ejecta) launched out of the crater.Courtesy NASA.

85 StrandLondonWC2R 0DWUnited Kingdom

+44 020 7554 1000@InterbrandUK vimeo.com/interbrandpop

INTRO

Editor’s LetterWelcome to the very first edition of our new quarterly, InEdit. This publication began with a desire to create something that would bring to life our culture and the inspirational client work we do, and has developed into the pages you see before you.

InEdit gives a snapshot ‘behind the scenes’ view of our London office, introducing the people, the place we call home, the why, what and how of creating the great work we’re so proud of.

As we go through the year, we’ll be introducing a new theme behind each issue, and we hope you’ll enjoy reading each issue of InEdit as much as we enjoy creating it.

Our first edition looks at the concept of ‘Impact’ and explores the many meanings and expressions this can have in the world we live in. For many it can be about a force, a shock, a jolt which can be positive or negative, personal or collective, quiet or loud, but for me it is the positive result of an interaction; with an individual, with a group, a brand, an experience, a story, an image, or simply an arresting statement that makes me re-evaluate and adds richness to my perspective.

Over the following pages, we will be looking at many different interpretations of ‘Impact’, from culture shocks, the power of disruption, new voices and new viewpoints, to the impact of design in business and plenty more. And we hope this in turn will inspire you, invigorate you, inform you, and instigate new reasons to engage with us.

Enjoy the issue and let us know what you think @Interbranduk

Until next time,

Sue Daun Executive Creative Director Interbrand London

THE GALLERY

WE LIkE A vARIETY Of OpINION. A RANGE Of dIffERENT vIEWpOINTs ENRICHEs us ANd OuR WORk.

pLAYING WITH THIs IdEA, WE AskEd EACH Of OuR COLLEAGuEs TO sHOW us THEIR OWN pOINT Of vIEW.

WE CIRCuLATEd A dIspOsABLE CAMERA AROuNd THE sTudIO ANd AskEd INTEBRANdERs TO CApTuRE ‘IMpACT’.

NO-ONE kNEW WHAT ANYONE ELsE HAd sHOT. uNTIL NOW.

THE GALLERY

Photographing Impact

Watch the sferiq making

of film here

pROJECT

As A GLOBAL BRANdING BusINEss, WE’RE CONsTANTLY WORkING WITH ExTRAORdINARY CLIENTs, WHO, BY COLLABORATING WITH us, ENABLE us TO dELIvER THEM ExTRAORdINARY vALuE.

sfERIQ Is A RussIAN INvEsTMENT COMpANY WITH A pAssION fOR ART, TECHNOLOGY ANd vIsIONARY CONsTRuCTION. OuR pROpOsITION – ‘BRINGING BALANCE TO THE WORLd’ – WAs BROuGHT TO LIfE THROuGH AN ARTfuLLY dIsTINCTIvE IdENTITY.

Sferiq. Ideas In Motion.

THE BIGGEsT vIsuAL IMpACT IN THE WORk WAs ExpREssEd THROuGH pHOTOGRApHY ANd fILM. WE TOOk A HuGE QuANTITY Of pAINT, fABRIC, LIGHTING – ANd A BALLERINA – INTO A sTudIO, ANd ExpERIMENTEd. THE EffECTs WERE EvEN BETTER THAN WE’d HOpEd ANd THE REsuLTs WERE spECTACuLAR.

Watch the sferiq brand

film here

pROJECT

ELEMENTs ANCHOREd ON THE vERTICAL AxIs Of THE sfERIQ LOGO GIvE THE fEELING Of CONsTANT ROTATION ANd THE ExpERIMENTAL IMAGERY Is dYNAMIC ANd TACTILE.

CuLTuRE sHOCk

uNfAMILIAR sTREETs… uNRECOGNIsABLE WORds… BEWILdERING pRACTICEs… vIsITING sOMEWHERE NEW ANd

COMpLETELY dIffERENT Is ONE Of THE MOsT dIsORIENTATING ANd ExCITING ExpERIENCEs ANYONE CAN HAvE. WITH 36

OffICEs IN OuR NETWORk ANd A pAssION TO BRING TO LIfE INTERBRANd’s ONE-fIRM INITIATIvE, RupERT fAIRCLIff spENT THREE MONTHs WORkING IN TOkYO ANd REpORTEd BACk ON

WHAT HE’d BEEN up TO vIA A sERIEs Of WEEkLY EMAILs.

Letters from Japan

“ My brief was to immerse myself in the business, the brands, and the culture of Japan.”

Monday,  20  January  2014  09:43:21  United  Kingdom  Time

Page  1  of  7

Subject: Interbrand  Dispatches:  Tokyo  Edition,  week  8Date: Friday,  29  November  2013  11:31:12  United  Kingdom  Time

From: Rupert  FaircliffTo: Interbrand  London

Mina sama This week has involved me truly living the life of a Tokyo salaryman with midnight finishes 4/5nights… woohoo. But I’ll spare you the details… Back to last weekend. I set off on Saturday morning with Fujimura-san on one of his magic(ally expensive) bikes. Ourdestination was a town called Kawagoe for a tour by a few of the creative team, led by creativedirector and Kawagoe resident Suenaga-san. But before we got there, thanks to the crystalclear skies, I got my first sight of the world famous Fuji-san itself!

Kawagoe is a town about 40km north of Tokyo, which the official website states “retains theculture and aroma of Edo, Koedo Kawagoe”. Whilst it smelt pretty similar to everywhere else tobe honest, it did used to be a samurai town. There are a number of traditional style buildingsand a rather attractive clock tower, plus shrines and temples of course. Beer + sake + sushilunch = interesting 2hr cycle home in the dark…

“ I had been told to expect culture shock and Tokyo and Japan certainly did not disappoint.”

“ My encounters constantly surprised, captivated and challenged me.”

Monday,  20  January  2014  09:43:21  United  Kingdom  Time

Page  1  of  7

Subject: Interbrand  Dispatches:  Tokyo  Edition,  week  8Date: Friday,  29  November  2013  11:31:12  United  Kingdom  Time

From: Rupert  FaircliffTo: Interbrand  London

Mina sama This week has involved me truly living the life of a Tokyo salaryman with midnight finishes 4/5nights… woohoo. But I’ll spare you the details… Back to last weekend. I set off on Saturday morning with Fujimura-san on one of his magic(ally expensive) bikes. Ourdestination was a town called Kawagoe for a tour by a few of the creative team, led by creativedirector and Kawagoe resident Suenaga-san. But before we got there, thanks to the crystalclear skies, I got my first sight of the world famous Fuji-san itself!

Kawagoe is a town about 40km north of Tokyo, which the official website states “retains theculture and aroma of Edo, Koedo Kawagoe”. Whilst it smelt pretty similar to everywhere else tobe honest, it did used to be a samurai town. There are a number of traditional style buildingsand a rather attractive clock tower, plus shrines and temples of course. Beer + sake + sushilunch = interesting 2hr cycle home in the dark…

CuLTuRE sHOCk

CuLTuRE sHOCk Is THE pERsONAL dIsORIENTATION A pERsON MAY fEEL

WHEN ExpERIENCING AN uNfAMILIAR WAY Of LIfE duE TO IMMIGRATION OR A vIsIT

TO A NEW COuNTRY, A MOvE BETWEEN sOCIAL ENvIRONMENTs, OR sIMpLY TRAvEL

TO ANOTHER TYpE Of LIfE.

HONEYMOON pHAsE

01 During this period, the differences between the old and new culture are seen in a romantic light. For example, in moving to a new country, an individual might love the new food and the pace of life. During the first few weeks, most people are fascinated by the new culture. They associate with nationals who speak their language, and who are polite to the foreigners. Like most honeymoon periods, this stage eventually ends.

NEGOTIATION pHAsE

02 After some time (usually around three months), differences between the old and new culture become apparent and may create anxiety. Excitement may eventually give way to unpleasant feelings of frustration and anger as one continues to experience events that may be perceived as strange and offensive.

While being transferred into a different environment puts pressure on communication skills, there are practical difficulties to overcome, such as: circadian rhythm disruption that often leads to insomnia and daylight drowsiness; adaptation of gut flora to different bacteria levels and concentrations in food and water; and difficulty in seeking treatment for illness.

Still, the most important change in this period is communication: people adjusting to a new culture often feel lonely and homesick because they are not yet used to the new environment and meet people with whom they are not familiar every day. The language barrier may become a major obstacle in creating new relationships: special attention must be paid to one’s and others’ culture-specific body language signs, linguistic faux pas, conversation tone, linguistic nuances and social customs.

AdJusTMENT pHAsE

03 Again, after some time (usually 6 to 12 months), one grows accustomed to the new culture and develops routines. One knows what to expect in most situations and the host country no longer feels all that new; things become more “normal”. Problem-solving skills are developed for dealing with the culture and one begins to accept the culture’s ways with a positive attitude.

MAsTERY pHAsE

04 In the mastery stage individuals are able to participate fully and comfortably in the host culture. Mastery does not mean total conversion; people often keep many traits from their earlier culture, such as accents and languages. This is often referred to as the bicultural stage.

RETROspECTIvE

In 2001, Yorkie, the trucker’s chunky chocolate bar of choice, had lost its way. Eric Nicoli’s idea had originally been given the green light by Rowntree’s in 1976, and the brand had quickly established itself on the confectionery map.

But now, twenty-five years later, and owned by Nestlé, it was stalling. It seemed stuck in the past, with a masculine image that research showed to be increasingly irrelevant. Competition was strong. Sales were in decline. Everything indicated that a major brand refresh was the only way to get Yorkie moving again.

Roadside assistance was called, in the shape of Interbrand. We assessed the competitive strengths and weaknesses of Yorkie’s brand equity with consumers. We took an in-depth look at the motivations and mindsets associated with chocolate purchasing among the target audience.

And, never ones to take research at face value, we came up with a surprising solution.

Instead of seeing Yorkie’s masculine image as a roadblock, we suggested it might be its greatest opportunity.

In a category jam-packed with chocolate brands aimed at women, we identified that the quickest route to renewed success for Yorkie was to reclaim it as the chocolate for men.

We developed several creative brand platforms. We road-tested them with a representative sample of consumers. And we finally identified a clear, if somewhat contentious, favourite: “It’s not for girls.”

We then worked closely with Nestlé’s advertising, media planning and PR agencies, to drive the positioning through and make sure all communications reflected Yorkie’s new brand philosophy and personality.

Our “It’s not for girls” line, along with a cheeky brand icon, cleared the way for Yorkie’s hugely successful comeback, which was greeted by a blaze of publicity – and controversy. Nestlé’s complaints department had to deal with accusations of sexism and tastelessness from women in Britain and Norway.

But the brand’s long-term decline had been successfully reversed. Its share of the ‘eat now’ market had increased by more than 20%. Yorkie was really motoring again.

Its journey continues – and there have been some colourful stops along the way. The Ministry of Defence commissioned special versions for their ration packs, reading “It’s not for civvies.” And the brand idea had so much longevity that, five years after its relaunch, Nestlé launched a special edition that was for girls, wrapped in pink.

YORKIEIT’S NOT FOR GIRLS Old or new, the work we do for clients is what drives

us. We thrive on the difference we can help to make – and it inspires us to see the brands we love grow to great heights. It’s sometimes good to remind ourselves of our learnings from our many previous

experiences. And so we wanted to share a wonderful example here, demonstrating the impact our work has had for a brand, and on a category. A big brand overhaul can sometimes start small, with a gutsy idea – right on the pack.

Photo: Samantha Lifson.

We are aware of design all around us, from the chairs we sit on and the phones in our pockets, to the cars we drive and even the welcome that we are (sometimes) given in a hotel. But what we want to focus on is brand-led design. It is this ‘branded’ element to that product, service or experience that makes its design recognisable and attributable. Not every mobile is an iPhone, not every coat is a Burberry Trench, not every coffee is a Starbucks and not every car is a Volvo. Each of these relies on far more than just a logo for their recognition. Their shape, form and function have been designed with their specific brand in mind.

To explore this in more detail, we have started to look at the extent to which consumers ‘value’ this brand-led design and in turn, how this translates into brand and business value. One of the most important ways that brands create financial value is through their influence on the purchase decision. Strong brands encourage trial and, through the brand experience, engender loyalty and repeat purchase. Interbrand’s brand valuation methodology captures the influence of brand on choice through its ‘Role of Brand’ analysis, which quantifies this influence using market research and statistic modelling techniques.

We employed the same techniques to focus on the impact of design on consumer choice for a client in the mobile and smartphones market and found that design-related purchase criteria made up 30% of the total decision to purchase the handset. The study also showed that improvements in design could generate up to a 13% increase in likelihood to purchase (all other factors being equal). To put this into context, over 1.8bn mobile handsets were sold worldwide last year1. The better the design, the more it serves to reinforce the brand, meaning the bigger your share of the market, the bigger your business and the more valuable, ultimately, your brand.

In the same vein, it seems to state that bad design can ladder up negatively to the overall brand. Without a brand influencing the design, it risks straying to the functional or the inconsistent. Similarly, this applies to a brand tampering with its prized design equity. For example, Tropicana’s decision in 2009 to remove the beloved and widely-recognised equity of an orange with a straw in it from their packaging resulted in a 19% drop in market share for the brand. After just one month on the

shelves, the old packaging was re-introduced, as customers struggled to navigate through products and rallied against the modifications to their beloved brand. This example shows the importance and the impact of design; design equities previously established and appreciated by the audience and strongly associated with the product were lost in transition.

Take the obvious, but all-round exemplary example of Apple, whose innovative, flawless and intuitive design is undoubtedly led by its core brand values. The unmistakable design is recognised the world over; the brand is truly brought to life through design. Indeed, the brand in this instance is design. The same applies to other less obvious contenders too, as more and more businesses understand its pivotal importance. GSK has stated publicly that they are looking to push design across their portfolio of brands from a function of marketing to a strategic lever and enabler for the business across multiple touchpoints.

It can be concluded that brand-led design is fundamental to brand value. The common thread throughout this perception of design and brand is that a strengthened and harmonious interweaving of the two and subsequent seat at the heart of a business results in higher overall economic value. Understanding and acting upon this is crucial to forging the desired association of design with a particular brand and of a particular brand with a design.

There are three fundamental elements to delivering brand-led design. It must start with a business clearly defining its brand. Without this firmly in place, design can lack its foundation and consistency. To build and strengthen this, the business needs a clear design philosophy that reflects the brand and can adapt as needed over time. In essence, it then comes down to how the brand uses this philosophy to guide and influence brand activities to create a strong and valuable whole. In equal measure, the brand itself will guide the design; a symbiotic relationship working at its best.

With contributions from Sue Daun, Max Raison, Julia Bland, Mike Rocha and Andy Payne.

1Gartner “Market Share Analysis: Mobile Phones, Worldwide, 3Q13

THE VALUE IN DESIGNAt Interbrand, we believe that ‘brand-led design’ – where brand and design are approached together – does more than create effective design – it creates brand and business value.

The better the design, the more it serves to reinforce the brand.

Without a brand influencing the design, it risks straying to the functional or the inconsistent.

As WE’RE LuCkY ENOuGH TO HAvE A sHOp WINdOW ON THE sTRANd, EACH QuARTER WE’LL BE usING IT TO OffER A pERspECTIvE ON WHAT’s GOING ON AT INTERBRANd. THIs QuARTER, OuR ‘IMpACT’ WINdOW CELEBRATEs OuR spONsORsHIp Of THE dEsIGN COuNCIL EvENT ‘LEAdING BusINEss BY dEsIGN’.

HIGH pROfILE spEAkERs WILL BE sHARING THE dIffERENT WAYs IN WHICH THEY’vE EMBEddEd dEsIGN IN THEIR BusINEssEs. THEY WILL ALsO dIsCuss THE pOsITIvE IMpACT dEsIGN HAs HAd ON pERfORMANCE ANd GROWTH – IN THE LONG ANd sHORT TERM.

#LEAdINGBYdEsIGN

WINdOW ON THE WORLd

OuT Of THE OffICE

The Type Tasting Workshop was a fast-paced series of

dynamic short briefs with strict time allocations that forced us

to think on our feet and trust our instincts when making decisions about the best visual outcomes.

The afternoon proved to be both an opportunity to bond as a team and also to regenerate

our experimental creative natures, which is invaluable for producing engaging and exciting brand expressions.

IT’s NOT ALWAYs THE HARd GRAfT AT INTERBRANd. ACTuALLY WE LIkE TO pLAY –

WITH puRpOsE. OuR CREATIvE AfTERNOON sEssIONs EACH MONTH GIvE us THE

OppORTuNITY TO LEARN NEW skILLs ANd sHARE WITH THE REsT Of THE BusINEss

NEW WAYs TO dELIvER GREAT WORk.

Typetastic

“A desk is a dangerous place from which to view the world.”

– John le Carré

Illustrating famous film quotes was a great way to explore expressive type.

BRISBANE

SINGAPORE

HOUSTON

RIO DE JANEIRO

sOMETIMEs NOTHING BEATs A fACE-TO-fACE CONvERsATION. TO uNdERsTANd HOW TO CREATE LOCAL IMpACT fOR

A GLOBAL CLIENT WE uNdERTOOk A ROuNd-THE-WORLd TRIp OvER TWO fAsT-pACEd WEEks.

THE TRIp HELpEd us REkINdLE ANd ExpOsE OuR CLIENT’s AppETITE fOR CHANGE. IT BuILT A fIRM CAsE fOR THE

TRANsITION THE BusINEss ANd THE BRANd NEEdEd, ANd sTRENGTHENEd THE pRIdE ANd ExpERTIsE THEY ALREAdY

kNEW TO BE THE BACkBONE Of THEIR ORGANIsATION.

The main objective of the trip was to carry out workshops to test three brand proposition territories with the local team in each market.

These markets are considered to be particularly relevant and representative for the client today, allowing us to get very deep insights into the needs of stakeholders today and into the future.

Total nights away

13

Time spent with the client

97%Of THE TIME

BRISBANE

SINGAPORE

HOUSTON

RIO DE JANEIRO

ABOvE ANd BEYONd

Going the extra mile

Being in the markets also allowed us to meet and engage local leadership teams and continue to conduct external interviews to feed into the broadest possible representation of the client.

Number of hours spent slumbering on the plane

5HOuRs

Total flying time

66HOuRs

INTERBRANdERs

IváN MATO JOINEd INTERBRANd LONdON IN sEpTEMBER 2013 fROM NOkIA, WHERE HE WAs

A dEsIGN MANAGER. HERE HE TALks ABOuT A dAY IN HIs LIfE – AT WORk ANd AfTER WORk – WHAT’s dIffERENT ABOuT INTERBRANd ANd HOW TO MAkE AN IMpACT THROuGH dEsIGN.

TIMEs GIvEN ARE AppROxIMATE.

Every day starts with a coffee and a challenge. A problem to solve. A brief to answer. New projects land on our desks all the time, from existing clients or new ones, from frantic pitches to returning clients. My previous job was client side as a Design Manager at Nokia Design. Working in-house has its plus sides; it’s focused and impactful. But nothing compares to the dynamism, variety and creativity of agency life. That is the reason I came to Interbrand.

It’s all about team work and good songs. Interbrand is full of very smart people with many talents and each person brings to the table a slightly different experience and skill set. We complement each other. It is completely collaborative and transdisciplinary. Even the music is collaborative. We have a Sonos System where everyone can add songs to the play queue.

My job is to make sure we produce extraordinary design. In everything we do we try to create impactful design by making it relevant and compelling, meaningful, clear, concise, impossible to ignore. Design that hits you between and behind the eyes. We don’t have a house style. We are tailors. We create unique brand experiences based on a deep understanding of our clients. It’s a constant external and internal conversation.

At some point you need space. ‘The power of introspection’ they call it. After the brainstorm and the briefing session comes the time where the information is processed, analysed and scrutinised. We do visual research and we wonder ‘what if...’ Creative platforms are built and design solutions imagined. Turning off your e-mail is a great way to get in the zone, into that space where ideas can flourish. It’s all about experimentation, innovation, following your instincts, failing five times in search of the one idea that will make total sense.

so solid Crew. We work very closely with the strategy team. We meet to share how we’re bringing brands to life. The chemistry between strategy and design is one of the most powerful things we have at Interbrand. Solid strategy creates the framework for solid design.

Lunch time. At 85 Strand we are lucky to be surrounded by some of the best lunch food in London. My favourites are the great Chequers of Bedford Street (best Jacket Potato in the West End) and Kastner & Ovens of Floral St (for salads and casseroles).

The Reveal. I love the client presentation stage. The storytelling. The reveal. I also enjoy taking part in internal projects that contribute to a vibrant studio culture. This newspaper you’re reading is one of them.

There’s always more you could be doing for each of your clients. That 10% extra. The unexpected. The 10% is the difference between a good project and a great project.

At the end of each day we look at the work we’ve done and measure it against the three principles that guide everything we do at Interbrand. Is it intelligent? Is it imaginative? Is it inspiring? We distill the best work, we select and refine. Benchmarking is fundamental. We talk about what others are doing and we imagine how we can go a bit further.

9

10

11

12

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

NINE TO

sIx(ish)TO NINE

When joining a new company there’s always a mixture of anticipation, anxiety and apprehension. You want to make an impact without being pushy. I am loving it here but I’ll let others decide how well I am doing. I’ve tried my best. If everything fails I’ll use my secret trick (not so secret now it’s printed here): I have a 42 cm pan where I can do a mean Paella.

After six, it’s time to slow down, have a cup of tea and a good chat with colleagues. Share where you are with your projects. Ask for advice or help. On Fridays we do Cocktails and Dreams, our weekly get together. The Coal Hole, the pub next door, is also a good place to have a chat over a pint of Nicholson’s Pale Ale.

I love music and going to gigs. The gigs I enjoy typically involve a new band that has released a couple of terrific songs I’ve stumbled across on amazingradio.com. The initial excitement almost always ends up in tears when they’re not able to deliver on their promises of artistic excellence and world domination. But following new music keeps me alert and entertained.

friends have a very special way of inspiring you. All work and no play makes designers very dull people.

When I can, I try to squeeze a little bit of writing into the day. Every month I write about music and London for a Spanish magazine. In 2013, I took some time off to write the first draft of a first novel entitled Field Forces, about what happens when an unstoppable force meets an unmovable object. Expect completion around 2020.

NICE THINGS TO OUR COLLEAGUES

AROUND THE NETWORK WHO ARE

CELEBRATING THEIR ‘IB BIRTHDAYS’

THIS QUARTER! CAKE, CAKE, CAKE.

“HALLO” AND “OI” TO IB-ERS FROM

AMSTERDAM AND SAO PAULO AS

THEY MAKE THEIR PILGRIMAGE TO

THE LONDON OFFICE TO SEE WHAT

WE’RE UP TO.

WHY IT’S NOT SUMMER YET.

WHETHER THE HEADS IN THE

ONE dIRECTION PERFUME ADS

ARE PROPORTIONALLY ‘TO SCALE’.

WE’RE STILL NONE THE WISER.

WHY THE sEpTEMBER ISSUE

IS PUBLISHED IN AuGusT

AND OkTOBERfEsT STARTS IN

sEpTEMBER?

OvERHEARd @ 85

What we’ve beendoing:

Whatwe’ve beensaying:

TRYING TO GET @JAMEsBLuNT

TO REPLY TO OUR TWEETS.

TURNS OUT @EMMAWINTER’s

ATTEMPT, ‘I WISH YOUR SONGS

WERE AS GOOD AS YOUR TWEETS!’,

WASN’T RUDE ENOUGH FOR OUR

JAMES. CHECK OUT @JAMEsBLuNT

TO SEE HIS HILARIOUS RESPONSES

TO OPPORTUNISTIC TWEETERS.

PURE GOLD.

SAMPLING ALL-NEW BURGER

JOINTS IN THE VICINITY – THERE

ARE MANY AND THEY ARE GOOD.

AMASSING YET MORE DONATIONS

FOR OUR ExCITING CSR INITIATIVE

WITH EDUCATIONAL CHARITY,

‘PENCILS OF PROMISE’, THROUGH

WHICH WE’VE COMMITTED

TO BUILDING A SCHOOL IN

GUATEMALA.

Whatwe’ve beenwondering:

Whatwe’ve beenlistening to:

‘HIDDEN xS’ BY, AHEM, F**K

BUTTONS. YES THE NAME IS

STUPID, BUT THE SONG IS EPIC.

LISTEN BEFORE AN IMPORTANT

MEETING OR A BIG NIGHT OUT

FOR FIST PUMP EMPOWERMENT.

‘FISTFUL OF LOVE’ BY ANTONY

& THE JOHNSON. HAUNTING.

‘EVERYTHING IS EVERYTHING’

BY LAURYN HILL. SOULFUL

DELICIOUSNESS.

‘DEPAK INE’ BY JOHN TALABOT.

WE CHALLENGE YOU NOT TO DANCE.

Hal

lo/

oi

ON THE sHELf

IN THE CONsuMER WORLd, THE dIffERENCE YOu MAkE AT sHELf Is CRITICAL. AT 10fT, 5fT ANd 30CM YOu

NEEd TO EsTABLIsH CONNECTIONs THAT GO BEYONd JusT GREAT-LOOkING pACkAGING. NAvIGATION...REAssuRANCE...

INspIRATION... THEY ALL COME INTO THE MIx.

OuR WORk fOR BOTH Gsk sENsOdYNE ANd WRIGLEYs HAs BEEN A dELIGHTfuL CHALLENGE. ANd OuR uNdERsTANdING

Of EACH Of THEsE ORAL fREsHNEss/HYGIENE BRANds HAs INfORMEd OuR WORk ON THE OTHER.

Just over a year ago, speakers at the Sustainable Brands Conference in London focused on three key themes: unified vision, collaboration, and simplicity. In 2013, many speakers addressed the same themes once more. Does that mean nothing has changed? Or have we lost our imagination?

In fact, things have changed. Fewer business professionals question nowadays if sustainability (or ‘triple bottom line’, ‘social responsibility’, ‘corporate citizenship’, or whatever you want to call it) is good for business; and it is now more intrinsically linked to business strategy. More sustainability advocates are capable of proving, with strong business cases, that the investment pays off.

For instance, UK retailer Marks & Spencer says in its annual report that the net benefit generated by Plan A (M&S’s commitment to sustainable business) was £135 million, an increase of 29 percent over the previous year, and during the conference, Adam Elman, M&S Global Head of Delivery, said Plan A has delivered a 193 percent return on investment. Not bad, is it?

Another example is Kering (formerly PPR, owner of brands such as Gucci and Puma), which pioneered a methodology to value the ‘ecosystem services’ it uses to produce Puma’s sports shoes and clothes. But it’s not all about costs: “At Kering, sustainability is seen as an opportunity. It creates value and stimulates innovation,” said Marie-Claire Daveu, the company’s Chief Sustainability Officer, who joined the business due to its CEO’s strong commitment to sustainability. “Leadership commitment is everything in this area.”

Sustainable innovation was also high on the agenda and there were some inspiring stories such as one from Fairphone, which has sold all 25,000 of its smartphones that have been produced so far by making production more transparent and ethical.

While the number is miniscule in comparison to the whole of the smartphone market, their aim is to “redefine the economy one step at a time.”

Ecover, the “powerful cleaning and washing products without the chemical nasties,” is piloting a project in Mallorca, Spain, to make cleaning products based on local waste—a project that could revolutionise the local ecosystem. This is in line with the circular economy concept that has been making its rounds for a few years now. Ellen MacArthur Foundation CEO Jamie Butterworth spoke about partners such as Philips, which is building an internal centre of excellence on circular economy, and B&Q, which is committed to producing more energy than they use and to creating 1,000 products based on circular economy principles.

So why are we still debating the same issues around collaboration and simplicity? As highlighted by Jo Confino, editorial director of The Guardian’s Sustainable Business, there are many great initiatives all over the world, but they are not properly connected and therefore not enough to change the world at the pace we need. Mondelēz International’s ‘coffee made happy’ program, for example, committed to invest a minimum of $200 million to empower one million coffee-farming entrepreneurs by 2020, providing skills and access to resources they need.

This is a beautiful and inspiring example, but according to Geraldine O’ Grady, Global Platform Manager at Mondelēz International, there are 25 million smallholders producing 80 percent of the world’s coffee, and many of them are giving up their land to seek better ways of living. Considering that coffee consumption is growing while coffee production is declining, there is a lot to be done to support the other 24 million small farmers (and guarantee we’ll be sipping espressos in the future). Indeed,collaboration among coffee businesses is paramount to guarantee their existence.

As for simplicity, we need to cut the jargon and stop praising ourselves for doing what we should have always been doing: looking after our people and our planet while creating profit for our shareholders. As brand professionals, we have known for a long time that if we want to engage our customers, we need a relevant and differentiating business and brand proposition, based on an internal truth and delivered consistently across the customer journey. We need to be responsive and present where our customers want and need us to be. And we need imagination to be good story-doers and good storytellers, so we can create business that can change the world for the best and share our knowledge with the next generations.

Paula Oliveira is Director, Valuation and Analytics, at Interbrand London.

Connect and continue the conversation @paulaoliveirabv

Zero ImpactInterbrand London’s Director of Valuation and Analytics looks at how brands create value while reducing their impact on people and planet. By Paula Oliveira.

Philips is building an internal centre of excellence on circular economy. B&Q is committed to producing more energy than they use.

pLACEs, pEOpLE, THINGs, ExpERIENCEs, WORds, WONdERs, ANd OuTRIGHT MAdNEss. THE THINGs THAT ARE MAkING AN IMpACT ON us RIGHT NOW.

problem-solving colour. Yahoo ‘News digest’ app. It condenses the best/top news

of the day. It’s visually more appealing and easy to navigate.

Wes Anderson’s films always inspire me. I love his approach to storytelling.

I always leave the cinema feeling refreshed and looking at the world slightly differently.

As a therapist this is one quote that I used a lot, especially when I was working

with young people. It is something that I need to remind myself… often.

I love this image of stella Tennant, captured by Arthur Elgort for vogue. I wonder if diving

into the swimming pool in a wool coat was ever part of the shot list, or whether it was

a spur of the moment whim?

Heather Hansen’s creations through spiritual body movement.

Roger Bannister breaking the 4-minute mile, which experts had said for years was impossible.

Within 13 months, 4 other people joined him, since they now knew it was possible.

Evolving creative practice and excellence can only occur when you

operate outside comfortable boundaries, when you dare to try the unknown.

The salt flats in Bolivia, at first glance a vast, white expanse of desert,

can re-emerge as a single, unifying and global message. In this image I see peace and hope.

“ No one can make you feel inferior without your consent” Roosevelt

“ Do not simplify. Do not worry about failure. Failure is a badge of honour. It means you risked failure.” Charlie Kaufman

fEELING INspIREd

Makes you look twice at something which has become almost invisible.

It reminds me to live, and keep things in perspective. It inspires me to strive

beyond normal expectations.

using found objects to create amazingness.

This quote inspires me to create the best work I can possibly deliver.

Clients may not notice the extra care and attention to detail in the final product,

but it gives me great satisfaction.

sound sculptures by artist ‘Zimoun’ fuse everyday elements into magnificent

multilayered installations; evoking sounds from nature through mechanical

processes and visual patterns.

I love words and think they are so powerful; this quote really celebrates

language and how you use it.

The New York skyline has such a personal impact on me, it takes

my breath away, every time.

The ‘augmented’ book portrays the scenery and sets the mood, the wearable

allows the reader to experience the protagonist’s physiological emotions.

I drive past these towers whenever I visit my family in

Canada and I always think to myself that every good idea has a twist.

“ When you’re a carpenter making a beautiful chest of drawers, you’re not going to use a piece of plywood on the back, even though it faces the wall and nobody will see it. You’ll know it’s there, so you’re going to use a beautiful piece of wood on the back.”

Steve Jobs

“ Always be a poet. Even in prose.” Charles Baudelaire

kEEp TALkING

#InterBrAnD IneDIt

impactat work

‘Innovative + strategic + meaningful’ ;

‘Iconic brands + Great team + Great clients’ ;

‘Global Collaborations + New learnings +

pioneering ideas’ ; ‘The people +

Cocktails and dreams + Creative Catch-ups’ ;

‘Adventure + Escapism + the ever-journeying cultures of the world’ ;

‘dynamic projects + seeing the finished product!’ .

THE LAsT WORd

WE AskEd OuR COLLEAGuEs IN LONdON TO dEsCRIBE WHAT THEY LOvE ABOuT WORkING AT INTERBRANd. HERE ARE sOME Of THE ANsWERs.

IN THEIR OWN WORds.

pARTY dOWN, EAT YOuR fRIENd, B-MOvIE sTORIEs NEvER ENd/ ROCk THE HOusE, sHOOT YOuR MuM, CHEAp THRILLs WRAppEd up IN BuBBLEGuM/ GET dOWN, BuRN THE CAT, THE HARdCORE LIfE Is WHERE IT’s AT/ LOvEBOAT, suB ATTACk, BEWARE Of suddEN IMpACT.‘suddEN IMpACT!’ by BIG AudIO dYNAMITE, Columbia, 1985

InEdit 1The Impact IssueQ1 2014 London