Gosh it is good to get back out there. To jump on a plane, visit clients, learn new things, be inspired, network and throw in some laughs and a few very good meals and sunrises.
That’s exactly what Kendi, Alex and I did last week when we travelled to the Gold Coast to attend the PR industry’s Agency Growth Accelerator conference and bookended it with client visits between the Gold Coast and Brisbane.
I could write for days about what we did and learned but instead I’ll give you just three nuggets that resonated for me across those travel days and hope they might interest you too.
- We are in the midst of some pretty fundamental shifts in the way businesses are run and how they see their role in society. In the past profits and market share were the true indicators of success but this is being tempered, pleasingly so, by a more conscious capitalism, operating in increasingly uncertain times and one where the power relationship between employer and employee, consumer and supplier has shifted on its axis. This quote from Marc Benioff, famed co-founder of Salesforce, sums it up perfectly, giving us plenty to think about when he says we need to “shift our goal from wanting to be the best brand in the world to the best brand for the world”.
- I can never keep up with which generation is which and usually forget I am Gen X myself, even though it does sound cool. Did you know there is Gen Alpha – that’s all the babies through to 12 years old and that the next generation, Gen Z (13–27-year old’s) have been shaped very differently than any other generation, having been significantly socialised by screen-based devices. The makeup of Gen Z is important to us because of their role as consumers and as employees. Social researchers at McCrindle, who presented at the conference, have a full report on this called Understanding the Future Consumer – and you can download it here on their website. Highlights for me:
- Sustainability is a lifestyle and Gen Zer’s believe they can protect the planet through the purchase decisions they make
- Visual communication is an expectation – YouTube outstrips Google as the number one search engine – why read when you can watch.
- Mobility and flexibility are essential – 9 to 5 is out the door and outcomes-based workplaces that will reward output, not time spent at work will prevail.
- Before you sit down to draft a communication, get really clear in your mind what it is you want the reader/listener/watcher (see Gen Z above) to think about or do. I really loved this list presented by Cameron Pegg during his session on The art (and science) of data-driven storytelling. I promise it will make for a better piece if you start with the end in mind.
If you’d like to chat about any of the insights shared here – drop us a line and we might give you some good restaurants recommendations on the Goldie too.
Sue Hardman