fracking the social web - squared, november 2013

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

ARE BRANDS FRACKING THE SOCIAL WEB?

6.11.2013SQUAREDLONDON51.5207° N, 0.1345° W

JOHN V WILLSHIRE

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

“WHAT IS IT YOU ACTUALLY DO...?”

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

“WORK OF”

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

“GOODS MADE”

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

A STRONG WORKINGPRINCIPLE

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AND A HEALTHY DOSE OF SPECULATION...

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

“...MEN OF SPECULATION, WHOSE TRADE IT IS NOT TO DO ANYTHING, BUT TO OBSERVE EVERYTHING; AND WHO, UPON THAT ACCOUNT, ARE OFTEN CAPABLE OF COMBINING TOGETHER THE POWERS OF THE MOST DISTANT AND DISSIMILAR OBJECTS.”

ADAM SMITH, THE WEALTH OF NATIONS, 1776

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

FOURTH TIME AT SQUARED

WWW.WEARESQUARED.COM

WWW.GOOGLE.COM/+WEARESQUARED

http://www.wearesquared.com

http://www.wearesquared.com

http://www.google.com/+wearesquared

http://www.google.com/+wearesquared

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

LET’S TALK ABOUT FRACKING...

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

“FRACKING IS AN AGGRESSIVE, INVASIVE TECHNIQUE FOR EXTRACTING VALUABLE RAW MATERIALS OUT OF HARD TO REACH PLACES”

PHIL ADAMS, BLONDE DIGITAL(AND CHEMICAL ENGINEER GRAD)

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ATTENTION IS THE MOST VALUABLE RAW MATERIAL THERE IS

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

ARE BRANDS FRACKING THE SOCIAL WEB?

ONE QUESTION I’M WRESTLING WITH:

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

“I BELIEVE THAT THE FUTURE OF BRAND COMMUNICATIONS LIES IN FINDING A WAY TO BECOME PART OF COMMUNITIES, AND COMMUNICATE WITH THEM IN A WAY THAT IS SHARED, PARTICIPATORY AND RECIPROCAL”

ME, FIVE YEARS AGO, BEING A DICK

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

THAT SOUNDS REALLY ANNOYING

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSHYEP, REALLY ANNOYING.

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

“OUR CHALLENGE IS THAT PEOPLE REALLY DON’T CARE”

martin Weigel, W+K

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

PERHAPS BRANDS AND THE SOCIAL WEB ARE JUST VERY DIFFERENT TYPES OF THING?

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

LET’S THINK A LITTLE ABOUT “CONVERSATIONS”

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

THREE BOOKS ABOUT THE SKILLS PEOPLE NEED TO SUSTAIN EVERYDAY LIFE

THE CRAFTSMAN2008

TOGETHER2012

WITH “CITIES”TO FOLLOW...

WORKING WELL COOPERATION

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

“AN EXCHANGE IN WHICH THE PARTICIPANTS BENEFIT FROM THE ENCOUNTER”

COOPERATION

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

IT CONTAINS A VERY USEFUL WAY TO THINK ABOUT CONVERSATION

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

“WHEN WE SPEAK ABOUT COMMUNICATION SKILLS, WE FOCUS ON HOW TO MAKE A CLEAR PRESENTATION, TO PRESENT WHAT WE THINK OR FEEL...”

RICHARD SENNETT, TOGETHER

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

CONVERSATION IS ABOUT LISTENING

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BUT MORE IMPORTANT THAN JUST LISTENING ISLISTENING WELL

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

LISTENING CAREFULLY PRODUCES CONVERSATIONS OF TWO SORTS...THE DIALECTIC AND THE DIALOGIC

“

”


SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

WHAT THE F***?

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

DIALECTIC

FROM WORK OF GERMAN PHILOSOPHER GWF HEGEL

THE INTERACTION AND RESOLUTION BETWEEN MULTIPLE IDEAS

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

DIALECTIC:


“THE AIM IS TO COME EVENTUALLY TO A COMMON UNDERSTANDING”

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

DIALECTIC WANTS CONSENSUSA b C D E F G H

bA CD Fe Ge

C ADb G ADf

C ADb ADfg

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

...NO MATTER HOW GOOD THAT CONSENSUS IS

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

DIALOGICFROM WORK OF RUSSIAN PHILOSOPHER MIKHAIL BAHKTIN

“A DISCUSSION THAT DOES NOT RESOLVE ITSELF BY FINDING COMMON GROUND...”

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

“[PEOPLE] BECOME MORE AWARE OF THEIR OWN VIEWS AND EXPAND THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF ONE ANOTHER”


DIALOGIC:

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

IN DIALOGIC CONVERSATION, IDEOLOGIES COEXIST

A

bC

D

E

FG H

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

THEY CONSTANTLY INTERACT AND INFORM EACH OTHER

A

bC

D

E

FG H

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

EACH IDEOLOGY CAN HOLD MORE SALIENCE IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES

A

bC

D

E

FG H

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

CHANGES CAN BE MADE IF A STRATEGY DOES NOT HAVE THE DESIRED EFFECT

A

bC

D

E

FG H

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

THIS MIGHT NOT JUST APPLY TO“CONVERSATION”

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

THIS INTERPLAY OF IDEAS IS VERY REMINISCENT OF THE SOCIAL WEB...

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

WHAT IF THERE ARE DIALECTIC AND

DIALOGIC STRUCTURES & CULTURES TOO?

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

ARE TRADITIONAL MARKETING STRUCTURES LIKELY TO BE MORE DIALECTIC?

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

ARE SOCIAL WEB PLATFORMS AND COMPANIES MORE

DIALOGIC IN NATURE?

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

IT WOULD HELP EXPLAIN THE

CULTURE CLASH

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

ARE BRANDSINTENTIONALLY FRACKING THE SOCIAL WEB?

PERHAPS...

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

OR IS IT THE FAULT OF A MASSIVE CULTURAL DIVIDE?

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

YOUR TONE OF ACTION IS WHAT ATTRACTS PEOPLE

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

MODERN ECONOMICS:

THE VALUE OF A THING IS DETERMINED BY WHAT ONE IS WILLING TO GIVE UP TO OBTAIN

THE THING

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

THE LABOUR THEORY OF VALUE

THE VALUE OF SOMETHING IS DETERMINED BY THE LABOUR THAT WENT INTO ITS PRODUCTION

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

PERHAPS THERE’S A LABOUR THEORY OF BRAND VALUE*

*it might need a better name, mind

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

FIELD NOTES

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

£0.99 £3.33PER PADPER PAD

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

“MARKETING IS WORLD BUILDING. WITH UNLIMITED BANDWIDTH WE CAN NOW SHOW YOU THE WORLD.”

@TOBYBARNES

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

Labour theory of brand value:

you have to make everything with the infinite canvas of the internet in mind http://rivetin.gs/legoinside

http://rivetin.gs/sneveoslo

http://rivetin.gs/sneveoslo

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

WE’D RATHER BUY THIS WORLD...

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

...THAN THIS WORLD

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

BRANDS OFTENFIND THIS HARD BECAUSE OF THEIR HOLLOW FACTORY

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

THERE ARE TWO OPPOSITE FORCES OF INNOVATION AT WORK IN MOST BIG BRANDS TODAY

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

MAKE PRODUCT VERY EFFICIENTLY

MAKE MARKETING AS INTERESTINGAS POSSIBLE

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

MARX WAS HALF RIGHT...

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

IT’S NOT ABOUT THE MEANS OF PRODUCTION

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

IT’S ABOUT THE MEANING IN PRODUCTION

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

OVER HERE, IT’S WAY EASIER TO CREATE

MEANING IN PRODUCTION

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

BUT IT DEMANDS DRAMATIC CHANGES IN

HOW WE WORK

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

COMPETITIONSIMPLICITYCOMPRESSIONCERTAINTY

COOPERATIONCOMPLEXITY

FRAGMENTATIONEXPERIMENTATION

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

COOPERATION

COMPLEXITY

FRAGMENTATION EXPERIMENTATION

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

EMBRACE THE GRANULARITY OF EVERYTHING YOU’VE EVER DONE

FRAGMENTATION

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

I’M REALLY INTERESTED IN THE MAKING OF ‘IT’ -WHERE THE MAKING IS PART OF THE STORY OF THE ‘IT’...

THOMAS HEATHERWICK

“”

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

IT COULD BE BLENDING EVERYTHING YOU DO NOW WITH A RICH TAPESTRY OF YOUR PAST...

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

OR IT COULD BE SHOWING EVERYONE EVERYTHING YOU DO TO MAKE THEIR THING...

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

break it back

break through

IT’S ALL ABOUT PEOPLE, AND WHAT THEY DO TOGETHER TO MAKE GREAT THINGS HAPPEN

COOPERATION

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

YEP.

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

HAVING LOTS OF PEOPLE IN A COMPANY MAKES IT EASY...

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

OWNING LOTS OF BRANDS MAKES IT HARD

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

DON’T CONSOLIDATE. FRAGMENT BY SECTOR,PRODUCT, COUNTRY, REGION...

COMPLEXITY

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

THINK OF IT THIS WAY

YOU ARE AN OPERATING SYSTEM

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

THERE IS NO “ONE SIZE FITS ALL” IN YOUTUBE

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

WITH THE RIGHT MECHANIC, COMPLEXITY BECOMES AMAZINGLY COMPELLING...

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

EXPERIMENTATIONSHOW PEOPLE THE FUTURE YOU WANT TO LIVE IN WITH THEM

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

“IT’S NOT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, BUT PERSISTENCE OF VISION...”

STUART WOODHEAD OF INNOVATIONHEATHERWICK STUDIO

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

WHICH ALL SOUNDS AMAZING

BUT HERE’S THE CATCH

YOU HAVE TO GIVE UP SOMETHING FOR EACH OF THESE

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

GIVE UP PERFECTIONISM

TO EMBRACE

FRAGMENTATION

SWAP IT FOR

CONTENT

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

GIVE UP CONTROL

TO EMBRACE

COOPERATION

SWAP IT FOR

COMMUNITY

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

GIVE UP CONSOLIDATION

TO EMBRACE

COMPLEXITY

SWAP IT FOR

SPEED

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

GIVE UP KNOWING

TO EMBRACE

EXPERIMENTATION

SWAP IT FOR

LEARNING

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

“LEARN, THINK AND THRIVE IN THE CONTEXT OF WORKING WITH MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES AND ULTIMATE UNCERTAINTY”

RUPERT WEGERIF

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES...

MAKING SENSE OF BROAD BRANDSEMILY HARE, EDITOR, CONTAGIOUS

HTTP://RIVETIN.GS/CONTAGIOUSJOHN V WILLSHIRE, MARTIN WEIGEL, MARK EARLS, SARAH WATSON, MARCUS WENNER...

http://rivetin.gs/contagious

http://rivetin.gs/contagious

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

THANK YOUJOHN V WILLSHIRE

HTTP://SMITHERY.CO@WILLSH

[email protected]

ARTEFACTSHOP.COM

http://smithery.co

http://smithery.co

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

fracking the social web - squared, november 2013

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