As part of IAPI’s Leadership Series we were fortunate to have global business leader, Anne Sawbridge, give a workshop on how businesses can stay fit for the future in the face of unprecedented change.
Change affects individuals and companies in different ways. To assess the pace of change you face, first assess the pace of change your customers are facing. Take a look at the world through their lens.
According to Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species, it is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able best to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself.
By applying this concept to business brands, we can state that the companies that are able to survive are the ones that are able to adapt to the changing physical, social, and political environment in which it finds itself.
- More analytical skills and structured approaches to problem-solving and identifying new opportunities.
- A more strategic approach to business development with existing clients - can't just deliver the briefs, need to identify unseen issues and provide solutions.
- Be a strategic partner. Shift attention to the value of the relationship, not just the merits of the campaign.
- Have a true willingness to be adaptive and reflective of client needs, be more agile in responding with solutions.
The time spent in period of change and innovation is going to be worth it. Areas that you weren't seeing any value in before will begin to show signs of growth, because of your hard work and innovation.
So next time you're confronted with the option to innovate just remember...
'Innovation is change that unlocks new value.'
Behaviours are now changing, responsible shopping is on the rise, and the pressure is on for traditional brands to transform to be more natural, green, and environmentally friendly. There’s a race to keep up.
If your brand doesn’t stand for something, if it doesn’t have a unique voice, if it doesn’t resonate in the culture, you’re going to have a really hard time at becoming iconic. You need to be aware of what’s happening in the culture.
