No.5 2016
WE ARE SEERS OUR VISION TAKES BUSINESSES INTO TOMORROW
This year marks the 5th edition of our much sought after Little Book of Inspirations, a book that embodies our relentless curiosity to observe and understand the cultural shifts that are taking place in our world and what implications these may hold for the future of your business. This year we entered an era of the dis: Distrust, Disruption, Disorder, Discord, Dissolve, Displacement, Disconnection and Disillusion. Our capitalist economic model is becoming dysfunctional. Globalisation is under serious question as nations engage at grass roots level to protect national resources, economies and ideologies. It is as though we are in a vacuum between the old system that is being disrupted and the new one that has not yet been formed. As politicians exploit people’s anxiety around mass migration, as trust becomes harder for companies to earn than ever before, as technology causes more discord than harmony, as the wealth divide continues to disenchant those on the fringes, our mindsets shift away from materialism to the fundamental questions about the lives we lead. We are on the cusp of change and the very things that dislocate can be the things that start the journey, sow the seeds and win the game. Our book aims to hold light to this change. Being in profit, deploying CSR, adopting the latest technology is simply not enough. Today, businesses – from local entrepreneurs to global conglomerates – need to define and deliver a legacy; a legacy that will serve building for a better world. Only then will they engage. Our 5th edition is dedicated less to the art of inspiration for innovation and is more about triggering the reflection needed to reignite hope and change for the world. We would like to thank QNB Finansbank for believing in our mission and their support in making this edition a reality. I wish you all eternal peace and happiness in 2017.
ÖZLEM TUSKAN
Founder, BrandSeers
1.
What is Your Legacy? “Hepimizin bu dünyada sınırlı zamanı var ve hayatlarımızı mümkün olan en dolu şekilde yaşamak için birbirimizi yüreklendirmemiz gerekiyor. – Mustafa Koç This year we dedicate our book to the beloved Mustafa Koç, Chairman of Koç Holding, who has left a legacy of innovation, vocational education and gender equality in the workplace for our country.
Mustafa Koç ran Turkey’s largest conglomerate, creating over ten percent of the national income and accounting for over ten percent of Turkey’s total exports through more than a dozen Koç companies, five of which are among the top ten companies in the country.
2.
Hyper-Reality Who am I? Where am I going? What is physical? What is virtual? Where is my identity?
#HYPERREALITY
Our physical and virtual realities are becoming increasingly intertwined. Technologies such as VR, augmented reality, wearables, and the internet of things are pointing to a world where technology will envelop every aspect of our lives. Hyper-Reality, a crowdfunded concept film by Keiichi Matsuda attempts to explore this exciting but dangerous trajectory. It presents a provocative new vision of the future, where physical and virtual realities have merged, and the city is saturated in media.
3.
Who Am I? To be told to identify? Is that the road to engagement? A simple yet powerful image by Turkish artist Sinan Logie captures the plethora of brand messages that can leave us disillusioned with who we are.
#SINANLOGIE
Believability is everything.
4.
Prejudice Makes Us Poorer What is your ethnicity? How many racial groups does this entail? What is the root of your DNA? Who says you can judge? Prejudice is free, but discrimination has a cost. The cost of discrimination in terms of race, gender and sexual orientation is high.
#DNAJOURNEY
This film probes the question: If you don't know your own DNA, how can you judge others based on their roots?
5.
This is Women’s Work Photographer Chris Crisman, a father of two, was raised to believe that he could do whatever he wanted to when he grew up. He chose to pass down a similar message to his children. “I want to raise my children knowing that their dreams have no limits and that they have parents supporting them to dive into anything they feel passionate about.”
#CHRISCRISMAN
His portrait project Women at Work depicts women in jobs not normally done by women in the US, hinting at the world of limitless possibilities.
6.
The First Lady, The Last Dinner When Michelle Obama and husband Barack hosted their final state dinner at the White House, she wore Versace for the first time, giving a nod to one of Italy's most pioneering fashion houses. Weeks beforehand, Donatella Versace launched a new women’s wear collection that is “all about a woman’s freedom: freedom of movement, freedom of activity, freedom to fight for their ideas, freedom to be whomever they want to be.” This resonated with Michelle Obama’s emotional speech harshly denouncing Trump’s disgraceful sexism, speaking up for women’s rights. The dress is made out of rose gold chain mail, implying strength, armour, power and invulnerability as well as beauty and style.
#MICHELLEOBAMA
Michelle Obama, one of history’s most beloved first ladies, will be missed.
7.
Brexit Club What is a referendum? Does it divide? Does 52% represent the rule of the majority? Who benefits? Can it serve democracy? And most importantly, why did all the advocates flee the scene as though they had committed a crime?
#BREXIT
Or perhaps they had – that of a great divide.
8.
Trumped Where is the democracy when Clinton is the loser but actually won the popular vote? Does democracy work with a two party presidential system and referendums when it polarises and disenchants further? We have not turned the page on Brexit or the Trump era.
#WHYTRUMPWON
We are just at the beginning.
9.
A Silent Voice or Tomorrow’s Generation
# M I L L E N I A LVO T E
A future generation with a different view of who should lead the world, what fundamental decisions should be taken, but is there anyone who listens?
10.
A Better Life As Trump closes in on victory, Canada’s immigration site crashes: The need to flee, start over, in a place of peace, with liberal leadership, social security, and a strong welfare system.
#CANADA
All offered with a cordial welcome.
11.
A Graveyard of Lifejackets Campaigners from International Rescue Committee (IRC) laid out 2,500 used life jackets overnight in London’s Parliament Square to raise awareness of the thousands of refugees who died at sea. The installation was to coincide with the United Nations Migration Summit in New York.
#IRC
A powerful reminder to Members of Parliament that they are failing refugees.
The life jackets were worn by refugee children and adults crossing from Turkey to the Greek island of Chios, before being abandoned in a warehouse on the Greek island of Lesbos.
12.
A Failed Attempt One facetime call, the rise of a nation, the clash of nationality, the demise of an institution. The rise or fall?
13.
Fictitious Peace Lines Today 65 countries have erected wall fences on their borders – four times as many as when the Berlin Wall was toppled. Wasn’t globalisation meant to tear down barriers? Will this prevent immigrants or terrorists crossing borders?
#WALLEDWORLD
Is this real security or a false sense of it?
14.
The Water Protectors A $3.7-billion Dakota Access Pipeline, Sioux Native Indians under threat as the pipeline could contaminate the tribe's water source, Tribes speak up for sacred land, Environmental activists and veterans join in support, Global interest and support mounts, Voices get louder, Police force escalates, Human rights abuses spiral. But protestors do not quieten...
# STA N D I N G R O C K
A grass routes movement that comes to a conclusion with the Army announcing that it will not grant an easement for the pipeline to be drilled under Lake Oahe.
15.
Transnational Identity A new form of transnational identity is emerging. We are moving away from identifying ourselves according to our national identities and demographics. Today we are identifying ourselves with our psychographic outlook on life – our individual world experiences. The Republic of Estonia is the first country to offer an e-residency – a residential system that goes beyond national borders.
#ESTONIA
For 50 dollars anyone in the world is entitled to have a transnational government issued digital identity.
16.
The Power of an Idea “How many people have an important message but refrain from ‘going public’ out of fear of losing their jobs or hurting loved ones? How many ideas worth spreading remain hidden because some speakers simply can’t publicly be associated with the very thing the world needs to hear?” – Chris Anderson, TED President
# S I N C E R E LY X
TED has teamed with Audible, the podcast and audiobook company, to produce audio content for TED. The presenter will be completely anonymous, highlighting the belief that some ideas are so powerful they can stand on their own and change the world, regardless of messenger or medium.
17.
Original Emoji The original emojis are going on display as part of the permanent collection at MoMA.Released in 1999, the original 176 emojis were designed by Shigetaka Kurita for the Japanese mobile carrier NTT DoCoMo.
#ORIGINALEMOJI
The emoji, the ingenious emotional short cut, has come a along way since its creation and is now one of our most essential tools of communication.
18.
Emoji Storytelling Sassy Girl, Pile of Poo, Laughing Crying and Heart Eyes are all set in ‘Emojitown’ and tell the story of what the emojis get up to when left to their own devices. Penguin Random House Children’s has created a series of books based on popular emojis, promising “emoj-tional escapades inside tales of love, loss, sass and selfies.”
#EMOJITOWN
We finally have what we have all been waiting for – an insight into the secret lives of emojis. A laugh not to be missed!
19.
A Possible Future Black Mirror – a Twilight Zone-esque anthology TV series about technological anxieties and possible futures – presents a great insight into current culture and our fears. Launching its third series with a wicked attack on social media, it paints a picture of a future time where social platforms’ self-curation and validation-seeking has become the backbone of society. “Everyone depicted in this brave new world walks around with a user-generated score glowing in front of their faces, and that score determines their value in society, their access to services, and their employability.” – The Verge
#BLACKMIRROR
Whilst bleak and satirical, it is highly insightful, thought provoking and just may not be that far from the truth.
20.
Brand Stretch or Cultural Shift? Can you stretch your brand into an adjacent market where its value proposition is still relevant to consumers? Or your employees? Shisheido, who believes everyone has a fundamental desire to be beautiful and that beauty can encourage people, is offering a new app that will let employees apply virtual makeup for video conferences. When brainstorming innovation in your marketing, products, services, processes do you come up with silly ideas? Embrace them.
#SHISEIDO
Perhaps Shiseido aren’t so silly?
cool
feminine
n at u r a l
trend
21.
Emodiversity Do you feel: Joy? Melancholy? Pensive? Liberated? Anxious? Emotional state has a huge impact on decisionmaking and our emotional structures are far more complex than the basics regularly portrayed to us in advertising. We feel more than just simple happiness or pleasure.
#DEPTSTOREFORTHEMIND
Brands like Department Store for the Mind are moving beyond the basic emotions by giving the option to shop by mood states rather than product categories, putting emotional health at the core of their offering. How are you incorporating complex human emotions into your brand strategy?
22.
Social Media Safety With Millenials checking their phones more than 137 times a day it is no surprise that social media usage is higher than ever. Social media’s negative side is causing substantial psychological problems for numerous people such as depression, low self-esteem, self-harm and reduced motivation for work. As a response, social media companies are strengthening their roles as safety providers.
# I N STAG R A M
Instagram has launched a new feature aimed at supporting people going through a difficult time. The feature allows users to flag posts that people think could lead to self-harm and also offers support options, such as calling a friend or a helpline.
23.
No More Luxury? Luxury no longer means wealth and status. Today, the top definition of luxury is privacy and security. Brands have started to offer ultra-secure services by trying to bring trust back into the conversation.
# B U L G A R I VA U LT
Flick a switch on the back of a Solarin phone and it turns into a military grade secure communications device. Bulgari Vault is another example: an app that allows users to encrypt all of their personal information and passwords.
24.
Catch Me Gaming Pokémon Go led Americans to take an estimated 144 billion more steps during the first month of its release, according to researchers at Microsoft and Stanford University. They also found that the game increased players’ activity by 1,473 steps per day, on average, representing a 25 percent boost over their previous levels. Researchers calculated that if users sustained an increase of 1,000 steps per day, it would be expected to add 41 days to each individual’s life, equaling up to 2.8 million years for the 25 million Pokémon Go players in the US.
#POKEMONGO
Geocentric gaming for public health – how far can gaming go?
25.
Big Data Recruitment Working for the world’s leading multiconglomerates, Arctic Shores, a game-based assessment platform, offers employers the opportunity for a more meaningful and innovative recruitment process. The aim is to conduct personality, aptitude and cogniton tests through three games: Cosmic Cadet, Skyrise City and Yellow Hook Reef.
#ARCTICSHORES
The platform not only allows the employer to differentiate their hiring process, raise brand awareness and engage prospective talent, it does this while making fair, objective selection decisions due to its scientific modeling.
26.
Not So Smart There is smart technology and then there is technology for technology’s sake. Tweet Pee – because checking twitter is easier than checking a nappy? Wifi Kettle – for boiling water when you’re away from home?
#W E PU TAC H I PI N IT
Smart isn’t always smart. The problem being solved may not always be a genuine unmet need.
27.
Fuckuppreneurs Instruct Often it’s failure that can give us the perspective we need to succeed.
#FUCKUPNIGHTS
A global movement has begun called FuckUp Nights. It’s an event for entrepreneurs to share, evalute and celebrate their failures. Each event entails 3 or 4 “fuckuppreneurs” who tell the story of their failure in 7 minutes, covering what they did wrong, what they learnt and what they would do differently in hindsight, followed by a Q&A session.
28.
Hungry for Community Impact? What do you have more information about – the market impact of your money or the eggs you buy? When it comes to banking, consumers have a lot of choice but little to guide them in making a decision. Increasingly, people do not purchase something from a company based on what they do, but how and why they do it. We are craving more and more community impact as a value proposition from the brands and businesses we engage with. These insights are driving Mighty, a platform that will let consumers learn which banks are creating the most social impact. “Our inspiration is to create an experience where every individual who's participating has a personal understanding of their individual impact within the larger, complex system and then can help facilitate a more participatory, democratic, diversified system.”
#MIGHTY
– Cofounder and CEO Megan Hryndza
29.
A Winning Recipe There is no dispute that food brings people together and the best meals we have are those cooked at home. Josephine is building a community for home cooked eating by giving people the opportunity to get home cooked meals from their neighbours. Their ambition is to strengthen communities and to empower individuals through food.
#JOSEPHINE
“We believe that food can be a powerful and a positive agent of change for communities all around the world.” – Charley Wang, Founder
30.
Micro Economy, Macro Community Small gestures are capable of building communities. Totnes, a small town in England, pioneered printing their own local currency. After the benefits on the local economy became apparent, other cities like Bristol, and even districts within larger cities like Brixton in London, soon followed suit.
#TOTNESPOUND
Quite simply, the notes are not valid outside the local town or district, developing local trade by benefitting local producers instead of multinationals and generating a more sustainable economy.
31.
Bitcoin an Unlikely Haven Want to stay immune to political and social interference? Avoid cutting across national currencies and issues around conversion? Stay immune to criminality?
#BITCOIN
Operated by Blockchain, this is exactly what Bitcoin offers. As it increasingly facilitates movement across borders, we start to see it offer more stability than currencies like the Sterling.
32.
Forever Legends Those who seek answers to big questions; Those who master cultural reinvention; Those who express through music, fashion, poetry, love and sensuality; Those who tear up the charts; Those who tear up the truth; Those who are intensely down to earth and kind; You are our legends and we treasure you.
David Bowie January 8, 1947 January 10, 2016
Prince June 7, 1958 April 21, 2016
Leonard Cohen September 21, 1934 November 7, 2016
33.
You Say You Want a Revolution? The years 1966 to 1970, in only 1,826 days, shook the foundation of the world post World War II. The V&A exhibition You Say You Want a Revolution covers the unexpected connections that underpin the revolutions that took place during those years; fashion, drugs, counter culture, human rights, street protests, consumerism, festivals, environmentalism, nuclear weapons and alternative communities. The culture, the art, the music, books, posters, everything was about the same thing – one message: freedom. Nothing much has changed since then.
#RECORDSANDREBELS
“We shall overcome some day. We shall all be free.” – Joan Baez. 1963
34.
Green Schooling Turkey has launched its first ever ecological nursery in KadÄąkĂśy, Istanbul. From solar power to rain water recycling to permaculture living, this is a first of its kind in Turkey.
# E KOLOJI K YUVA
Progress is possible.
35.
Wildlife Extinction World wildlife has fallen by 58% in 40 years. If the trend continues, the decline could reach two-thirds among vertebrates by 2020 according to The Living Planet assessment by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and the WWF. “It is a civilisational wake-up call. A powerful message – spoken in the language of fires, floods, droughts, and extinctions – telling us that we need an entirely new economic model and a new way of sharing this planet.”
#EXTINCTION
― Naomi Klein, This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate
36.
Shinrin Yoku (Forest Bathing) A family of architectural installations called “Forests” using plants to explore the relationship between public and private space in the city was launched in London Shoreditch. Designed by Asif Khan, they speculate on the possibilities of “third places” as described by sociologist Ray Oldenburg; places which “host the regular, voluntary, informal, and happily anticipated gatherings of individuals beyond the realms of home and work.” (London Design Festival)
#SHINRINYO KU
Simply put, a third place to connect, create and relax in an immersive atmosphere.
37.
No Pineapples Harmed Ananas Anam have developed an innovative, natural and sustainable non-woven textile called Piñatex. Ananas Anam have harnessed advanced technologies to create a totally sustainable high performance natural textile.
# PI N ATE X
As the by-product of the pineapple harvest, Piñatex’s production requires no extra land, water, fertilizers or pesticides. It has created new additional income for farmers, fuelling a vibrant new industry for pineapple-growing countries.
Smith Matthias designed and produced by hand two bags and an Ipad case prototype to exhibit alongside brands such as Puma and Camper at the Pineapple Show hosted by the Royal College of Art.
38.
Answers From Nature
#BIOCOLLABS
Founded in 1977 in Lisbon, Bio-lab aims to make chemicals redundant through natural science. Their focus is on natural solutions for modern problems and concerns that traditional health care overlooks. They partner with likeminded scientists, artists and brands to create ideas, products and experiences that will help them get closer to their mission of a postchemical society.
39.
Breaking Category Hygiene Codes Homesickness? Loss of Identity? Nostalgia for an unknown past? Lufthansa’s recent TV campaign taps into these notions. “A sense of inherited nostalgia for a place previously unknown physically taps into the idea of identities being constructed from different facets of our lives rather than being something we are born with. The #inspiredby homesickness campaign draws on melancholy, an emotion rarely explored by the travel industry.” – The Future Laboratory, LSN Global
#INSPIREDBY
What emotion is rarely used in marketing within your industry?
40.
Dream the Impossible “Mark my words: A combination airplane and motorcar is coming. You may smile, but it will come.” – Henry Ford
#AEROMOBIL
Chances are he will be right.
41.
Supermoon Wishes A supermoon is an effect that occurs when a full moon reaches its closest point to earth. We have not witnessed a full moon this large since 1948 and we won’t again until 2034. Where will we be then? Lets make a wish and hope we get there.
#SUPERMOON
After all, if there is no hope, there is no life.
Image Credits
1. David Gorman; 2. Keiichi Matsuda; 3. Sinan Logie; 4. Momondo; 5. Chris Crisman; 6. Startraks; 7. Unknown; 8. Time Magazine; 9. Lord Ashcroft Polls, Survey Monkey, Reuters; 10. Unknown; 11. Philip Toscano, PA Wire; 12. Gökhan Tan, Getty Images; 13. PallisterWilkins/GuardianWitness, JohnMoore/Getty Images, Ng Han Guan/AP, Reuters, ChungSung Jun/GettyImages, Alamy, Reuters; 14. Ryan Vizzons; 15. Unknown; 16. Wired Magazine/Getty Images; 17. Shigetaka Kurita 18. Penguin Random House; 19. Black Mirror/ Netflix; 20. Shiseido 21. Department Store for the Mind; 22. Instagram; 23. Bulgari; 24. Matthew Corley/Shutterstock; 25. Arctic Shores; 26. Huggies, Smarter; 27. Fuckup Nights; 28. Mighty Deposits; 29. Josephine; 30. Unknown; 31. Unknown; 32. David Bowie: unknown, Prince: unknown, Leonard Cohen: unknown; 33. Victoria & Albert Museum; 34. Kadıköy Belediyesi; 35. Wikimedia Commons; 36.Asif Khan & MINI for London Design Festival; 37. Smith Matthias; 38. Biocol Labs; 39. Lufthansa; 40. Aeromobil; 41. Ben Lawry
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