From Formula One to Bonds Undies, smart brands are evolving in the era of #Time'sUp.
This weekend, The Melbourne Grand Prix will drop its famous ‘grid girls’. The thinking pre-dates the Time's Up movement, which makes it all the more interesting. F1 organisers simply said they were ‘moving with the times, and changing social tastes’.
Surely something all smart brands and businesses should do.
However, so many others won’t ‘move with the times’, they will go dragging and kicking towards the inevitability of equality and the democratisation of power. To resist makes no sense from an ethical perspective, and even less from a business point of view.
Because, business is indeed the driving force behind #TimesUp.
The global surge surrounding #TimesUp for many, kicked into life with the uncovering of Harvey Weinstein. Yes, his own criminal behaviour is entirely to blame for his demise, but what led to the moment of his downfall? Why did this change happen at this point in time and why did it connect with the zeitgeist the way it did?
People could look at Rose McGowan, Ashley Judd and a plethora of other brave women and point the finger at them, but when it comes to the root cause, we should also fix our gaze on Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube et al. These, and all the other new production houses and streaming services, that have emerged to challenge traditional TV and movie companies, eroded his foundation of power and control and enabled voices, silenced for so long, to finally be heard.
'Studio gods' like Harvey Weinstein were, to quote a popular GFC banking term, ‘too big to fail’. The system protected and tacitly supported their wrong doings. But karma is a beautiful thing and, beyond the explosion of new content sources and production houses, a perfect storm of comeuppance was brewing: Social media was giving everyday people an amplified public voice; women have never been so educated and present in the workforce; marriage equality made society stop and think about fairness and the invisible prejudices they had blindly accepted.
It’s urgent - learning from the digital revolution
Many communication agencies and the brands they represent have been caught on the back foot over recent years. 15, even 10 years ago no-one could have predicted the complete digital and social watershed upon us. That the creatively lead 30” TVC would be an endangered species; PR completely reborn from skimpy press releases to focal point of ideas and events… Many ‘traditional’ agencies have had to embrace the notion of ‘evolve or die’.
However, for many, the evolution was superficial. Despite the knee-jerk creation of tech departments and experiential experts, the ingrained culture just didn’t catch on, just too rigid, slow and Jurassic-like to change. Hierarchal creative departments and interminably slow and bureaucratic traffic systems choked flashes of momentum from within. The lifeblood they need to survive in today’s climate is speed, nimbleness, diversified and decentralised intelligent thought and a ‘fail fast’, iterative, collaborative culture. And all too often, at the centre of this male dominated leadership - fostering ingrained ‘group think’ and processes set in place for decades.
The question is, will agencies step ahead of the curve when it comes to the next great wave of change: Equality.
Businesses without a timely plan in place to have smart women 50/50 on boards and sharing the lead in creative departments are like the digital deniers of past.
Creative agencies need to start thinking ‘creatively’ and flexibly, about enticing talented women to stay in the leadership loop. This is not an altruistic social strategy. This is a market driven approach for thinking that resonates with today’s society: Progressive, diverse and inclusive. Change is coming and Harvey et al are the poster boys of male entitlement and inequality in the extreme - representing how things used to be. Not where brands and consumers desire to be today.
So what does this mean for brands?
It’s easy to see which brands have progressive EQ’s and strong futures when it comes to the seismic cultural shift ‘Time’s Up’ will have on our market.
The AFL is a great example. It took note of the changing social climate, their massive female fan base and the surge in grass roots female footy competitors. Rather than denying change they embraced it and the Women’s League arrived before global mandates demanded ‘Time's Up’. Conversely, ’ahead of the curve’ is not where the NRL is. And in a small market like Australia with aggressive competition for sporting allegiance, the NRL is increasingly looking like yesterday’s game for a certain type of nostalgic bloke.
In January Bonds launched its ‘Colour For All’ unisex range with inclusivity and opportunity for all at the heart of the brand promise: With this range, there’s a new positive energy and a feeling of inclusivity. "We wanted to celebrate this by creating a range of unisex staples, where the pieces can be worn by any gender, any identity. We want Colour for All kids to feel free to be themselves," it said.
In the highly competitive and commoditised world of leisure-wear, this simple statement about equality enables Bonds to stand out with progressive and on-trend values. Cut-through and emotional connection achieved!
When it comes to Times Up - act fast.
Women represent 50% of the market and make the lion’s share of purchase decisions. Time’s Up conceptually represents the sleeping giant of ‘women and their true potential’. A giant awakening to a renewed sense of injustice and possibility. Brands that speak to her in a visionary, respectful, and genuinely equitable way will capture her, and wider society’s, attention and loyalty.
- AUDIT: Look at your brand’s values and communication and see what is looking outmoded. You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on focus groups. Use your own human judgement. If it feels a little old, unfair or cringe-worthy it probably is. Societal values change and evolve, Cycling Australia, like Formula has retired its Podium Girls, with young aspiring male and female cyclists. Why, because these kids are integral to the future of the sport, unlike the women on the podium periphery. It’s an easy decision.
- FOCUS: Find your brand or businesses’ truth. Equality doesn’t mean ‘sameness’ or puritanism. If you are Seafolly or Burleigh then women in bikinis and bras makes complete sense. If you are Ultra Tune maybe its about peace of mind or car enthusiasts. Maybe there’s a better, smarter way to talk about your brand than showing women repeatedly being driven off cliffs or having oil thrown all over them? Just saying…
- LEAD: Gender equality is right and it’s coming, Don’t wait to join a cluttered bandwagon, let your brand lead the change and experience the accompanying growth and future-proofed success.