Strands of Genius: George Webster + Commerce Trends Report 2023
featuring: an interview with our guest editor and a research report
Welcome to the Bonus edition of Strands of Genius! On Fridays, we’ll be publishing interviews from our guest editors, and sharing a research report. Thanks for being along for the ride. Oh and by the way, you look great today :)
:: STEAL THIS THINKING | RESEARCH REPORT ::
The only constant in commerce is change. And the only way forward is to adapt. In the past year, we’ve seen millions of businesses display resilience in the face of the unexpected, contributing to over $27 trillion of retail sales worldwide. But 64%2 of global businesses are still recovering from the negative impact of the pandemic.
:: DIVE IN | THE INTERVIEW ::
GEORGE WEBSTER, FOUNDER OF BITW
>> George Webster guest curated Strands on July 13th, 2023. Read it here.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and what keeps you busy. How did you end up doing what you’re doing today?
I started my career as a media buyer at Zenith Media with dreams of making it big in Hollywood. And life was too easy when with no credits and my third film pitch, I managed to sell and co-write Valiant a $40m animated blockbuster with one page of A4. And for the following 5-6 years, I pitched anything that came out my mouth (or backside) and found producers willing to purchase the rights to my stories without any proof I could write well.
Eventually, I got rumbled.
I was a brilliant film pitcher but a terrible writer.
(Actually, I wasn’t that bad but exaggerating to polar opposites is structurally something you should always aim to do.)
I’ve been professionally coasting as a dependable - slightly maverick - Content Marketer ever since. But hitting 50 – I became a Richard Shotton cliché – and felt the need to at least try and make a dent in the marketing universe.
Creating Big Ideas That Work (BITW) a creative intelligence platform inspired by thinking not awards is a consequence of that urge.
What excites you most about what you do?
Cracking the creativity code! As every advertising Hall of Famer will tell you ‘Creativity has no rules.’ But what if they’re wrong? Eek. I know who I am going up against. Of course, I’m not saying it’s possible to explain Tony Kaye’s Michelin ads of the 90s or ‘Gorilla plays the drums’. It’s NOT. I just feel there can be a more systematic way to ask freakish questions (hat tip, Jonah Sachs) to land upon big ideas that stand out, provoke, and get remembered.
For example, take ‘Morning After Island’. Ad Age’s most original creative idea for 2023. It’s a fabulous campaign that deserves all the accolades it received for craft. But structurally it’s the same idea as ‘Tampon Book’ and ‘Woman Corp’ (and many others). And I think campaigns like this can be ‘workshopped or brainstormed’ quickly if you know the right questions to ask. This is, I know, a vomit inducing thing to say within ten feet of a creative.
Taking the example of Morning Island. The question to ask would be:
What if we make [THE PROBLEM] unignorable to [TARGET AUDIENCE] by creating a stunt [BLANK] that reveals [ABSURDITY OF STATUS QUO]?
Now fill in the bits you know and you can literally spend 10 minutes brainstorming [BLANK] using a standard comedic ‘people, places, things’ framework. Here’s the question filled in:
What if we make [the ban of morning after pills] unignorable to [Honduran Politicians] by creating a stunt [island] that enables [such pills to be provided to Honduran women]?
And for the others... What if we make [the tax on tampon products] unignorable to [German Politicians] by creating a stunt [book] that enables [tampons to be sold without tax to German women]
What if we make [women’s rights inequality] unignorable to [American Politicians] by creating a stunt [company] that reveals [PLCs to have more rights than women]?
That’s just one example from hundreds. Helping creatives and strategists understand such story structures that are hiding in plain sight is what excites me. It excites me a lot!
What beliefs define your approach to work? How would you define your leadership style?
Ask more curious questions, frame everything in terms of life and death (literal or metaphorical) and never sit on the fence. It’s so okay to be wrong! Plus, one tip, I wish I could pass onto my younger self – when you’re doing well, don’t take your foot off the gas. Floor it even harder.
As for leadership. That’s easy. I’m not a leader! But finding a way of working that suits you is the best advice I can give. For me to pay the bills while I fund my side-hustle(s), that meant becoming an independent consultant who works from home. I get autonomy, work/life balance and no management headaches. It works for me. Find what works for you
What has been the most rewarding project you’ve worked on and why?
When Vanessa Ribeiro, my wonderful HP colleague, and I took the rather indulgent third instalment of HP’s multi-million-dollar Wolf Endpoint Security campaign starring Christian Slater and turned it into the world’s greatest B2B webinar filmed at the Bugatti Hotel in London! Firstly, it was so much fun. Secondly, as a team we complemented each other’s skillsets perfectly and we just clicked on a personal level. Work can be a joy when that happens. Thirdly, it was audacious given our original brief was to run some yawn inducing email nurture flows. Finally, it was brilliant impactful work that the HP Sales teams loved.
We are big believers in diversity -- Not only because we believe in equality, but because we also think it’s better for business. The Black Lives Matter movement has shaped industry conversations around both global injustice, and also lack of representation in our industry. How do you frame these kinds of conversations, both internally and with clients? Is there an emphasis on action, or are the conversations really more about communication?
I'm fortunate to consult for HP who have a strong track record on DEI and sustainability. The briefs I receive and the work I do, are always thought through with these lenses in mind. All I will add is that it’s important to spell out that campaigns framed around DEI are better for business BECAUSE… they help grow the category and your brand’s market share within a crowded marketplace especially where products are virtually interchangeable. This might seem an obvious thing to state but it’s important to keep stating it - ad nauseum - so it becomes the primary narrative within your workplace and not the rebuttal.
Switching gears a bit, how do you find time to balance personal interests with your career? Do you believe work/life balance is possible? Anything you’ve implemented that you recommend that others try?
It's not easy but it's possible! I've found long v early morning walks work for me.
What’s your media diet? Where do you find inspiration?
For work, I'm tuned into all the creative newsletters but by far my favourite is Contagious's blog and Dave Trott's column. For general news, I skim read the headlines online of ALL the dailies. I'm a big fan of Matthew Syed's column and Lionel Shriver's contrarian opinions. I also occasionally let those 'cheesy' pre-roll videos carry on playing - especially the ones where someone is trying to sell you something. I think you can a lot from those folks. Right now, I am in awe of Adam Enfroy. What he doesn't know about blogging, isn't worth knowing. I feel like an old dog learning new tricks. And finally, of course, there's just being outdoors and being present in the moment. That is often the best way inspiration comes to me.
What’s the best piece of advice/knowledge you’ve stolen, and who/where’d you steal it from?
It's a quote from Anita Roddick that I stumbled upon while reading 'Very Bad People' that charts the incredible work that Global Witness does in rooting out worldwide corrupton. Anita Roddick was a mentor of Patrick Alley, one of the founders of the organisation. Her quote being: "If you think you're too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito in the room." I find it wonderfully inspiring on days when I doubt myself.
What's the worst decision you ever made and what did you learn from it?
When I sold Valiant, I committed to writing the first draft inside 6 weeks because I thought it made me look professional. But as soon as I handed it in, I lost control and standing, as my abilities were judged on that first pass. What I should have done is taken 12 weeks to write it and rewrite it and rewrite it. It seems so obvious now but it didn't at the time. The takeaway: always make sure you choose the right KPI.
You can keep in touch with George on LinkedIn and Instagram.
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rockON,
faris & rosie & ashley | your friends over at geniussteals.co
@faris is always tweeting
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