The New Abnormal

Series OneIn this episode of #TheNewAbnormal, I interview the leading futurist, author and speaker Anne-Lise Kjaer. Her wholebrain methodology bridges the rational and emotional universe – shaping the strategies and core concepts driving the businesses and brands of the future. According to the Financial Times her unique world vision is "as fertile as Dali’s only she creates social prototypes…based on nascent trends." She's the Founder of Kjaer Global, who work with an A-Z of world-leaders including Accenture, BMV, Esade Alumni, Fiskars Group, Herman Miller, Ikea, Johnson & Johnson, Mc Kinsey & Co, Nokia, Sony, Toyota and Unilever. In this podcast, we discuss her views on issues including design-thinking, the dangers of short-termism, scenario planning, trend forecasting, creative leadership, and cultivating intuition. 

Series OneIn this episode of #TheNewAbnormal, I interviewed Carl Miller, who specialises in how technology is changing society and politics. He co-founded the first UK think tank institute dedicated to studying the digital world, at Demos (Britain's leading cross-party think tank)  nearly a decade ago, and has been their Research Director ever since. Carl writes widely on tech and society for titles inc The Economist, Wired, New Scientist, The Sunday Times, the Telegraph and the Guardian. In 2018 he released his first book 'The Death of the Gods: The New Global Power Grab', and often gives speeches about the implications of changes in politics, society, media, crime and warfare. In this episode, we discuss a range of fascinating issues, including the fundamental redrawing of liberties & state boundaries, identity politics and the social landscape, disinformation / misinformation / fake news / alternative facts in the context of Influence Operations & Information Warfare.We go to talk about collective experiences & social polarisation, the public's demand for accountability, intersectionality, and of how we're living in a moment of flux, where the old rules are being washed away by a new consensus. 

Series OneIn this episode of #TheNewAbnormal, I interview the writer Tom Hodgkinson. His philosophy is of a relaxed approach to life, enjoying it as it comes rather than toiling for an imagined better future. After lounging around at Jesus College, Cambridge, where he played bass in the thrash band Chopper, he took the natural step of getting a job in Rough Trade records before moving on to becoming an importer of absinthe. Later, he and his partner Victoria Hull launched The Idler Academy; which offers courses on subjects such as foraging, singing, grammar, philosophy and astronomy. In this episode, we discuss a range of issues alongside anecdotes about the people he's interviewed. You'll therefore hear about Damien Hirst, Iggy Pop, Rowan Williams, Brett Anderson, Paul Mason, Communism, Ethics, the Futurists, Aldous Huxley, Colin MacInnes, the Sleaford Mods, Public Enemy, Bob Dylan, Naomi Klein, and the great Sally Phillips. Plus, a retort to the appallingly non-idling Home Secretary Priti Patel, who accused the British of being "the worst idlers in the world". By "worst" Tom points out, Patel seems to actually mean "best".To finish, and as The Idler states so clearly: 'Down with Silicon Valley...Open the Village Hall...Embrace Beauty...We Are Free...Anarchy in the UK!

Series One This episode of 'The New Abnormal' features the renowned semiotician Dr Rachel Lawes. One of the earliest providers of British commercial semiotics, her PhD was in social psychology, hence bringing a unique perspective to semiotics, placing her at the exact intersection of psychology, linguistics and cultural studies. Rachel has been using semiotics for nearly 20 years to rejuvenate brands, innovate products and services, and steer communication. As she points out in her excellent book 'Using Semiotics in Marketing', semiotics is big business - most famous for its unique ability to decode visual images - and can provide invaluable insights into understanding people's needs and behaviour. In this interview, we discuss the communication of codes / signs / symbols, how semiotic research can dovetail with ethnography, the post-modern theorists Jean Baudrillard and Michel Foucault, Western Individuality / Hyper Individualism, and Conceptual Art. 

Series One In this episode of #TheNewAbnormal podcast, I interviewed Joakim Noren, who is now a consultant, having been the Marketing Director and Vice President of Artipelag - a unique international venue for art, culture and design, beautifully set among pine trees on Varmdo in the Stockholm archipelago. Previously, Joakim was at the Swedish Institute, where he developed the 'Brand Sweden' platform into a complete brand strategy. Prior to that he'd been head of their strategy unit, which followed on from years as an independent concept developer and design strategist. (I last saw him when we were in Beirut, speaking at a conference alongside Govt officials). In this podcast, we discuss issues including the complexities of national branding initiatives, ideas around consensus culture and progressive notions of #BrandSweden alongside 'Swedish Brands Today'. We discuss green investment and regenerative capitalism, and 'Now/Next/Why' regarding the implications of Covid's impact on Scandinavian society and culture.  

Series OneIn this episode, I talk with the renowned strategist Gareth Kay, a founding partner of the cutting-edge independent creative studio Chapter, in San Fransisco, whose clients inc Google, Airbnb, Sonos, Dropbox, Uber, Facebook and PayPal. (Although , since we recorded the episode, Gareth has now moved into fintech).Prior to setting up Chapter, he'd spent 20yrs at some of the world's best ad agencies, inc Goodby Silverstein & Partners, where he was Chief Strategy Officer. He says that 'today, people expect more from their brands'. Those expectations may seem unreasonable, but they have been reset for good'. We talk about the 'complexity of uncertainty' summing up a key challenge of C19, but that we need to use the crisis 'as a portal to a better future'. Finally, Gareth talks about the urgent need to support the 'cultural creators and enablers' that play such a vital role in our lives. Oh, and he's also been to more gigs than seems humanly possible and really, really wanted to be a drummer. So...please listen and enjoy!

Series One In this episode of 'The New Abnormal' I interview Emily Hare, the Global Content Strategy Director of the Publicis Groupe. (Prior to this, she was Head of Content for Make Honey, before which she spent over a decade with Contagious Communications, where she was the Managing Editor.) In our discussion, which is a reposted episode, she explains her views on a wide range of issues including behavioural influencers, how to develop an informed and educated brand voice, the vital foundation of brand trust, and examples of authentic & positive brand behaviour regarding C19. In addition, we discuss the law of unintended consequences, the crucial issue of promoting diversity, economic reprioritisation re: #TheGreatReset, adaptive capacity re: the climate crisis, and the rise of hyper-localisation. 

Series OneIn this episode of The New Abnormal podcast, I interview the journalist and broadcaster Emma-Louise Boynton, who has a background as a broadcast producer, working with the likes of Sky News, the BBC and Tina Brown Media.  She's the co-founder and CEO of Her Hustle, which launched in 2019 and lifts the veil on the world of work, empowering women to carve out a career they want, on their own terms. They believe that everyone should be given the opportunity to build a career that combines passion and purpose. (Emma was also the co-founder of Venn Media, and is Politics & Society Editor of 'The Stack').  So, in this interview, we discuss her ethos and viewpoints, why she believes that everyone has a capacity to make change, her approach to sharing female narratives, and a 'How To' strategy regarding female career paths.  Along the way, she highlights some of the amazing women she's interviewed and the dynamic events produced by Her Hustle, which have featured an array of extraordinary individuals. 

Series OneIn this episode of #TheNewAbnormal I interviewed Jen Urich, a marketing strategist and founder of Sparrow Strategy in Portland, Oregon. She's also the ex-Group Planning Director of Wieden + Kennedy in Portland, ex-Director of Account Planning at Crispin, Porter + Bogusky in Miami, and Director of Account Planning at J. Walter Thompson Worldwide, in Mexico City. (Previously, she was also at Bain & Co, and took her Masters at Yale). In this reposted episode (an early one from the series) she explains her views on issues inc #BlackLivesMatter and the 'situation' in Portland. We go on to discuss the way in which #Truth (one of the most successful marketing campaigns of all time) was originally developed, the results of a fascinating research project into institutional trust vs personal trust (focusing around 'fears / loves / hopes') that she and her colleagues conducted in Brazil, India, Mexico and Japan. Jen also illuminates why Covid led to such a 'great reveal' of inequality. Along the way, we also talk about the 'Raising Justice' organisation, plus other crucial topics such as resilience, adaptability and community action. Oh, and why North America needs to be more like Canada...

Series OneIn this episode, I spoke with Nicole Fall, the CEO of the renowned strategic research, innovation consultancy and forecasting agency Asian Consumer Intelligence. She's spent 20 years in Asia working with leading brands in countries inc China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia. In the interview, we discuss her expert views on decoding cultural/social trends in Asia, and the implications for business strategy and brand marketing.