A sign of the times.

Developments in neuroscience, consciousness, technology, science, and leadership have helped us understand more about ourselves and the world around us and create opportunities. We are awakening to an understanding that we are social beings, living in a relational world, and what this means for how we carry out our relationships and business activities.

What does that mean for businesses and brands?

Against this relational background, making human, creative, cultural as well as operational connections is a primary indicator of success and sustainability. Today’s businesses and brands should be conduits of internal and external connections with like-minded allies, stakeholders, and customers, as well as helping others connect with things they care about. With that in mind, here are some questions that might spark strategic connections for yourself, your team, and your brand in the year ahead.

Have you taken an organization-wide solution mindset?

In order for connections to be transformative, it means going beyond the marketing department and connecting across the company and culture. We shouldn’t be afraid to create coalitions and cooperation amongst various entities. At Cheil our experiential and space teams combine with our field force management which allows us to develop and implement on-ground retail solutions for our clients.

How do you foster a mindset of curiosity and imagination?

It is tempting in an era of generative AI to look at data that is easily accessible, and to feel comfortable because “that’s what AI says” or “what research gives us ‘permission’ to do”. But when we’re only looking at what is directly in front of us, it won’t help us seize big opportunities or crack big problems, we soon find ourselves solving small, incremental problems. To paraphrase Martin Weigel, strategic thinking is about making imaginative connections by asking, “What’s the desirable future I want to create?” and then working back to design that reality.

In what way does your brand develop cultural intimacy?

As popular culture and monoculture give way to niche subcultures, finding a way to connect with relevant subcultures is important. As Elly Bamford says, “Subcultures are your small ticket to creating big brand moments.” For the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Tab, Cheil embedded the brand in the football mania that swept the region by creating the Space Cup Tournament on the Roblox platform Space Tycoon. The tournament connected football fans and gamers on various platforms including Discord and the global Space Tycoon platform.

Has your company or brand given your customers a voice?

I recently learned about the concept of “Sawubona,” a Zulu term that means “I see you.” Not just a person’s physicality, but witnessing their hopes, and dreams, where they come from, and where they’re going. It’s not something many of us are good at, let alone brands. But the more we understand and identify people as individuals, not as data sets, the better we will be at connecting with them and offering them personalized and caring service. Do you try and build a community of the willing behind your business? In that case, how do you nurture them and create allies among them? At Cheil, Connec+ is not only a fundamental belief that businesses and brands work better when they are connected, but it is also a tangible way that we help businesses connect their entire operation to what matters. 

This piece was first published in Communicate's inaugural Best Places to Work 2023 issue.