The Value of Values

Taylor Swift is an excellent example of how humility can lead to success. She’s genuine. She connects and relates to her audience through her own experiences. She’s inoffensive, but above all, she’s humble. Almost too humble at times—check out her reactions to winning her numerous awards. Steady Taylor. Don’t lose your sincerity or everything might change.

Today she’s the queen of humility, and it’s working. She’s sold 16 million albums worldwide on the back of her openness, honesty and relatability through her songwriting. But Taylor needs to stay true to herself and her fans as her career progresses. She broke the mold as the first real superstar who came to notoriety through the social network revolution. She’s a poster child for millions, and for the new music business model. She wears her young heart on her sleeve and exposes her feelings in everything she does. And now, through her values and personality, she is a true, purposeful and extremely recognizable brand.

But does she have the staying power? Can she be Dove or Olay for generations to come?

The honesty and humility at the heart of brand-Swift is her biggest asset, and if nurtured, is what will help her sustain her career. And because these pillars are rooted in authenticity, she has the power to become relevant as she ages with her fans. Taylor’s pinned on a million tween and teen girls’ walls (and some boys too) because through her lyrics, her stories resonate with them. At the same time, she’s an aspirational example. Some might say that the biggest danger she faces is her own inner self. She’s saving herself. She doesn’t drink. She doesn’t smoke, do drugs or reveal much of her body. Of course as time goes on, she might give way to one or two of these. The caution, and the opportunity, is for her to understand the powerful connection she’s made with her fans, and the challenge is staying relevant to their life-stage.

Think about it, this is a new trend. Artists have never been able to forge connections with their fans to the degree that they can today. Sure there’s still some sparkle surrounding today’s heroines and heroes—that will always be there in the eyes of fans. But there’s another dimension too. Superstars are no longer untouchable and mythical beings. They blog. They tweet. They have two-way dialog with their fans. They publish the progress of their daily errands. Bummer, they’re real like the rest of us. And whatever the artist doesn’t expose, someone else will. There’s no mystery surrounding icons like Taylor. Those days are long gone, there are no cover-ups or secrets anymore. It’s all out there for everyone to see, and this new era makes it even more difficult for artists to sustain their success. In the old days sustained success was almost wholly built on the quality of their work and their record label’s marketing efforts. Now that’s only half of the equation.

Taylor’s humility makes her attractive. But it also makes her vulnerable, and as she grows up, she’ll be an easy target. We say stick close to the personal values you started with, and continue to forge that connection with your fans. You have permission to grow, and it’s your humble and honest approach that will keep you grounded. As a celebrity brand, you’re extendable. But be courageous in your humility, avoid the formulaic scent, clothing, and home furnishings deals and do something surprising with the permission you’ve created. We dare you Swift, surprise us. Take it steady, and you’ll be with us for a very long time.

What’s all the fuss about embedded generosity, triple-bottom-line capitalism and social responsibility? Is it a new trend? Is it the latest manifestation of the human spirit? Corporate giving is definitely not a new concept. Large companies and their leaders have been giving back for years, with billions of dollars donated to the arts, education, science and social issues. But today there’s something new in the air, there’s a movement of passionate and purpose-driven people who want to do more with their lives and their talents than just line their own pockets.

A few years ago, consumers had little expectation that a company would give back. Most of us were certainly not buying products based on the social conscience or contributions of the companies selling us products. Something has changed considerably in the past few years where consumers can participate in making a difference through a wide range of products they purchase.

The emergence of passionate, creative entrepreneurs and CEOs of large corporations who are combining passion, purpose and principles into very successful businesses are making a difference in the lives of those less fortunate and setting a new standard for the way business is done. This is the emergence of the new American spirit with entrepreneurs and companies orienting their talents and designing their businesses for good.

Want to learn to infuse a socially and environmentally responsible nature into your brand in a way that will feel genuine and well-received by your target audience? This article is the first in a series that looks at creative thinkers who were made to give. With their ingeniously simple concepts, they are working to play a significant part in solving complex problems.

FEED BAGS BY LAUREN BUSH:

Channel your frustrations, put them up on the wall and look at them as a source of inspiration. It could lead you to the development of a business or the solution to a major issue. Use simplicity and brevity as filters for identifying and framing solutions to complex problems.

World hunger is a far-away-and-doesn’t-affect-me issue. As a student spokesperson in 2005 for the UN’s World Food Program, Lauren Bush’s job was to share the story of starving children in third world countries back on campus. Lauren was frustrated by the lack of tangible action she could encourage students to take, other than signing petitions.

Small efforts can make a big difference. Strive to make your metrics for success easy to understand, such as Lauren’s ‘buy one bag and feed 3 children for a year’ messaging.

As issues with plastic grocery bags were on the rise, Lauren used her talent as an emerging designer to create a reusable, stylish shopping bag as a fundraising tool. Combining brilliant simplicity and design, FEED Projects employs a very simple formula, buy a bag and you can positively impact the life of another person. FEED bags have provided more than 57 million meals through the sale of nearly 470,000 bags.

Create opportunities for other brands and companies to partner with you around your products and causes.

Lauren attributes her success to collaborative partnerships and the passion of others to engage in her brand “I will always be so grateful to Whole Foods for their support in buying the first bag that made the biggest difference – sales from it helped feed the entire school population of RWANDA for an entire year!” FEED has more recently partnered with GAP, HSN and Bergdorff Goodman, who donated an entire window on 5th Avenue in New York City to support the introduction of the Kenya burlap bag.

Companies, teams and individuals possess a unique combination of talents that often go unexplored and are many times disconnected. Take the time to map both the passions and the talents of your team(s) and, as Sir Ken Robinson says, “You might find your element.”

Inspired at an early age to care for the less fortunate by her mom, who used to take her to soup kitchens and started a charity for abused children, Lauren says, “I had the double whammy of examples of giving back to others with my family in politics and service.” Lauren is the Humanitarian Triple Threat: highly intelligent, empathetic humanitarian, designer and former model, who combined her talents and passion to design a business that engages women, raises awareness, and feeds starving children around the world.

Design Collaboration for Eight-Piece T-shirt Collection to Raise Funds for World Vision’s Efforts in Japan

At the beginning of last week we collaborated with our friends at Jedidah, a humanitarian based fashion brand, to design an eight-piece t-shirt collection to raise money to help fund World Vision’s efforts in Japan. Each t-shirt is priced at $20, with $15 of each sale being donated to World Vision.

World Vision and Jedidiah are both Bulldog Drummond’s partners and we’re honored to have the opportunity to use our design thinking, partnerships and channels of communication to raise additional dollars that will aid in the restoration and repair of Japan. Shirts are available for purchase at www.jedidiahusa.com

World Vision has deployed an assessment team to northern Japan from Tokyo led by a Japanese emergency response manager with experience in Haiti, Pakistan, Myanmar and the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. This team reached the city of Sendai within 48 hours of the devastating quake and Fukushima shortly after, and is coordinating with local government officials and partner organizations to determine how to start relief operations to support children and their families. World Vision has appealed for $10 million globally for its Japan response. As of Wednesday, March 16, World Vision has raised $2.4 million in the U.S. for the response, which will be used to fund the distribution of relief supplies and the construction of “Child-Friendly Spaces” that offer psycho-social support for children affected by disasters, and allows them to resume normal childhood activities and experience structure and security that are often lost during emergency situations. For more information on their efforts, visit www.WorldVision.org.

Manhattan certainly didn’t need another hotel back in March 2009, and with the prevailing economic winds, the average bear would have waited out the recession before investing in building a new 86 room boutique hotel in the heart of SoHo. But not the Kemps, the passionate husband and wife partnership of the intimate London-based Firmdale Hotels. Some might say it was a bold move, but as a fan, I’d say it was a move based on studying the gaping hole in the market. New York was in need of their special breed of hospitality and old-school attention to detail. “Hotels should be living things not stuffy institutions” champion Tim and Kit Kemp, and The Crosby Street delivers something refreshingly different to the pretension of the boutique hotel scene and the impersonal sterility of New York’s finest.

The Crosby Street blends in its namesake cobbled street in the heart of New York’s vibrant SoHo neighborhood. As soon as you pass through the glass doors, you enter into what feels like the entrance to a spectacular home. Every part of the hotel, including each of its 86 bedrooms and suites, have been designed with a fresh, stay-in-the-room, contemporary style. Kit Kemp designed the interior of their hotel in her unique and inviting personal style—a fresh modern English style, mixed with a little irony and wit carefully peppered in. I’m a huge fan of the Drawing Room (it really feels like home away from home) and its trusting honor bar that’s open 24 hours, as well as the total professionalism of their car service with suit & tie and intelligent conversation if you want it. Everything from the custom scents in the toiletries to the sincerity of the manager’s hand-written “Welcome Backs” make the Crosby Street an experience in humility and sophisticated sexy.

www.firmdalehotels.com

From lakes made of fruit punch to a vaporous walk-in cloud of breatheable gin and tonic, Messrs. Bompas & Parr (not a relation that I know of) burst onto the London food scene in 2007 with something very important to teach us: mix your metaphors and your ingredients when looking for new ideas. This inventive English duo combine intrigue, humility, showmanship, and a scientific approach to experimentation showing us that innovation with food comes from mixing forms, function and presentation. Making edible decorations shaped like buildings and other architectural structures, they’ve been celebrated for their imaginative exploration of how the taste of food is altered through synaesthesia.

www.jellymongers.co.uk