The Female Century - Open Sessions
The world we live has been founded on the theories of modern Western science, which is characterised by a compartmentalised worldview and rational thinking. The structures that have been built up in government and business rely on centralised power within hierarchical systems and make use of a linear, mechanistic approach.
As the global financial crisis and ongoing environmental alerts warn us, mankind is perfectly capable of self-destructing. The system that has been in place since the turn of the 20th Century is coming to a natural conclusion, making way for a more balanced and integrated approach which views society as a living, breathing system capable of making the fundamental changes that are necessary at this point in time.
This movement displays typically feminine qualities: relying on intuition and relationship building to recreate the systems in an organic and natural unity, at the same time promoting Mother Earth's capacity for sustenance of all living systems. These qualities stand in firm opposition to the rigid, masculine dogma entrenched in our societal consciousness that seek to dominate the weak and support the strong and powerful. These structures where necessary in bringing us technological progress, but as we will see a new paradigm is emerging that posits happiness and freedom at the heart of the equation.
This presentation explores the following points:
• Moving from the masculine to the feminine
• An era of control to an era of community
• Embracing empathy as part of your business ethos
• A shift in value systems and how to keep up with the shifting sands
• Moving towards a world in balance
Dion Chang will be presenting this talk at the iStore in Sandton. To book your seat e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and for more information call (011) 726- 5529
Date: 4 August 2010
Venue: iStore, 1 Sandton Drive, Sandton
Time: 4:00pm followed by a glass of bubbly
Cost: R300 per person
How FIFA misjudged the digital natives
The FIFA carnival has come and gone, and like any traveling circus it was filled with heart-stopping thrills, breathtaking skills and a few clowns to add some comic relief. In its wake, we are now left to nurse the football craving, ponder what to do with our shiny new sports cathedrals and consider how best to capitalize on the nation building euphoria, before reverting back to our true national sport - bickering.
2010 was a first in many respects for both South Africa and the World Cup. It was the first World Cup to be held on African soil and the first time vuvuzelas became a global talking point (potentially our next biggest export opportunity since the wooden giraffe). South Africa was, unfortunately, the first host country not to proceed to the second round. It was however, also the first World Cup where fans were armed with new technologies: social media and the opportunity to vent and publish online.
For me, the last point is the most significant, and one that FIFA should be placing at the top of their post-mortem discussions. Like the Olympics, the World Cup is held every four years. This adds an exciting element into the tournament's dynamics. In a digital age, however, four years represents a quantum leap in altered social dynamics, and the 2010 World Cup just proved how out of step FIFA had become with this fast-changing world.
The tongue lashing FIFA received from fans and media is well documented, but the one word that kept cropping up in relation to FIFA sponsorship deals and interaction with the public was "draconian": a word derived from a 7th century law maker who was notorious for severe punishment of the most trivial offences. The heavy handed manner in which FIFA dealt with the Bavaria ambush marketing incident was the most publicized, but that was just the tip of the iceberg.
Post Recession Economies
On paper it looks like the recession is finally coming to an end, but the burning question on everyone's lips is: Are we back to business as usual? The Great Depression of 1929 created a society of extremely frugal people who saved conscientiously and were extremely resourceful with what they had. Could the current economic crisis be fundamentally altering our attitudes and even changing our behaviours?
Consumers are certainly demonstrating more informed and well-thought out decisions based on the information available to them. Global surveys and reports such as Ogilvy and Mather's "Eyes Wide Open, Wallet Half Shut" show us how not just the spending, but the priorities and values behind people's purchase decisions have been radically altered in the process. It is quite unlikely that many will revert to the level of unconscious consumption that had become the norm, with its flagrant disregard for the environmental damage as well as human expense in terms of happiness and satisfaction.
Looking specifically at post-recession economies, Flux tracks this changing sentiment, looking at particular examples of how some companies have got it completely wrong. In this presentation, Flux looks at new ways of doing business and reaching your consumer in this dynamic environment, looking at what has become important to people when it comes to making their choice. Flux will also shine some light on companies that are getting it right, and how they have harnessed the current zeitgeist in order to do good business.
The Post-Recession Economy will cover the following points:
• Benchmarking people's new value systems and talking directly to those needs
• The scarcity of natural resources and the growing importance of human capital
• People want to talk and be heard: Why companies need to encourage a free flow of information
• Why co-op mentality is the future of doing business in the 21st century
• Drunk on free love: a generation that expects free
• How these changing landscape affects your business, and what you can do to reach people effectively
Local is Lekker
Localisation is a term used to describe a movement towards locally-made and locally-sourced raw materials and goods. This movement is by no means new, having been established in the nineties as a reaction to burgeoning globalisation and the commoditisation of products to the mass-market. In their report entitled (Still) Made Here, Trendwatching.com distils this movement to its essence:
In a world that is seemingly ruled by globalization, mass production and 'cheapest of the cheapest', a growing number of consumers are seeking out the local, and thereby the authentic, the storied, the eco-friendly and the obscure.
Mass produced products have, in many ways, reached the peak of their appeal to mature consumer markets, representing nameless, faceless corporations bowing to the directives of their shareholders. This has been exacerbated by a global financial recession that has literally stripped the façade of corporations, revealing greedy, power-hungry conglomerates that care only for their bottom-line. This profit-at-all-cost mentality has come under close scrutiny in the last couple of years, leaving unethical business practices laid bare and obscene end-of-year bonuses exposed. Ultimately, this large nameless, faceless corporation has lost touch with the needs of its end user, whose value set has been irreversibly altered in the wake of global financial and environmental crisis.
Multinational companies, although often quite slow to play catch-up, are realising that there is a need for something more substantial: products with more personality and more meaning that are more relevant now at a time when people are looking to be part of the solution, and not just part of the problem.
The Eco-Debate
The Rise of the Ethical Consumer
The term "green" is being used thesedays as a synonym for all things organic, eco-friendly and sustainable. With so many real issues at hand and so many people and companies jumping on the bandwagon, the term "green" has largely lost its impact in 2010. Flux has created a presentation which aims to debunk the myths around "green" issues, and bring clarity to the forces are really at work behing the 21st Century's most important battle.
In this presentation we:
- Take a step back to the turn of the century to find out where it all began
- Look at what has meant to get in on the trend, and how this has ended up not the best thing for the environment in some cases
- Unpack some of the most important green issues, showing the diversity of issues that have been grouped under the same umbrella
- Illustrate the choices that consumers have when making that final decision
- Look ahead at some of the pitfalls and suggest what to look out for
- Highlight some companies that are making huge strides in differentiating themselves from the rest
If you are interested in booking this presentation for your company, call the Flux Office on (011) 726-5529 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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