Interview with Johnny Vulkan on Being Good

It’s almost a year since we started to talk about Branded Utility - a term that suggests that successful brands in the future need to be useful. Since that time we’ve seen discussion across the blogosphere and even the new marketing magazine Contagious spent much of their recent London conference on the subject. We decided to go back to one of the co-originators of the term and ask how he sees the development of the idea he seeded.

Piers Fawkes: Johnny - congratulations, Branded Utility seems to have become a buzzword over the last 12 months. Are you happy with the success of your idea?

Johnny Vulkan: Thanks Piers - although I feel ‘Branded Utility’ is not really an idea I could take credit for, rather it’s some useful language that highlighted an opportunity for businesses to contribute to their customers in a useful way. There are so many good examples now that many companies and individuals have contributed to and it’s great to see people providing value in all sorts of different ways.

I’ve been lucky enough to talk about Branded Utility a few times this year and the point I always try to make is that it’s still really only a tactic, representing the tip of the iceberg for what I think is the real opportunity - the idea of fundamental goodness. I think it’s an exciting time for genuinely good businesses or those willing to examine themselves, re-engineer or course correct what they do with all their constituents in mind - their employees, partners, owners, investors, communities and the people they are creating their products and services for. The emerging culture of communications and information transparency allows us all to examine every aspect of every organization or business, so rather then fight it, now is the time for all of us to embrace the opportunity to make things better.

P: The advertising and marketing industries seem to have become more socially conscious recently - we’ve seen a concentration on issues like green. Do you think we’re moving in the right direction?

J: I think in most cases yes. It’s positive to see marketing take a responsible stance on environmental issues, but it is more important that the environmental thinking doesn’t just stop at the marketing department and the good stories that companies can tell. The true win for all of us is where businesses, organizations and individuals take real action and adapt their behavior based on what we know and what we are learning. Action is more important then the conversation alone and those people doing the most in this area will ultimately have the best stories to tell, so we may as well start there. Do good things and you’ll always have plenty to talk about.

P: Now you’ve had time to reflect on the concept, have you had a chance to evolve your thinking?

J: I think plenty people have been evolving the concept and helping to define it through their actions, whether that be through digital utilities such as widgets or physical ones like Charmin’s bathrooms in Times Square, or Samsung’s lounges at airports.

My own thinking has been to try and take it up a level and focus on the simple fact that ‘good is good’, and should be the driving force for how we think and act. As a company we push all our people, clients and partners to think this way. It’s a simple check for when we consider a product we are developing, a piece of communication we’re creating, a philosophy on pricing or how we should structure a joint venture. It should also define how we treat our people and partners. It isn’t necessarily easy of course and there are places for improvement - there always will be - but it certainly shouldn’t be misinterpreted as a naive, hippy dream. I genuinely feel it is a business and social imperative and the right thing to do. Those that act will reap the benefits while also benefiting society and all their stakeholders - there’s no reason we can’t get to a win-win.

P: What’s your biggest concern with what’s going on today?

J: Apart from my own lack of time and increasing RSS list? ;) - I actually feel very positive and optimistic. It may seem strange given a backdrop of intensely reported unrest, violence and inequality in many parts of the world, but at the same time I think we are in a position to really help and start addressing some of these issues. We have the ear of many of the world’s most influential businesses and people and at Anomaly we are lucky to be involved with amazing organizations like TED and charities such as Keep A Child Alive. Once you commit to the idea that ‘good is good’ then its very easy to see how we can get involved at every level, whether it be reducing the environmental impact of packaging to responsible communications, to becoming part of far bigger conversations and solutions - something that is definitely a long term ambition for us and of emotional importance to me as an individual.

P: One question I keep coming back on is - is it really the ad industries job to be good. Sure, I think many of us would want to see a move to honest dialog but isn’t it someone else’s job to fix the world around us.

J: Of course it’s our job. It’s nothing to do with what industry we are in but rather us as individuals and responsible members of our communities. The things we work on are bought, consumed and hopefully enjoyed by our families and friends - the people we love. I don’t want my family being misled or manipulated by communications or persuaded to buy things that don’t deliver something good and of value. I think it’s important we bring ourselves to work, the same person that plays with the kids and dog at home. I think we’ve started to see a bit of much needed humanity appearing in the workplace and in the language we are now using - the demise of ‘consumer’ and ‘target’ as acceptable nomenclature is a great example.

P: Right now, many of your rivals are designed to make ads, websites, communications - you name it. They’ve told their clients its what they need and now the clients are asking for it. Even if your peers in those companies wanted to advise their clients, they’re not really designed to provide the advice you’re talking about.

J: I think there will always be exceptional specialists in every medium and channel so talented businesses shouldn’t have anything to worry about as most disciplines aren’t going to vanish anytime soon. But, I also think that everyone’s business needs to evolve and people need to commit to learning some new things. Ten years ago if you said you didn’t watch TV or read magazines or newspapers you would have been at a severe disadvantage in the creative communications business. Today you are at a disadvantage if you aren’t participating and contributing to at least one form of social media - it is almost impossible to fully understand the impact of technology on communications and the flow of information if you don’t take part.

P: OK. So, I’m one of this new generation of ad-kids reading this - multi-skilled, effortlessly connected, swimming in the digital river - but the only time I’m asked your opinion is when the client wants to do something cool online. With this limited influence, how do I take some of your ideas and really have some impact?

J: Focus on answering the right question by making sure the people you are working with are asking the right ones. It is all the unasked questions left hanging in meeting rooms that cause the problems as it means the issues and opportunity were never properly discussed. It is genuine open debate and discussion that give the interesting ideas the oxygen they need. It is hard to have that discussion if you are going into the meeting with an agenda to ’sell’ your solution rather then do the right thing for the task at hand and the right thing is often born from a team effort, not an act of solo genius.

P: So any tips on how to do “Good Things”?

J: Be nice to people, be honest with yourself and speak up. I don’t think there’s a course you can take or book you can read - it’s just a decision you take as to how you want to live your life and included in that is the place you spend so much of your time - your place of work. It’s always down to the individual and most of us are lucky to be living in economies where we have a choice - so ultimately doing good things is down to you choosing to.

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