MAJOR RESEARCH PROJECT:
CROSSOVERS BETWEEN CREATIVE AND FUTURES TOOLS AND PRACTICES FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
Global challenges like poverty, gender inequality, access to good health, conflicts, climate crisis make disadvantaged groups suffer severely around the world. Advertising professionals and social marketers aim to tackle these issues through Social Good Campaigns to improve the well-being of individuals, communities, and the planet. However, their efforts have limits, and their contribution to positive social change might expand through collaboration with other disciplines that are also involved with social good. Futures, a research field that explores possible, plausible, and probable futures, offer a wide range of tools that allow us to envision and create desired futures that are inclusive, sustainable, and flourishing. The adoption of multidisciplinary methods may amplify the collective ability to cope with social issues.
Therefore, with the premise of potential overlap, my major research project explores Crossovers Between Creative and Futurist Methods and Practices to Support Positive Change. First, the Context Research looks into the landscape of social good, the domain of cause-related advertising, and Futures approaches in the social context. Second, the Precedent Analysis examines similarities and shared attributes between Social Good Campaigns and Futures & Foresight projects. Then the Expert Interview Analysis provides key insights and opportunity areas for bridging creative and futurist practices. Finally, the study introduces a new future-oriented creative brief to support the development of effective, action-based social-good campaigns and projects. A creative brief is an indicative tool, an example of how creative and futures thinking may create a common set of practices, drawing on their complementarities.
FUTURE OF ECONOMIC EVALUATION
How might we support the adoption of an economic valuation model that supports a flourishing world?
To explore this question, we first researched relevant trends and drivers to inform the development of scenarios (possible futures).
We then ideated and generated potential strategies that might help us to achieve our preferred future where the Quadruple Bottom Line (QBL) valuation system and practices are adopted. Finally, wind tunnel tested various strategies toward our preferred future against the various scenarios to assess viability and performance.
The foresight research project, Future of Economic Valuation promotes the adoption of QBL mindsets, methods, and practices in support of a flourishing world.
