Brands in Transition: The Sociology of Ecosystems — with Ana Andjelic

Podcast notes

In this episode, we talk to Ana Andjelic, a Strategy Executive and Doctor of Sociology working on business strategy, marketing, and organizational transformation. Ana has worked with top global advertising agencies, and has also worked as on the brand-side as a chief marketing executive. In the context of the collaborative economy boom of early 2010, Ana wrote thoughtful reflections on the Guardian and other news outlets. She recently came back to our attention for her brand new newsletter “The Sociology of Business” where she explores the transformation of retail, modern brand building, and how new social and cultural patterns impact business.

We talk about the changing relationship between brands and consumers, what role culture plays in this transformation, and how technology can help — but never fully replace — human interaction. Our conversation also included in-depth reflections about how brands are reacting to the current context of Covid-19 and about the increasing need for empathy and social responsibility in these turbulent times.

Here are some important links from the conversation:

• Ana’s insightful newsletter “The Sociology of Business”, https://andjelicaaa.substack.com/
• Ana’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/andjelicaaa

Brands mentioned that are engaging closely with customer communities:

• Glossier, an example of a platform for the community activity that is happening around the beauty products: https://www.glossier.com/, https://intothegloss.com/
• Rapha for cycling communities: https://www.rapha.cc/
• Track smith running brand: https://www.tracksmith.com/
• Outdoor voices:https://www.outdoorvoices.com/

Other stuff mentioned:

• Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/399136.Imagined_Communities
• Some concepts from Japanese culture inspiring the west: Omotenashi, Kintsugi, Wabi-Sabi
• Demna Gvasalia, Georgian fashion designer, currently the creative director of Balenciaga https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demna_Gvasalia

Key insights

1. Status and Consumption are decoupling. What we are witnessing is a trend where peer pressure and social contagion reflects a broader behavioral change towards values focussed around lifestyle and sustainability choices.

2. Brands need to show strong signals of social responsibility. This implies a need to engage actively with their communities through conversation and become aware of the sociology of/in their context. In the midst of crisis, it means being empathetic with what consumers are going through. AI can help brands to understand their communities, but the last mile will always be human.

3. Consumer/producers are actively engaged in making the brand, through interactions. It’s not about tribes, it’s about niches and taste communities. The difference is that niches are “layered” on top of horizontal/globalized conversation and that people can have different niches and taste communities ot express their aspirations.

? Boundaryless Conversations Podcast is about exploring the future of large scale organising by leveraging on technology, network effects and shaping narratives. We explore how platforms can help us play with a world in turmoil, change, and transformation: a world that is at the same time more interconnected and interdependent than ever but also more conflictual and rivalrous.