THE ALT-NORMAL
THE ALT-NORMAL
Outpost is a coworking and coliving network based in Asia. They make the work-from-anywhere lifestyle accessible with an online platform and live/work destinations that empower “anywhere workers” to be successful.
Tension
The pandemic put a kibosh on travel and forced the hospitality industry to rethink their business strategy. Outpost needed creative cut-through to build consideration with remote workers and digital nomads already based in Asia.
Strategy
To expand the brand narrative and drum up consideration on social media by championing stories of international entrepreneurs, leaders and visionaries.
Idea
Remake the “new normal” into an Alt-Normal led by diverse voices
A podcast was born and recorded at Outpost. With 100K+ traffic to our site, we’ve hosted conversations with brilliant minds reimagining the business world and leadership paradigms including notable guests like: Emily Viola (Head of Planning, Futerra), Cindy Gallop (Founder, Make Love Not Porn), Helen Brain (Strategy Director, MediaCom), Piril Yasara (Sustainability Manager, Allianz) and Carol Cone (‘Purpose Queen’ by BBC).
I created and hosted this show from soup to nuts, including: scouting, scripting, researching, hosting and promoting.
Tune into the podcast
Show page:
Welcome to the Alt-Normal, a show that centers diversity as a beautiful and absolutely critical force for rebuilding this post-pandemic world that’s actually worth fighting for.
It all began with a question — how might we reframe the “New Normal” that was handed to us as crisis, and create an “Alt Normal,” or alternative reality we remake together in our diversity that is ever more sustainable, inclusive and equitable? Diversity needs a rebrand that goes deep at the core of who we are in the integration of our rich complexity. Everyone has a part to play, so let’s rise, shift and support this exciting new reality in the making.
How do you integrate complexity in this post-pandemic world?
Let’s be real, we are in a crisis of consciousness — realizing the only way to change things out there is to change things first “in here.” The power structures and institutions can only take us so far. To see a world that’s diverse and inclusive for all requires us to change from the inside out, shifting into actionable models of “power with one another” versus “power over one another.”
Now more than ever, we need a new story for humanity that leans into the diversity of who we are and our emerging zones of genius — to live more truthfully in how we relate to ourselves, the community and Planet. Diversity not just demographically and psychographically, but in the way we embrace difference as a source of resiliency (while pushing past the discomfort that might naturally arise). Let’s pick up the forgotten pieces of ourselves to rebrand our story of humanity from one of separation to one of integration. Integration of the mind with the body, strategy with emergence, scientific with the spiritual, and the individual with the collective.
A massive paradigm shift is underway, and this show explores hard truths and questions that center on —what do you wish to build in this ALT-NORMAL reality?
Episode show page sample:
Cindy Gallop: Make Love Not Porn Celebrates “Real World Everything”
In episode 25, we go bold with the legendary Cindy Gallop to explore new aspirational models for human sexuality, body positivity and social justice in the sextech industry. While her background spans 30 years in brand-building, marketing and advertising (having started up BBH in New York and named Advertising Woman of the Year), she founded social sextech platform Make Love Not Porn to promote good sexual behavior and good sexual values, which she launched at TED 2009. Her other software IfWeRanTheWorld is now taught as a Harvard Business School case study to enable brands to implement the business model of the future -- Shared Values + Shared Action = Shared Profit.
As the world’s first ever human-curated and crowdsourced social sex video sharing platform, Make Love Not Porn (MLNP) celebrates not just the most private part of our lives (sex), but essentially -- everything. Real world everything to do with body parts, intimacy and relationship dynamics in the bedroom. Nothing feels more powerfully supportive to body positivity than real humans watching other real humans (Make Love Not Porn-stars) have sex. According to Cindy, “people want us before even knowing we exist.” In this pandemic alone, website traffic has nearly tripled, while the last 9 years has seen 100% organic growth. MLNP has seen positive universal acceptance and been recommended to couples by sex therapists. In an age where the average age of a child coming across hard core porn is 6-8 years old, parents have also weighed in with the significance of how this platform could help socialize and normalize sex for their children to develop healthy, happy and loving sexual relationships. All that to say, MLNP has the potential to completely reimagine the landscape of human sexuality with “education through demonstration.”
As a champion of diversity, gender equality and social justice in white male-dominated tech and advertising industries, Cindy embodies that it is completely possible to live a very different life and still be extraordinarily happy. In fact, the lockdown is the perfect opportunity to re-actualize everything, since all bets (of what’s considered status quo) are off.
In this dynamic conversation, we cover:
The journey from advertising legend to sex tech founder of Make Love Not Porn
The emotionally moving impact MLNP has had on human sexuality, relationships, intimacy and love
How Make Love Not Porn-stars model aspirational culture and the importance of creating a “how-to” platform for real world sex
The 3 biggest barriers to becoming the next Facebook for social sex
The hurdles female-founded sex tech startups face (compared to male-founded startups in the same category)
What sex tech is and why we haven’t even begun to see the enormous potential for this trillion dollar category
Cindy’s favorite female-founded sex tech startups (plus the rich diversity present)
This show is hosted at Destination Outpost, a coliving and coworking community based out in Bali.
Episode show page sample:
Emily Viola: The Truthful Brand Imagines Better (and Proves It)
In episode 24, we imagine the new story of humanity, progress, and cultural leadership with Emily Viola, a Cultural Strategist and Head of Planning (North America) at Futerra, a B-corp certified change agency that joins the magic of creativity and the logic of strategy to make sustainability so desirable, it becomes the new normal. She combines over 20 years of consumer insights and brand planning with the study of market dynamics and future technologies, specializing in Gen Z, Millenial and Multicultural audiences.
While sustainability is here to stay, the scope of how we think about this word has expanded massively, thanks to the rising fluency of Gen Z and Millenials. What began as silo-ed discourse around environmental stewardship, risk mitigation and reporting about pollution and bad practices has transformed into a mindset and collection of practices to consider the longevity of our species -- from the air we breathe to the water we drink, all the way to how businesses benefit all stakeholders and address social and environmental justice. Thus, the scope of sustainability must evolve to imagine a better future, in order to change the world.
All that to say, traditional cause marketing campaigns, greenwashing and glossy mission statements can only take brands so far. Through original research, Emily and the Futerra team affirmed the inevitable -- that today’s Gen Z and Millennial populations have a higher aptitude and fluency for sustainability (“only 41% of consumers felt products were providing the right amount of info on sustainability, while 86% of corporate experts thought consumers were satisfied”). They expect brands to be truthful over perfect and demand greater sustainable proof at the product level. How will brands today avoid becoming future dinosaurs and lead the movement from the inside out?
In this incredibly imaginative and culturally rich conversation, we explore:
Why it’s critical to integrate logic and magic to create a new story for humanity
Why “honesty” is the new “transparency” and what Gen Z and Millenials expects from truthful brands today
How to think about building a sustainability strategy for brands that want to do better
How to become a cultural leader in 2021 (think: intentional energy)
The importance of dialectical thinking to reimagine the nature of progress
The power of “perspicacity” and moving from “ism” to “ish” to catalyze innovation
This show is hosted at Destination Outpost, a coliving and coworking community based out in Bali.
Episode show page sample:
Helen Brain: Building a Sustainability Strategy that Drives Real Change
In episode 36 of the Alt-Normal, we ask the hard and important questions at the intersection of sustainability and advertising with Helen Brain, a Strategy Director at MediaCom UK with 16 years of experience solving business challenges within media, digital, social & content across a diverse set of verticals -- including retail, tech, government, luxury, fast moving consumer goods and utilities. She sits as Joint Head of MediCom’s Social Chang Hub, supporting clients in creating positive social change and a sustainable future. Additionally, she represents MediaCom in GroupMs’ Mission Zero team and the IPAs Climate Charter alliance, both of which aim to support the industry in transitioning to a zero carbon future.
To make sustainability sustainable (and not just another fleeting trend that’s lost all meaning much like ‘brand purpose’), brands need to start asking the right questions to have the greatest possible impact. After all, sustainability is a scientific field that is now entering the world of marketing, and the level of collaboration that takes place with experts and thought leaders will shape a brand’s sustainability success. It comes down to three questions:
What does your audience care about within sustainability?
What are you doing that’s credible to be talked about publicly?
Where is the ownable opportunity within the sustainability convo for your brand?
On this episode, we unpack what today’s post-pandemic brands (what Purpose Disruptors calls “systemic amplifiers”) can consider when building out a sustainability strategy:
Sustainability is about how your product or service is helping your audience (especially those who are most affected by climate change and historically underrepresented)
Consumers want to live a low carbon footprint, but they can’t always act upon it. Why? It’s too expensive.
Greenwashing isn’t intentional for the most part. When there’s a gap in sustainability know-how, brands need to recruit experts who can support them in collaborating towards a solution. Collaboration is advertising’s greatest currency for a sustainable future.
Reducing carbon emissions has to coincide with making a profit. Both have to happen for sustainability to impact people and planet
To drive behavior change, we need to frame climate change as an opportunity (vs. responsibility)
Look to these brands who are doing it right: IKEA, Ben and Jerry’s, Unilever, Patagonia and Sky.
Follow Helen on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenbrain/
More about the show: https://www.digseedgrow.com/thealtnormal-podcast
Produced by DigSeedGrow
This show is hosted at Destination Outpost, a coliving and coworking community based out in Bali.