Inspired Us: Mindhunter and the future of farming

Here are some of the things that have got us talking over coffee in our offices…

#01. MINDHUNTER SEASON 2:

Season 2 has just hit Netflix UK and we are addicted to it. Mindhunter tells the true crime story of the FBI’s Behavioural Science Unit (BSU) and how they pioneered an approach to profile serial killers and use that to help solve ongoing cases during the late 1970’s.

We particularly love the ongoing narrative about the challenge they have to transform the FBI from a reactionary organization that responds to individual events, to one that proactively uses multiple different strands (interviews from convicted felons, crime scene reviews, internal police interviews, forensics, etc…) to predict and prevent things from happening in the first place.

It is a story that we can relate to and am sure will ring bells with many client organisations.

#02. WHAT NEXT FOR PLANT-BASED MEAT?

One of the most exciting categories right now, we’ve read with interest about the next frontiers for the plant based meat alternatives. From Impossible Foods partnering up with Wow Bao to appeal to the huge Asian market (which they have said is “by far their number 1 global focus”) , to Beyond Meat partnering with Subway and running a trial with KFC which sold out in record time , to Impossible Foods starting to venture into the seafood market, it promises to be a massively dynamic sector.

We will be watching this with a keen eye. Changing behaviour is always challenging, but as we wrote about recently, when products exist with all the upsides and none of the category downsides, behaviours can switch very quickly…

 #03. LIFE ISN’T FAIR:

Our resident podcast guru Kirsty has been telling the rest of us to listen to this for the last few months and thank goodness we’ve listened. Against The Rules is a podcast from Michael Lewis (of The Big Short and Moneyball fame) and addresses the issue of “Life isn’t fair” and how we react and deal with the ‘referees’ in the world.

Whilst the podcast starts in the world of US sports and literal referees, Lewis quickly and adeptly expands to cover all kinds of ‘arbiters of fairness’ and how the notions of fairness and equality are under such huge strain in today’s society.

Given the challenges that every marketeer faces with the decline and trust in authority, we think this should definitely be on your commuting podcast list, if it isn’t already.

#04. THE FUTURE OF FARMING

As urban farming is becoming increasingly mainstream, we read with interest last week about plans from Agripolis to launch Europe’s largest urban farm by 2020 at over 14,000 m2 in Paris. With so many benefits to people and society at large (space optimisation/almost zero food miles/new farming approaches that minimise pollutants/local employment), it will be fascinating to see how this trend develops in years to come – and the implications on our food economy.

#05. THE BEST WAY TO COMBAT KNIFE CRIME

The UK government’s decision to use chicken shops to promote their anti-knife messages has certainly been a major talking point in recent weeks, with the decision attracting strong criticism for racist stereotypes. Whilst this was just one element of the Home Office’s anti-knife campaign, there have been many questions about whether this is a truly effective way to tackle the issue – or just a ‘surface level’ intervention?

At the same time, QPR football club have been working on a very different and very brave approach with the Kiyan Prince Foundation to try to address the issue as well. A football club choosing to connect to its community in a meaningful way, instead of chasing corporate sponsorship is a refreshing change. How much more powerful than yet another global airline or betting company.

It raises some very interesting questions about how to drive genuine change…

The Forge Insight Ltd are a strategic insight consultancy – solving business strategy challenges rooted in consumer & customer behaviour. Find out more at www.thisistheforge.com or follow us on LinkedIn