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Futureproofing your business requires an ability to embrace change, not just to react to it. Change is a constant, so companies that thrive in todays landscape must be continuously adapting and innovatingchanging as consumers change. Brands that truly stand the test of time understand that the core ingredients for long-term success are relevance, ease, and distinctiveness. Relevance No business, regardless of its size or sector, can consistently thrive without remaining in sync with consumers wants and needs, and keeping a pulse on the cultural nuances across their markets. At KFC, we have driven brand recognition and global growth by prioritizing relevance since 1952, and that starts with knowing and living our brand purpose. For instance, KFC exists to banish the bland and dial up the fingerlickin, which to us means being bold in everything we doadapting our menus, restaurant design, and guest experiences to deliver what consumers are craving. We use consumer insights about food formats and flavors to ensure were bringing bold innovation to our menus and leading food trends. KFC also builds relevance in culture wherever its happeningwithin the gaming community through PUBG or The Legend of Zelda, in partnership with celebrities like Trevor Noah and Chrissy Teigen, or through an NBA courtside appearance by Colonel Sanders. Beyond menu and culture, KFC leverages restaurant design to drive relevance, prioritizing things like sustainable furniture and seamless technology that resonate with guests. Relevancy also reaches beyond the restaurant through local initiatives including food donations, youth programs, and employability training. Ease In addition to staying relevant, brands must ensure that consumers can access and engage with the brand on their own termswhen, where, and how they want. Sephora, a premier beauty destination and global retailer, highlights the importance of validating customers and meeting them where they are. Before Sephora opened more than 3,000 locations, beauty products were primarily sold through brand-specific retailers or local drugstores, making high-end options both hard to find and out of reach for most consumers. Sephora offers retail locations in 34 countries around the world, a robust online retail store, and endless content available across social channels. But ease doesnt just apply to accessing their products. Sephora promotes inclusion and aims to make it easy for every person to feel beautiful. It disrupts the prestige of beauty retail by striving to authentically celebrate consumer beauty and invites everyone in, no matter the persons background, skills, or expertise. Their commitment to access and education makes involvement uncomplicated and effortless, especially as consumers explore new beauty products and routines. Distinctiveness As the world changes, a distinctive brand perpetuates a clear identity, allowing consumers to build familiarity and remain connected. Nike embodies this as one of the most distinctive brands of the past, present, and foreseeable future. If you close your eyes, you can instantly imagine its famed swoosh, distinguishable tagline and portrait-style imagery of iconic athletesthe brand doesnt even need to be named for you to recognize it. This undeniable identity is one of Nikes greatest assets, as it builds and retains loyalty, spreads favorable word-of-mouth, and fuels excitement from employees and consumers alike. And its so much more than its brand assets. Nike shows up for athletes in a distinct way that inspires an emotional connection to the very heart of its fan base. The brand focuses on grit, competition, resilience, and celebration, distinctively leaning into every facet of what it means to be an athlete while saying that any consumer can just do it. Personal evolution Just like brands that stand the test of time, I have embraced a personal growth journey that has been both transforming and evolving. I prioritize growth and learning to ensure that Im always pushing for the consumer. I welcome change with open arms and am excited about what the future holds. Nivera Wallani is the global chief development officer of KFC. The Fast Company Impact Council is a private membership community of influential leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual membership dues for access to peer learning and thought leadership opportunities, events and more.
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E-Commerce
Memorable experiences guide us to value the present moment before it becomes only a memory. As the context around us continuously evolves at a rapid pace, the formation of memories comes to life through spatial awareness of the physical environment. The importance of human interaction and shared engagement in the design of immersive entertainment and sports venues, workplaces, and even homes is fundamental to making memories of a lifetime. Georges Duhamels 1919 French philosophical essay, The Hearts Domain, touches on the essence of human experience and the pursuit of meaning in a rapidly changing world. He emphasizes the importance of human connection. Duhamel was a surgeon, poet, and philosopher, and his words translated into English noted, We do not know the true value of our moments until they have undergone the test of memory. Like the images the photographer plunges into a golden bath, our sentiments take on color; and only then, after that recoil and that transfiguration, do we understand their real meaning and enjoy them in all their tranquil splendor. Photography has evolved and we now have the ability to memorialize images physically printed or digitally, and saved to a cloud server that can be virtually accessed anytime and anywhere. Shared experiences When faced with the immediate decision to evacuate the Sunset Fire on January 8, the practical and emotional task of deciding what to take tested how we physically save memories. Besides our cats, computers, important documents, and overnight bags, the indecision between which physical (pre-digital) photo albums to grab became daunting. That evening it was the small details and stories of our shared experiences at home and in the community that we wanted to imprint in our minds not knowing what, if anything, would survive. We were fortunate that the fires did not ultimately reach our canyon neighborhood, but the unimaginable loss of lives, homes, schools, and businesses as a result of the Palisades and Eaton Fires has been devastating. So as communities rebuild for a resilient future, we honor the memories of the past, and value what we have in the present. Builder of dreams The physical manifestation of bringing stories to life is transformational to healing and moving forward. Walt Disney said, Times and conditions change so rapidly that we must keep our aim constantly focused on the future. My first memory of being at Disneyland was captured in a photograph of my family and me posing in front of Sleeping Beautys castle. The stone details, colored banners and scents of cotton candy illuminated the storybook backdrop. My mom, sister, and cousin were posing with great attention to my dad and his camera. My head was turned away as I could not take my eyes off the remarkable castle structure that we had just walked through. This magical place that I had only read about or seen in a movie had come to life to immerse me in the story. I had no recollection of the moment until I found this image and wondered if it was my first inspiration to become an architecta builder of dreams. Memorable experiences transcend the past, present, and curiosity of the future. Design of memorable experiences enables shared human connections that meet people where they are, and how they are inspired to engage. Barbara Bouza is former president of Walt Disney Imagineering. The Fast Company Impact Council is a private membership community of influential leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual membership dues for access to peer learning and thought leadership opportunities, events and more.
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E-Commerce
Trying to find authentic, consistent joy in the midst of a reality that is relentlessly delivering devastating blows feels akin to finding a needle in an impossibly large haystack. But according to Michelle Obama, it is possibleand the power lies in acknowledging the depth of despair and apathy while still finding reasons for hope. At SXSW this week, the former first lady and her older brother, Craig Robinson, who is executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, took the stage for a live session of their new podcast, IMO. The pair were joined by Laurie Santos, a cognitive scientist, the Yale professor behind the school’s most popular class to date, The Science of Well-Being, and host of The Happiness Lab podcast, to discuss how to cultivate a hopeful mindset given the state of the world. On the current climate and drawing from childhood lessons Obama acknowledged the tense political climate, job loss, and growing divisions among Americans. I worry about folks being out of work, and I worry about how we think about diversity and inclusion. I think about how we treat one another and the voices that we hear, and what that does, what models thats setting for the next generation, she said. Who do we want to be as a country?” she continued. “All of that keeps me up at night, and I know that a lot of people are struggling with some of those things. But I find in those moments that it is better not to try to figure that stuff out alone. The siblings shared anecdotes from childhood to underscore several themesthe value of in-person interactions, the limiting of social media consumption, and how childhood experiences led them to develop the skills necessary to cope with adversity. They were raised by parents who, Obama pointed out, had many reasons to wallow in despair. Their father was a blue-collar worker raised in desegregation who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis as a young man. The two discussed what it was like growing up with a parent with a disability dominating his life, yet rarely missed a day of work and still managed to raise two successful children. For me and Craig and our families, you know, we always try to step outside of our loneliness and talk as a family and as a community to share those concerns, Obama shared. And I hope that our listeners are pushed to do some of the same things too.” On tackling apathy and negative emotions An audience member posed the question to panelists: How do we plan for a future that looks different from the one that we were promised, without feeling apathetic? To Santos, a crucial piece of it is acknowledging that these times are not normal, and so feelings of apathy and disconnect are normal. All too often we can get into this, like, toxic positivity bag, where it’s like, I’m feeling kind of embarrassed that I’m so upset and frustrated and overwhelmed and sad about what’s going on in the world, she said. We’re supposed to feel that! Negative emotions are normal in an abnormal world. All three speakers agreed that social media and technology play an active role in exacerbating unhappiness. To combat this, Santos urged the audience to consider the impact scrolling on a timeline can have on the psyche and be deliberate in how we spend our time. Social media companies wouldn’t have the algorithms if all our eyeballs weren’t on phones anymore. And we actually have more agency than we often remember in that fight, she said. On finding hope A recurring theme in the conversation was rooted in finding ways to help others, even in small ways. Impacting the people around us and our loved ones, was a surefire way to find joy. Our mom used to say, You’re responsible for your own passion. And that was some of the most empowering advice she ever gave us, said Robinson. How can we help those out there who don’t have a Marian Robinson or a social group? How can we help them work through making themselves happy? For Santos, hope did not mean toxic positivity or simply remaining optimistic. Hope says things are not fine, but I can actually see at least a few paths for things to get better,” she said.
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E-Commerce
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