So what?
Grappling with some of the big questions leads me to write about them. Writing helps me formulate my thoughts, take the time to think deeply, and consider the possible.
Here’s what I’ve been thinking about the world, whether through my own writing on Medium, articles written for publications or interviews in the media.
Surfing the Wave of Cut-Through
The new currency on the horizon
Cut-through is more than just grabbing attention; it's about piercing the veil of distraction that shrouds our modern world like a fog of indifference. It's the ability to not just be heard, but to be felt, remembered, and acted upon. It's the difference between being a one-hit wonder and becoming the Beatles of your industry.
In a world where everyone's shouting, cut-through is the art of the perfect whisper – the one that makes everyone lean in, eyebrows raised, hanging on your every word.
Innovation or Imitation?
The True Essence of Disruption Unveiled
Venture capital circles and corporate boardrooms alike champion the term ‘innovation’ with fervent zeal. Yet, all too often, what passes for innovation is merely optimisation — tweaks to existing models that, while valuable, don’t truly break new ground or challenge the status quo.
True innovation is about fundamentally reimagining how we approach problems and envision solutions. It disrupts, not just for the sake of disruption, but to pave the way for systemic change.
Forecasting Futures: Australian Business Trends in 2024 and Beyond
An interview by the Content Rebels for MBA Discovery
This year promises a smorgasbord of emerging and forecasted trends that could redefine how businesses operate in Australia. From the integration of cutting-edge technologies to four-day working weeks and a renewed emphasis on sustainability, these trends capture the shifting focus and priorities of the fastest-growing industries in Australia and the wider business environment.
Here, Mr Perelson helps us uncover some of the most impactful business trends shaping the industry in 2024.
Why Storytelling is Your Business Strategy’s Superpower (And How You’re Probably Doing It All Wrong)
Remember, a strategy without storytelling is like Netflix without shows. It’s a thing that’s there, but no one’s watching. The best strategies are built on compelling narratives.
If you have a message to communicate, wrap it up in a story your audience will remember.
That’s Human Psychology 101. People remember stories because they resonate with our primitive, emotional, illogical selves.
Facts tell, but stories sell.
The Inner Child in the Boardroom: Unmasking the Subconscious Drivers of Decision-Making
Much of strategy is built on the premise that decision-makers are well-informed, rational adults. But scratch the surface, and you’ll find a scared kid not wanting to get in trouble or just dying to be seen as smart and special by the bigger kids.
Understanding the influence of our inner child can be a game-changer. It’s about acknowledging these subconscious drivers and learning to cater to them in a healthy, constructive way. That way, we can make decisions that are not only strategically sound but also emotionally intelligent.
It STILL takes a village to beat COVID-19
As appeared in TheMandarin.com.au
While the term “unprecedented times” became all the more memefied for its overuse and buzz-wordiness through 2020 and 2021, these were, wholly unprecedented times. We certainly have a stronger understanding pandemics, virology, and communications.
While these elements were not new, never have we had a viral pandemic in the midst of an infodemic of misinformation, mistrust, and division in a globally interconnected, and interdependent world.
There is a range of things to focus on when it comes to shifting behaviours or priming community cultures in times of crisis; but there are three key elements that are part of the fundamentals of trust-building, engagement, and connection.
Why would you work anywhere else?
An interview by Region Media
With an ad featuring an array of tempting locations aiming to convince Australians to never go back to the office, Synergy Group’s creativeXpeople won The Pitch competition on this week’s episode of the ABC’s Gruen.
Why brand awareness is actually bullshit!
As featured in B&T Magazine
Society is too bright, the world too fast, information too available, and messaging too crowded to rely on the old tropes of pure brand awareness.
To truly be effective in creating something meaningful, useful, and ultimately commercially tactical, you need to attack the consumer journey every time, in different ways and at different velocities.
It takes a village to beat COVID-19
As featured in TheMandarin.com.au
This pandemic taught us all how to cope with true uncertainty. In our well ordered and largely predictable lives it is usually only personal misfortune that brings chaos to that structure. Today, globally, nationally, and personally the structured patterns of all our lives were shattered.
In the context of COVID-19, we were looking to make profound and rapid changes to community behaviour. This meant we will needed to work with fabric of community attitudes, norms and behaviours that were already in place. These moments are not a time for approaches that tinker at the margins of behavioural change
Synergy's creative function for governments puts people first
As featured in Consultancy.com.au
“We wanted to reinvent the way creativity is delivered to government, with a view to how best to do that as part of a consultancy,” explains Jason. “The average consultancy leverages having a creative agency, yet creative agencies don’t tend to leverage the consultancy.”
While the typical creative team – responsible for brand identity, graphic design, creative ideation and execution – receives a brief and then goes back to the client with a proposal or pitch, Synergy’s focus was on broadening the link between creative output and human behaviour.
Consultancy firms VS creative agencies: how to take a creative approach when dealing with government
As featured in B&T Magazine
Many believe the words “Government” and “creativity” don’t go hand-in-hand. The reality is, it takes a special kind of person and special type of agency to navigate creative work within Government departments.
Understanding who you’re talking to and with, are carefully balanced elements in the recipe for success. Rather than getting frustrated with the message not landing, look inwardly in how the message was crafted (more often than not, it’s not for the right audience – your client).
Spray and Pray doesn’t work
An interview by The Canberra Business Network
In a traditional advertising agency the stereotype of a Creative Director has always been the guy who wears converse sneakers and graphic t-shirts, sits on a bean bag and thinks of cool ideas all day.
However, that’s changed over the last couple of years and its going to change exponentially going forward. Creative Directors are less and less likely to be the person sitting in a back room thinking of how you can change the world with a cool slogan but rather the strategic thinkers and client service and implementation people.