Is big tech and the disruption it brings a bigger threat to the world than global warming? With big data putting at risk millions of jobs worldwide, is techno-darwinism imposing the rules of nature on man made markets? And are the companies that survive the upheaval of disruption by nature the fittest?

At DVC Consultants we struggle with these questions for corporates, governments and NGOs every day. For a long time we felt like John the Baptist in the Wilderness. Over 20 years ago while running a branding and nascent digital marketing agency for WPP, we published some fairly prescient thinking” Naturist and Veiled”, Corporate Behaviour for the new millennium. We predicted the onslaught that big data would bring to peoples lives and the blurring of demarcation and distinction in industries. We understood both the pros and cons that the new zeitgeist social media would bring. Even predicting the problems that big brother interference would bring, like fake news and rigging elections. Although the research gained a lot of traction in the media, many management teams we spoke to failed to head the warnings.

So how do you make sense of the confusion disruption brings to your life, both in a corporate and personal sense? We have thought long and hard about this and come up with a new way of thinking we call L.O.A.F (Leadership and Organisation in Anarchic Flux).

“All things are in a state of flux. Nothing is permanent, but change “.

Heraclitus 535BCE

 We at DVC Consultants think that the Greek philosopher had it pretty much right.

What do the brands Kodak, Blockbuster, Xerox, and Blackberry have in common? They all failed to heed Heraclitus’ advice and were overtaken by more innovative disruptor and challenger brands.

It is clear that Brands and their owning companies have no room for complacency, and need constantly to evolve, or risk becoming extinct. DVC Consultants has therefore developed LOAF (Leadership and Organisation in Anarchic Flux) as a proprietary consulting process for supporting our clients in being disruptors and challengers, rather than being on the receiving end of companies more innovative.

It’s a four part process designed to identify and analyse a wide range of different perspectives, and then to recommend actions on the back of that;

1. Leadership: To provide leadership you need to learn from many different perspectives – even those you might disagree with. We are expert in a range of fields, including political analysis, branding, economics, technology and financial services.

2. Organisation: Too often companies have the information before them, but key pieces o information are missed. Sometimes this is because people with one mind-set are unable or unwilling to accept or understand what others are saying, and why. We are able to ensure that all key insights are kept in view, and synthesised and organised so they reinforce one another.

3. Anarchic To make sense of anarchy you need to analyse. There is no use in having the information to hand if it is not rigorously analysed and tested. Too often people do things on the basis of what they want to be true, rather than that which evidence suggests is true. We apply proper rigour – following Karl Popper – in analysing the challenges facing our clients.

4. Flux This needs fixing. Because we have worked in a range of industries, we know and understand how companies work, and the importance of making good ideas operate through day-to-day management structures, We are able, therefore, to support our clients in putting in place actions that will enable them to be the disruptors, not the disrupted.

Challenger and Disruptor brands succeed because they emerge from developments not properly observed by market incumbents. LOAF works because it builds on DVC’s expertise and experience in an eclectic and wide range of topics, including branding, economics, politics, government affairs consultancy and disruptive technologies. This breadth allows us to help our clients in a number of ways:

  • Disruptive Technologies  blockchain and other technologies  have created a gateway to digital anarchy. They are a catalyst that creates a new and a different world. They represent a technological breakthrough that can sweep into obsolescence just about every existing business model. How are you prepared for this? 
  • Thought Leadership Programmes that enable disruptor and challenger brands to fill a connector space between product and people. That drives disruptive creativity through a company allowing all stakeholders, to experience this through, all touchpoints.
  • Stakeholder Engagement and Measurement programmes to ensure measurable and ongoing dialogue. That allows management to set metrics and KPIs for employees to deliver disruptive strategies. 
  • Content Marketing Systems which provide end to end software platforms for serving the right content, at the right time, to the right people.
  • Advisory Services for establishing management teams and networks that are best in class from their sectors and industries. This includes helping establish Board Advisory for a Start-up.
  • Brand Roll Out Ensuring the successful introduction of the new brand to market by co-ordinating all the marketing disciplines to maximise the brands release.

LOAF has recently been used to create the FinTech disruptor banktotal, which is focused on bringing banking to the underbanked and unbanked in emerging economies. It uses blockchain and cloud-based technology systems, to streamline retail banking for emerging economies.

 So if  any of this strikes a chord, and you want to use your L.O.A.F contact Meg on meg@dvcconsultants.com and we can see how we help you disrupt, rather than be disrupted.

Thought Leadership- Cogitare

Cogitare-The Latin for “To Think, ” is the collective name for DVC Consultants thoughts, insights and perspectives on a broad and eclectic number of subjects. From Brexit to Global Poverty, Islamic Banking to Subsistence Agriculture, Disruptive Technologies to The World Bank. It reflects the wide range of sectors and issues we consult on. We hope you enjoy reading them.

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