PLATFORUM
rebranding of forum: a platform that aims to provide opportunities for creatives to build a sustainable community that promotes the sharing of knowledge.
This was a collaborative live project for a MA Design Management unit, where a team of five students worked with a real client to rebrand their current brand, Forum. As project manager and brand strategist, I helped develop an ethical and sustainable business model for the client's initiative called ReGo Forum - a safe event space launched in November 2022 for creatives to discuss their practices and engage local communities, encompassing both exhibited creative goods and services. Our role as design managers was to understand and implement the client’s vision of an inclusive space for emerging designers, artists and performers to exchange ideas, while working across the focus areas of community, spaces and creatives.
STAKEHOLDER MAPPING
PROBLEM DEFINITIOn
Organisation:
The current business model of Forum does not allow the enterprise to be self-sustaining. The value proposition and unique selling point (USP) of Forum are not communicated to the target audience of creatives. Additionally, there are no formal guidelines for organising and coordinating events which imposes difficulty in allowing Forum to be an autonomous entity of REGO.
Creatives:
A deficiency of proactive behaviour is observed among young creatives to connect and critique new people to create an empowering community that allows them to practice their presentation and active listening skills in spaces around London.
How might we create a self-sustaining business model that facilitates knowledge sharing and brings creatives together to build a community?
RESEARCH QUESTION
To provide tools and guidelines for Forum so that they can begin to plan and organise events that create opportunities for creatives across disciplines to practice and improve their presentation and listening skills; via creating a space for feedback, critique, debate, and discussions.
AIM
MANIFESTO
Knowledge sharing
Connect with like-minded people
Showcase your passion projects
Cultivate meaningful collaboration
Broadening your horizons
Cultivating a sense of community to creativity
EXPLORING THE FUTURE
UN’s 17 SDGs were based on a broader set of elements - The 5 Ps.
We have adapted our themes according to this with a focus on sustainable and ethical futures.
OUR VALUES
Share Knowledge
Community building
Collaboration
Networking
Inclusivity
UNLOCKING OPPORTUNITIES
Breaking the stereotypes of traditional presentation. This is a diagram for a holistic approach as we use three process of the event: pre, during, and post-event plans.
UNVEILING THE EFFECTS
Our ecosystem benefits from a powerful Flywheel Effect, a self-sustaining system coined by Jim Collins that helps businesses grow and maintain long-term momentum once initial success is achieved, creating a virtuous cycle. We have identified a flywheel effect where better presenters create more engagement, leading to a bigger audience and in turn more opportunities, aided by factors like critical thinking, better questions, storytelling and creative leadership.
By initially focusing on creative acquisition, engagement and retention, we can build momentum and growth, improving efficiency, customer satisfaction and competitive advantage through this flywheel effect over rivals in the long term.
BRANDING
The branding look of PlatForum is different from the existing Forum’s branding as it follows the core values of PlatForum now. Our slogan, “Bring your curiosity to unleash creativity”, also aligns with the manifesto and aim of PlatForum, which is to spark curiosity within the audience in order for them to build creativity through the event.
Dialogue,shariNGUnleash
Creativity
MARKETING VALUES
To educate: the marketing strategy should emphasise the event's educational aspects. The content should be engaging, informative, and shareable so the target audience can spread the word and generate more interest in the event.
To engage: interaction allows the target audience to participate in the event before it starts. For example, sending personalised invitations to industry-relevant individuals or businesses can help generate interest in the event and encourage attendance.
To resonate: strategies should be tailored to the target audience's needs and interests. This could be accomplished by segmenting the target audience based on their interests, preferences, and demographics.
THE FUTURE OF PLATFORUM
PlatForum’s ultimate goal is audience development – to network and connect individuals, orchestrate meaningful collaborations, establish a creative community, and meet the needs of all stakeholders.
Credits
Project Management
Tika Pratiwi Sufyan
Brand & Event Strategy
Angeline, Tika Pratiwi Sufyan
Organisation
Naishi Shah, Tika Pratiwi Sufyan
Identity & Branding
Cataline Carafi, Sanjana
Marketing
Naishi Shah, Sanjana
Tutor
Michael Martin