FM 2023 complete (1) - Flipbook - Page 31
there seems to be a twofold response –
some see it as a potential issue, and
some as a solution. Let’s take plagiarism
for example. No one likes a cheat! AI
can be seen as a solution to fast-cross
checking of published work to ensure it
isn’t plagiarised. In our view, we think
it’s important to consider the negatives
while also focusing on the opportunities
provided by AI – that way we can get the
most out of the tool.
3. Creativity and originality
Researchers have projected that AI may
claim 800 million jobs around the world
by 2030. Yes, this sounds pretty
terrifying. But research by sociologist
Anton Oleinik identifies that AI will
likely only replace jobs that humans
aren’t actually very skilled at anyway
(ouch).
At their absolute core, AI machines can’t
be creative (yet). They are machine
learning algorithms composed of layers
of calculations. They rely on statistical
regression only. So yes, they’re
incredible at identifying patterns, but
can’t generate an unrelated pattern –
something essential when defining
creativity. Others argue that whilst AI
can’t generate fundamentally new
ideas argue that whilst AI can’t generate
fundamentally new ideas, it can
stimulate creativity by catalysing human
creativity. So, it may seem to be creative,
but at the core, the response will lack
any original thought.
How can we put humans at the heart of
every experience, if it’s driven by AI?
This being said, in creative industries
like the events and experience world –
AI is more likely to help deliver new
kinds of experiences. It’s more likely to
act as a collaborator rather than a
competitor for workers in the creative
industry.
Hopefully, it’s pretty obvious which blog
is which (says Gareth with a gulp)…
So all in all, are the ethical
considerations too big to outweigh the
benefits? Can AI stimulate creativity
enough to overtake human input?
Overall, no. At Audience, we believe that
any kind of tool should speed up the
process of workflow but ultimately
creativity should always remain human.
While blog 1 (AI generated) is short and
lacks personality, it is impressive that
the instructions given to the AI
consisted of only 7 words. This
demonstrates the worth and potential of
AI in consolidating information. Using AI
like calculators in maths is the mindset
we should take when using AI in
experiences – as a tool and a tool only.
Human creativity should always be at the
forefront.
The Rise of the B Corp
companies
News of the month back in February saw field marketing agency Tactical
Solutions confirmed as a B Corp. In terms of FMBE there are just 3 agencies
that we know of that have made this move. The other two are creative
experience and creative agency RPM and brand engagement agency
Richmond and Towers. Of these R&T’s impressive high score on B Corp, 114.3
will be the subject of a forthcoming interview online at fieldmarketing.com.
For their part, RPM, an agency which has historically featured in our news
as a high-quality working environment, states on its website:
“B Corporations are businesses that aim to “be the change we want to see
in the world.” Practically, for RPM, the certification is only the beginning of
a journey which will see a reinforced and continuing commitment to the
planet, people and the business in equal measure. Our legal articles have
changed so assessing the impact of our work on employees, clients,
suppliers, our community and the environment are now imperatives.”
Attaining B Corp status might be said to be even more of a challenge for a
bigger employer with sales force requirements such as Tactical Solutions.
So, what does that mean for the agency and where does it go from here?
FMBE put the questions to Tactical Solutions MD, Cathy Evans.
What was the main attraction
of B Corp to Tactical
Solutions?
We have always been a business that has
been evolving and changing as our world
and marketplace changes around us and
we were looking at various initiatives
that would allow us to create a strong
sustainability action plan, become more
deliberate about our inclusion and
diversity agenda, and become better at
communicating and involving a largely
remote based team in the way we move
forward as a business and the key
decisions we make. What B Corp allowed
us to do was to umbrella all our thinking
and create a common goal and shape
our ways of working. It pushed us to
document and review our policies and
decisions around our people, our
communities, and our governance whilst
also giving us a framework for
sustainability, setting goals, and
taken a huge amount of work,
commitment, resilience, and tenacity to
make all the changes, to agree the goals
and plans to ensure we improve on our
score year on year but also to deliver on
what we have set out to do. The benefits
for us now are that many of our
initiatives are measurable, we can be
held to account on what we do and how
we behave, and we have an amazing
platform to really engage and take the
entire business on that journey with us.
We have always been a business that
puts people first but now people have a
real say and part to play in how we
operate, how we engage our suppliers
and work with our local communities to
really make a difference. It also means
we attract like-minded individuals into
the business who can really help
increase our diversity and talent to lead
us to the next level of operation.
IsBCorpcertificationthe
start, end or middle of the
journeyfortheagency?
It is most certainly the start for us. We
don’t pretend to have all the answers
communicating this across the business. and be in a place where we are industry
With a remote based team this helps
leading in every element of what we
support real engagement and everybody want to do. But – we have clear plans in
having a voice in decisions we make and place of where we want to be, what
to truly get involved in a way that was not some of those milestones will be and
as easy previously. We were really clear real governance to introduce better
we didn’t just want a “badge” that said
policies and processes across so many
we were working in the right way, but we areas. We are launching “B The Voice”
wanted to live and breathe the vision of internally which will help everyone
becoming a better business for our
across the business no matter where
colleagues, our communities and the
they work, or the role they play – to get
world.
involved, to have a say and help us
deliver against our objectives within our
Whatarethemain
pillars of people, communities and
satisfactions/benefitsof
sustainability. We are very mindful we
running a business to meet cannot stand still but need to work on
BCorpstandards?
how we improve our score, improve in
areas that matter to our colleagues and
It has been a huge personal career
areas that are important for
highlight for me becoming a B Corp
certified business – not least that it has communities. All of this takes time and
effort, and we are very aware that we
taken so long to get here, but it’s the
need to be constantly evolving and
recognition that what we are doing and
developing in all areas if we are to live
what we have changed matters. It has
by the certification we have fought hard
to attain.
Whataregoodexamplesof
workplace or environmental
leadership from Tactical
Solutions that have led to
the agency being a B Corp
pioneerintheFMsector?
My vision is about us focussing on
several key initiatives and delivering
well against these and involving as many
of our colleagues as we can before
setting out our plans for 2024 and
beyond. We have a target as part of the
1.5 degrees challenge which means we
have to reduce our emissions by 50% by
2030. We are working closely with
Climate Partners to achieve this and
currently we support a number of great
charities that allow us to offset our
carbon footprint and be carbon neutral,
but we want to do better than that
longer term so are looking at initiatives
such as electric vehicles, green energy
etc. The charities we support include
clean cook stoves in Uganda and an
Ocean Protection Programme where
there is amazing work reducing plastic
in our oceans to benefit us all.
In other areas we are working hard on
our inclusion and diversity initiatives
with the help of Grocery Aid, where last
year we became a partner in their
DIG programme. By being a Partner
within the Diversity and Inclusion
Initiative, it has meant we have been
able to work with many other brands
and retailers to see what has worked
for them and what hasn’t which has
really helped us understand so much
more about the challenges and the
extensive remit that D&I covers. This
has dovetailed well into our B Corp
agenda and given us some real
framework, tools and ideas that we have
been able to put in place at Tactical
Solutions – all with the purpose of
making us a better business.
Summer 2023
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