As I was happily spending time with my almost two-year-old at the playground, something surprising happened. Thinking that I wasn’t watching him, he slowly laid himself down on the ground and started fake crying, as if he was hurt from a tumble.
He just wanted some attention, but in that moment, it hit me: my son, who can only say a couple of words, already knows perfectly well how to deceive others to get what he wants. We all bullshit our way through life, don’t we? From the moment we’re born.
We deceive our parents, we flat out lie to our teachers. And by the time we become grown-ups we’re ready to start BSing our way through each step of the corporate ladder – experts at throwing authenticity out the window while manipulating others to our own benefit.
BS might as well be part of how our brains are wired. And so are brands.
When groups of people get together, that’s when the magic happens and the collective bullshitting starts – an inspiring characteristic of any type of company, large and small.
Have you ever noticed how every single brand has an inspiring vision statement? And how every single one of such statements seems to imply a commitment for the greater good? Nike wants everyone to be a winner. Apple wants to advance humankind. Disney wants to make us happy. And Ikea wants to create a better everyday life. What a great world we live in, right?
Problem is: companies are made up of people, and just like people, vision statements are sometimes full of BS.
But is that really a bad thing?
In 2015, the CEO of Inter IKEA Group, Torbjörn Lööf, partnered with the Danish design collective Art Rebels to establish SPACE10, an innovation hub funded by the company but independent from the IKEA brand.
This made SPACE10 free to explore IKEA's vision of "creating a better everyday life for the many people", rethinking what the contribution of a furnishings company should be, and do so completely detached from the pressure of the business.
From Copenhagen's Meatpacking district, and with a diverse team of experts from different backgrounds, SPACE10 spent the past decade working on a variety of vision-driven projects. Using a mix of creativity and technology, they addressed problems such as climate change and social inequality. They looked into ways to make things like food, water, energy, and housing more accessible for everyone. They researched modular buildings and even came up with a beehive generator to help solitary bees. They explored more sustainable ways of living, from driverless futures to community-driven energy systems. They released a cookbook and even made Köttbullar out of waste (I would try it). And that’s just to name a few projects.
But in 2023, despite its highly innovative and meaningful projects, SPACE10 closed after a nearly 10-year run. The founders mentioned that it was all to be expected, that SPACE10 was never meant to last, that its mission had been fulfilled, and that its culture of innovation is now fully integrated into IKEA itself.
Right…
My assumption is that its closure was already on the horizon after its initiator Torbjörn Lööf left IKEA in 2020. Internally, SPACE10 was probably seen more as an expensive dream of a few, maybe a costly indulgence rather than a collective commitment. And that's the thing with businesses: for the most part, they prioritize profit over the betterment of society. And when the economy changes, and people change, the alarm goes off and it's time to wake up, forget vision, dreams and everything that doesn't bring money in. Companies are ultimately about making money, not about goodwill.
That is why I think vision statements are mostly bullshit. But at the same time, it really doesn’t matter as long as they lead to positive change. SPACE10 worked on creating a better world and in the process it left IKEA in a better place. You know, even though businesses (and people) are driven by money, most would prefer their actions to have a positive impact. And as my kid just wanted a hug, a strong vision just wants to lead businesses and the world to a better future.
Even if it takes a little BS.
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