Did you place a bet or lodge a protest?
On Melbourne Cup Day – a public holiday in the city where I grew up, and a source of celebration around Australia – some Architecture practices proposed a different way of looking at “the race that stops a nation”.
Breathe Architecture – known for its stance on affordable housing, sustainable design, #paytherent, and as the creator of a growing number of values-driven communities – announced via Instagram that it was saying “Nup to the Cup”.
“Our studio will be open as usual today. We’ll be celebrating kindness with a plant based lunch instead of supporting animal cruelty and gambling.
Our team will each be taking a day off for something that has meaning for them.”
I spotted a similar message from POD Cairns, and there may have been others I didn’t see (as an aside, did you know that only 3.5% of your audiences sees your social media posts?).
It got me thinking. Are you putting your values at the heart of your practice? Are you driven by forces greater than profit and success, and do you communicate your ideals to potential clients through your outward facing communications: Awards entries, social media, magazine articles?
Modern marketing posits that consumers buy from people they “know, like and trust” so if you put your whole self forward, you are likely to attract into your orbit people who share your views; people who are committed to similar aspirations and outcomes.
Myself? I’m committed to ending indigenous disadvantage, and I do that by contributing to #paytherent, making monthly payments to IndigenousX, and writing about architecture projects that serve indigenous communities in mainstream publications, as much as I can.
My most recent offering – an article that explores co-design at Yagan Square in Perth and Punmu and Parnngurr in the Pilbara – is in the latest issue of Indesign, which conveniently landed in my mailbox today.
I first began engaging with indigenous culture at university when an Elder gave a talk as part of Context Curriculum at RMIT (that ages me, doesn’t it!). I wrote an article for the student newspaper in 1992, and my interest in Australia’s many First Nation’s strands and voices was turbo-charged when I moved to Alice Springs to live with my archaeologist/anthropologist partner, in 2006.
At that time, I felt helpless in the face of so much displacement and despair, but I eventually realised that as a journalist, I am equipped with a powerful tool to share important stories, and to help readers consider different ways of seeing.
Which brings me around to your superpower. What are you especially interested in? What values or causes inform your outlook on life and work? Where do you lend support and raise your voice? And do you bring those narratives into your practice communications and marketing?
You don’t have to be overt or broadcast your views; you can introduce your ideas slowly, over time.
Obviously, you’ll need to have a clear idea of what your values are, and how to enunciate them, before you wade in too far, and that’s where a skilful communications advisor can help. There are a few of us around Australia – marketing and PR people who specialise in architecture and design matters – so find one you connect with, and start exploring the possibilities.
And let me know if you’ve had success with communicating your values, and connecting with clients who share your views. Often those people become repeat clients and your greatest ambassadors - and in some practices word-of-mouth and referrals account for more than 70% of new business - so it’s worth cultivating those relationships.