Animation Storyboard

An animation storyboard acts as a plan to refer to when producing the animation. It identifies the various features needed such as text, illustrations and voice over content. If this were to be completed as an advertisement for the Social Enterprise Certification, a team of a graphic designer, animator and illustrator would be required. This storyboard therefore acts as a proposal in this practical outcome.  

Logo Development

The following designs have been developed from the initial sketches. Various line weight, positioning, variations and text placement have been experimented with to determine the most appropriate for the identity of Social Enterprises.

Feedback:

- 'Focuses too heavily on the environment'

- 'The audience may typically associate that symbol with trees. They would need to learn a new association if used for social enterprises.' Not previously realised but an important consideration to make. 

 Feedback:
- Again the comment was made of the audience having to reassociate an icon with a new meaning.
- Although the concept of the person icon was favorited, it reminded peers too heavily of the Fairtrade logo. 

Feedback:

- 'Initials provide recognition'

- 'Type in circle wouldn't work if on a small scale.' This point was discussed and decided that each design would work with and without text, depending on scale.

- 'There needs to be a balance between type and icon within the logo.' This comment led to further developments. 

Considerations:

- As mentioned in the critical writing piece, social enterprises can be seen as an alternative business model to those of commercial brands. The identity needs to reflect this. 

- A balance between being an authentic, trustworthy and individual certification needs to be communicated through the identity. 

- Social Enterprises are separate from the government and the balance between corporate and individually motivated is important to capture. 

- As covered in the writing piece, social enterprises do need to prioritise profit in order to further their social mission. This is discussed in terms of The Body Shop brand, 'In Consumerism - a Way of Life, Stephen Miles wrote, when discussing The Body Shop, that the brand must ‘to a certain extent, prioritise financial profits before ecological concerns’ (1998 :45).' This places the brands in the consumer market and the identity therefore must appeal to the audience however maintain the ethos of the businesses.

Social Enterprise UK

Social Enterprise UK is an organisation who brand themselves as being the national body for social enterprise. Through this they work with their paying members to raise awareness, influence politicians to generate support, etc. Their supporting partners are political and independent:
- Johnson & Johnson
- pwc
- RBS
- Department for Digital, Culture Media & Sport
- Cabinet Offic

Credibility and status will be received through having a government partner.
Independent companies will provide a trusting status to Social Enterprise UK.

The website states that if as a business, you wish to be recognised as a social enterprise, you are able to join Social Enterprise UK and receive a certified member badge that can be used in electronic and printed material. The badge is as shown below. 

The centre of the logo is the letterform that is present as the main identification for Social Enterprise UK. Due to the structure of the letterform and distinct classic shape of the S being lost, the S could be misread and the logo would therefore lose the visual impact. It is important in the designing of a logo for each element to be clearly distinguishable from a range of distances. Poor legibility can result in a lack of understanding and therefore the purpose of the logo not being fulfilled. However in this case, the outer circle carrier the appropriate information to inform the audience of the purpose of the logo. 

Limitations of Social Enterprise UK:

- There is a yearly fee to be a member. Although this ensures that there is no misuse of the social enterprise identity, it requires a certain size of enterprise to be able to have sufficient funds. 

Other ways to ensure there is no manipulation are: 

1. Formal criteria that must be met

2. Team to research and ensure business is authentic

- Brand name indicates restriction to the UK, although they support enterprises that are based in other countries

- 

Charity Videos

One area of research that was recommended in the peer discussion was videos produced by charities. These are videos that aim to inform and raise awareness, key features that are required for this brief.

St John Ambulance, The Chokeables. This advert is informing the audience of the general public as well as more specifically, parents & carers of babies, how to save a baby's life when choking. This is done through the use of animated objects who have been made life like through the use of animation and a voice. The short clip can also features subtitles for when the video may be viewed without sound. It is common for many social media users to watch videos without sound as this is an automatic feature used by Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. Keeping the timeframe of the video to a minimum also means that the user is less likely to lose interest and therefore the content is reaching a much larger audience. 





War Child - Duty of Care. This is a longer video that was originally shown through YouTube and from there was shared on social media such as Facebook.  The video demonstrates the experiences of the children that the charity has worked with, through the use of the Call of Duty gaming style. In an article written by Zoe Amar, The Guardian (2015) the digital manager said that the charity wanted to reach beyond the typical audience that view charity videos. Extending the audience through the style of the video increases the number of individuals who view the video. In this case, the video was viewed more than 500,000 times. Dave O'carroll described the video as being a natural fit to their brand, 'which is younger and edgier than other charities'.  
The shocking content of the video draws in the viewer's attention. Having the familiar elements of the Call of Duty game gives the audience something to relate to, making the content feel more personal. These are features that emote feelings that are important to consider in the production of the campaign. The role of the designer here is to ensure that the content is represented in a true manor as it is representing a charity. 


 

Colour

The logo will be able to work in black and white. Through research and knowledge of successful logos, this versatile colour choice ensures that the logo will be legible on a range of different backgrounds. 
To add colour to the Social Enterprise identity, influences have been taken from the Social Enterprise UK brand, Fairtrade and current trends. 

Social Enterprise UK

#19a3ac #1486c8 #ea168b are three bold colours that draw the audience's attention to different areas of the page, as well as being used to identify subject areas on the website. 

Fairtrade:

#1fbae2 #7f3b99 #bed42c - Similar colours to SE UK. Small colour palette reflects consistency throughout website. 

Trends/Psychology:

The above images are of the Pantone colour trends for fall 2017/18. Although for a specific season, they give an indication towards to colours being seen at current. Unlike colours demonstrated by SE UK and Fairtrade, the pantone swatches are of a more level saturation, appearing more pastel like. 

The colour psychology behind some of the identified colours, colourpsychology.org: 

Purple - symbolises: power, ambition, luxury. Associate with wisdom, independence, creativity. Conveys wealth and extravagance

Green - symbolizes nature, growth, trust, loyalty. Emotional correspondence with safety. Suggests stability. 

Blue - symbolizes confidence, trust, peaceful. Can be seen to be cold and warming. 

Pink - related to love, calmness, optimism. Fuchsia has been linked to confidence and energy. 

Understanding colour psychology is important as it is represents a brand. Taking into consideration the above research, the following colours have been selected to represent the Social Enterprise brand. The colours each have important qualities that would be seen in the brand: Green symbolises trust. Purple symbolises ambition. Blue symbolises, trust and peacefulness. Pink can like to confidence and energy.

Advertising Research

Honda ~ 'Keep Up' from ManvsMachine on Vimeo.

This advertisement for Honda was produced by Wieden & Kennedy London. They are known for pushing the boundaries and producing something exterior to the other commercial advertisements. They state that the Honda range was born from the brands challenging spirit. They wanted to reflect this in the advertisement through challenging the viewer. This has been done through the pace of the manifesto, challenging the reader's ability to keep up. 

The technique of having fast pace words to deliver text keeps the audience's attention on the advert, as they naturally feel as though they want to complete the challenge of reading the content. 





This is another video that requires the audience to engage with the content through reading. If the audience were not to read the typography that is present in this video, then the overall purpose of the motion graphic would be lost. 





Join The Buy Social Revolution. Social Enterprise UK. 

The use of vector imagery in this video sets it apart from the other advertisements. Each transition of the images is smooth, with one leading into the other. The use of imagery in this form is different from other advertisements. The audience still has elements of recognition due to the imagery. The voice over presents the relevant information to the audience. A limitation of this is that the video would be less understood if the sound were off. 

Practical Disucssion

Through the feedback session, the various elements of the practical production were able to be discussed. Within this, queries were able to be raised and solutions discussed.

The first question asked was whether the logo to represent the qualifying social enterprises should include the title 'Social Enterprise'. The Fairtrade logo was discussed as it is a logo that features text but also works alone when positioned in a smaller format. Through this discussion it was decided that the scale of the logo would therefore determine whether the logo would be shown with type or not. The logo therefore needs to be able to work with and without the logo type. 

The second question focused around gaining suggestions for the design of the logo. From showing the group the design sheet that has been developed since Tutorial 4, the peers suggested having a simple but dynamic shape that represented the key elements of a social enterprise. The letter S was also discussed (this is the logo for Social Enterprise UK) and the movement of the environment but also social and reinvestment that the shape can suggest. This is something to develop further. 

The third question was asking advice on the video element of the practical response. Each member of the group was positive towards producing a video to promote the campaign as this is the most engaging and current format to display information. Worries over the production of the video were raised however solutions such as working with other members of the course and continuing the discussion with an animator student were encouraged. 
Advice was given to research into charities who have produced video content for social media. Dylan explained that they have incorporated certain elements to the video that make the viewer feel guilty for scrolling past the video and therefore feel compelled to watch. These are qualities that would be key to identify for a promotional video. 

Turnitin Check

At this stage of writing the critical analysis piece, the text has been checked through the use of Turnitin. This allowed for any areas where referencing has been done incorrectly to be highlighted and therefore ensure that the 'Match Overview' percentage is low. 

UK trade prospects after Brexit

It is of the general knowledge of citizens of the UK that there is uncertainty towards the future of trading due to the UK leaving the EU. This uncertainty is having a negative impact on business across Britain. 

Mannion, Lee. 2017. UK social enterprises fear loss of funds with Brexit, survey says. [ONLINE] available at: https://uk.reuters.com/article/britain-business-social/uk-social-enterprises-fear-loss-of-funds-with-brexit-survey-says-idUKL5N1M23TK

'“It’s worth noting that one in 12 social enterprises gets some income from Europe,” Nick Temple, deputy chief executive of Social Enterprise UK (SEUK), which represents the growing sector, said at a briefing.'

The article also states that one of the major worries within British entrepreneurs is whether they will be eligible for EU grants and technical support after the UK's departure.

Charity Digital News. 2016. Majority of social enterprise leaders would vote to stay in the EU. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.charitydigitalnews.co.uk/2016/02/05/majority-of-social-enterprise-leaders-would-vote-to-stay-in-eu/

'Three quarters (74%) of those running social enterprises would vote for Britain to stay in the European Union (EU) if a referendum were held, according to new research.

The survey, carried out by Social Enterprise UK (SEUK), found that only one in seven (15%) who would vote for Britain to leave.

Of the social enterprise leaders surveyed, 67% said they would be worried if Britain left the EU because of access to European social funds.' 

This data would suggest that UK Social Enterprises are worried for their future due to Brexit, whether that be through the loss of trade or not qualifying for current EU grants. The data would suggest that there is a need for reassurance of SE's future as they require the support from the public to ensure their continuation as a business. 

Negatives of a Social Enterprise

Stanford Social Innovation Review, Anne Miltenburg. 2016. Social Good Is Always Good Branding - or Is It? [ONLINE] Available at https://ssir.org/articles/entry/social_good_is_always_good_brandingor_is_it

This article addresses how building a brand whose focus is solely on social impact is not a guarantee for success. 

The first point to be explored is 'When a business's impact model comes under fire, the entire business can suffer'. Social enterprises such as TOMS simplify the transactions by the use of their One for One slogan. This clearly demonstrates to the consumer that one purchase means another product is donated to someone in need. However, it is not always as simple and companies can be at risk of losing credibility and sales. For example, TOMS have been criticised because of their products distorting the local markets and undercutting local suppliers. This resulted in TOMS developing a new impact model that addresses such issues and provides ways to overcome. - This is a negative that can be brought in against social enterprises.

The second point states that many businesses who are aiming for a positive impact put their social issue at the centre of the brand. However, this can sometimes affect the way that the audience view the product. This can cause a limited number of sales and a lack of overall popularity towards the business. 

The third point is that the impact a business is working towards may be harder to achieve that originally thought. Here, the example is given of Tony's Chocolonely whose aim was to end the exploitation of slave labour in the chocolate supply chain. The original label read "100 percent slave-free" however it was then realized that this could not be a guarantee due to some products origins being unknown. The label was therefore changed to read "Working together to become slave-free" which still demonstrates their original aim. Due to the brand being open about their problems, the sales of the products have not suffered. This may not be the case for another brand. - This could be given as an example as a negative towards social enterprises. It demonstrates how a brand has adapted to be as transparent as they can, a quality of being an SE.

The final point in the article identifies the issue that more and more companies will incorporate social and environmental responsibilities in their message as this is seen to be the direction for the future. The SE's who put these responsibilities at the centre of the brand are said to be using a not failsafe strategy. 

Tutorial 4

In this tutorial, progression objectives were set to ensure efficient continuation of the module. 

Chrissie Elliot

Chrissie Elliot is a enterprise & entrepreneurship researcher who I met through attending one of her workshops. Following this attendance, I contacted Chrissie to ask for her assistance in my research around social enterprises. This led to meeting Chrissie and having a discussion about my research project. This meant I was able to explain my project and discuss ideas. Chrissie also provided me with a number of useful articles and research papers that explore social enterprises.

Discussion Transcript:

KB: I'm looking into different social enterprises. I have done my case studies on TOMS and Divine Chocolate. I've found that, and basically I bought a bar of Divine Chocolate the other day and found that it wasn't until I'd unwrapped it and eaten half that I realised that they gave out information. I don't know if you have ever had it and found that before? They do have a little logo on the front that says they are owned by farmers but it's linked in to the rest of the design. I've also been in shoe shops where TOMS are stockists of that shop and it doesn't seem that they have anything to say we are different from anyone else. I'm finding this a common theme between all of them.

CE: Is your dissertation around examining it from a purely branding perspective?

KB: Yes and No. I'm looking at in general in terms of the responsibility that they have. It's not, just literally, how they brand themselves, the image that they create of themselves. But obviously I have to do a practical side to what I've found. So from all the information that I have been gathering, the main thing that I have been looking at is trying to think of a way to make it more public about who they are without you having to go look on the internet.

...

KB: Esco did a project in america and they found that out of 3,00 people, millennials knew more about TOMS, they are more likely to support toms than they were nike...even though nike are evidently more popular

CE: ... When you're looking at the branding of something, it is actually, from what I've looked at briefly, it's quite tactical. For some things there's good reason to say that it is ethical and sustainably motivated ... but actually it's competing against commercial organisations who are doing the same thing, that actually, people just want to know why they would buy that product and why they would buy that service. I think thats kind of some of the reasons that they don't put that on their marketing and their branding. I think it's kind of that trade off, i think, if you were looking at it more indepth going forward it would be quite interesting to maybe compare organisations, like what it sounds like you've done already, look for organisations that are kind of the same size ... and compare them in terms of the approaches they are taking.

CE: Some people buy Nike, a really commercial organisation that's making huge profits on what they produce because stylistically it seems like a really cool brand. and for all we know, secretly they could be giving their, I know they're not, but secretly they could be giving their money away to good causes. and you have to think of what is the main agenda if you set up a social business. is it actually to make sure that those social organisations are receiving money from your product or service and do then you have to sacrifice telling people about it in order to make it popular product. 


...

Research Examples

Burton Snowboards - All Burton boards are harvested and manufactured using sustainable practices. To demonstrate this, the FCS (Forest Stewardship Council) logo is printed on every board. This promotes what the brand are doing to be sustainable and are informing their audience in a simple but effective way. The simple icon represents the certified nature of the logo through incorporating a tick shape with the outline of a tree. 

Fairtrade - Trade between companies in developed countries and producers in developing countries in which fair prices are paid between the producers
- A simple way to make a difference to peoples lives
- A global movement
- Independent certification of the trade chain for products and license in the us of FAIRTRADE mark on products
- Empowering producers to sell to traders and retailers

Abstract shapes that represent the story behind Fairtrade. Has become a recognisable logo seen on food packaging. 

The CE marketing logo is another seen on food packaging. This certification mark indicates conformity with health, safety and environmental protection standards for products sold within the European Economic Area. The use of initials provides recognition to the audience.

The approaches taken in the examples can be applied to a strategy to promote and identify Social Enterprises. They each have regulations that need to be met to receive the 'certifications' and therefore be able to display the appropriate logo. 

Social Enterprise in Scotland

http://www.se-code.net/

'The meaning of social enterprise is being eroded by the casual use of the term by a widening range of people. It is used by private businesses as a brand to access particular markets; by local authorities establishing arms length subsidiaries; it is even being eroded by third sector organisations which set the bar too low.

...

Many people prefer to establish enterprises for private profit – while delivering a whole range of social benefits. All these hybrid models are valuable contributions in a constantly evolving landscape – but it is not helpful to pretend that they are all vaguely the same thing.'

This evidence clearly demonstrates the need for a certification for social enterprises. It also identifies the need for a 'quality control' element to the solution. 

Idea Development

To experiment with possible logo ideas to be used to identify Social Enterprises, four of the main features of the business model were identified and then appropriate sketches made. 

An animation would be a simple and reach a large audience. 

Adjustments to current social enterprise businesses packaging brings identity to that brand. This does limit the exposure of the social enterprise status however would be unique and tailored to Divine Chocolate.  

In reflection of the developed ideas (1. A certification for all social enterprises 2. Adjustments to current social enterprise branding to reflect their motivations) the conclusion to continue developing idea 1 has been made. Although drawing attention to the current social enterprises is a plausible response to the research and investigation made, this limits the reachability of the social enterprise message. This is overcome by having a certified identity available to all social enterprises. 

Ideas

Wally Olins - On Brand

Originally, brands were simple household goods that represented consistency. At a time where the performance of a product was unreliable, many looked to brands to provide a consistent quality, quantity and price (W, Olins xxx) Since the turn of the industrial revolution, products have standardised and are able to be produced on a vast and global scale. This meant that the role of a brand changed as it now has to represent a manufactured product as unique and individual from the other like products. 

Branding is now largely about involvement and association. It encourages and allows the consumer to identify with the brand and therefore with themselves, 'Brands were created by marketing people inside large companies to seduce customers' W, Olins xxx. 

'Branding is increasingly employed by not-for-profit organizations and charities who compete in the emotional territory of people's hearts and minds with commercial brands for the money in consumer's products' - 

'It is we consumers who decide which brand will succeed and which will fail' :15
Whiteley would say that it manufacturer and not the consumer that has the power in the market place. A comparison of opinions can be drawn from here. 

No Logo, Naomi Klein

Naomi Klein (1999) No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies

:5 'think of the brand as the core meaning of the modern corporation, and of the advertisement as one of the vehicle used to convey meaning in the world.'

'The first mass-marketing campaigns, starting in the second half of the nineteenth century, had more to do with advertising than with branding as we understand it today' 
- Within this Klein is stating that a brand is not advertising. The designer is selling the product to the advertising and at this time, ignoring the creation of brand identity. This is something that has developed and changed over time and is important to understand when referring to the areas in the critical writing piece.

'What made early branding efforts different from more straightforward salesmanship was that the market was now being flooded with uniform mass-produced products that were virtually indistinguishable from one another. Competitive branding became a necessity of the machine age - within a context of manufactured sameness, image-based difference had to be manufactured along with the product.'
- The time of branding came about at the same time as the factory. This was an important time for manufacturers to brand and advertise their mass produced product as unique by associating it to a brand. This supports previous research and is a key in providing an understanding of how branding has changed.

:6 'The first task of branding was to bestow proper names on generic goods...'

'In the 1880s, corporate logos were introduced to mass-produced products like Campbell soup and Quaker Oats cereal.'

:7 'By the end of the 1940s, there was a burgeoning awareness that a brand wasn't just a mascot or a catchphrase or a picture printed on the label of a company's product; the company as a whole could have a brand identity...'

:20 The Body Shop started in the seventies however it wasn't until 1988 that it began to appear in a vast number of locations. In contrast to the goings on at Wall Street where brands were said to be failing, The Body Shop were opening between forty and fifty shops a year in the US. This vast expansion involved no expenses being spent on advertising as there was a strong brand image focusing on their ethical and ecological approach.  

:21 ' Branding, in its truest and most advance incarnation, is about corporate transcendence.' Klein writes that the products that will 'flourish in the future will be the ones presented not as "commodities" but as concepts: the brands as experience, as lifestyle'. - This theory is present in the majority of todays brands. The consumer is being sold a lifestyle through the brand and advertising which makes the product more than just a product. This is how brands ensure success. 

:24 In discussion between Klein and The Body Shop founder, Anita Roddick, it is explained that the stores aren't about what they sell, they are the conveyers of grand ideas. The late graphic designer Tibor Kalman described the role of this brand as 'The original notion of the brand was quality, but now brand is a stylistic badge of courage'. 

Maslow Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is a motivational theory in psychology. The theory is used to demonstrate the human motivations in life. For each level to be achieved the previous must be fulfilled. This relates to consumerism as individuals strive towards self-actualisation through the purchasing of products or services. This model can be used as an explanation of consumerism behaviours. 

Verbal Response Questionnaire

The results of this questionnaire identify and support original assumptions that there is a lack of understanding of Social Enterprises. Although more respondents said that they had heard of the term, many of the definitions given were incorrect or not to the full extent of the various definitions. Furthermore, the data also identifies the need for a greater exposure of social enterprises to ensure that consumers are supporting those businesses that they wish to.  

Measuring success

This is an area of exploration suggested in a tutorial. It would provide data to critically analyse the case studies against. 

https://www.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/social_enterprise_in_the_uk_final_web_spreads.pdf 

Section 4: Measuring social impact

Social Impact Methodologies  

^ TOMS provides a response to each of these categories via their website. 

Social Return on Investment (SROI)
SROI combines an analysis of social, environmental and economic factors to draw out how an organisation creates and destroys value. It then, assigns a monetary value to every measured outcome as a way of comparing them. 

Target Audience Research

CONE Communications, September 23 2015

'From buying products associated with a cause they care about, to sing online networks to amplify social and environmental messages, Millennials are universally more engaged in corporate social responsibility efforts. - 2015 Cone Communications Millennial CSR Study. 

The study found that 9 in 10 millennials would switch brands to one associated with a cause. The study also found that two-thirds use social media to engage around such brands.

“This research reiterates the significant differences in how gender, life-stage and income level impact how Millennials want to be engaged in CSR efforts,” says Lisa Manley, executive vice president, CSR Strategy, Cone Communications. 

The research found that millennials are more willing to:
1. Purchase a product with a social or environmental benefit (87%)
2. Tell friends and family about CSR efforts (82%)
3. Voice opinions to a company about its CSR efforts (70%)
4. Volunteer for a course supported by a company they trust (74%)
5. Make personal sacrifices to make an impact on issues they care about
6. 70% would pay more for a product
7. 66% would share products rather than buying
8. 62% would take a pay cut to work for a responsible company

This research would suggest that it is millenials who are the most active in being socially aware. It is therefore important to encourage this interest and ensure that more information is available to millennials. 

Radical Everyone

Wolff Olins are a studio who help 'to create and build some of the most powerful and purposeful brands in the world'. Throughout their work they 'always design from the point of view of the user, creating experiences that are for the many rather than for the few'. 
As well as working with businesses, Wolff Olins also research into various sectors to influence their practice. Their most recent research based project was 'How Business Can Help People Create Change' in partnership with CitizenMe ('a data platform that empowers people with their personal data, and redefines consumer insights by giving businesses access to integrated digital and survey data') 

http://radicaleveryone.wolffolins.com/

01 Almost Everyone's A Pessimist

'Our research, based on 4000 responses across the UK, US, Germany and Brazil, reveals that only 34% have a positive outlook on the world. What's more, we're pessimistic about the chances of things changing in the near future, with 50% feeling things will only get worse. Only 35% feel they'll improve in the near term.'

02 Appetite For Radical Change

Slightly over half of the people that were surveyed think that we should be creating 'radically new systems'. This therefore supports change. 

03 High Expectations For Business

'In recent years, people have become disillusioned with the efforts of organisations and establishments - governments, businesses, international bodies - in bringing about positive change in the world. Instead, people credit individuals and groups of ordinary people working together.

When asked who ought to be driving change, groups and individuals remain in the frame (29% and 36% respectively). On top of this, 41% on average believe the business community has great potential. Respondents ranked business ahead of existing national governments, international bodies, activists & campaigners.'

The tables are each showing a different percentage in terms of how the respondents voted in each heading - Ought to bring about positive change, Most likely to bring about positive change and Who has brought most positive change.

'People want business to take an active role and aren’t looking for delegation or distance. When asked how businesses should be creating positive change in the world, focusing on sustainability (1st), doing good in the local community (2nd), and fostering innovation & research to tackle problems (3rd) were the most popular suggestions.' These are three key elements to keep in mind when researching particular brands.

Wolff Olins propose that the next step is to RETHINK. The next step they took in the research project was speaking to Mohsin Hamid who has big ideas about how business can help individuals create positive change in the world, specifically focusing on the way that they serve the consumer.
When asked if businesses can help in the discussion of the world tackling issues together, Hamid responds by says that 'the business community is vital to this conversation. Businesses are stakeholders in larger society and should shape it for the better.' This links to the focus of the critical writing piece in terms of the role that brands play in creating change. 

Primary Research

Proposal: Conduct survey to gather data into how many individuals are aware that such brands are a social enterprise and what they do because of this. 

This research direction has been influenced by speaking to individuals of the exploration of this piece of critical writing which has been explored in the Practical Work post. This is a key aspect of research as it demonstrates the lack of understanding around a social enterprise as well as showing that there is an evident lack of published information being given to the consumer.The results of this investigation would feed into the critical writing as well as provide a basis for the practical work.   

Practical Work

From gathering more research on TOMS and Divine Chocolate, one of the main aspects that has stood out the most is that there is a lack of advertised information displaying what the brand are doing in terms of the positive change that they are supporting. Through discussions with peers about the subject of social enterprises and the explored brands, many are unaware of the reasons behind the brand and what they do. Although the information is available on the websites of the companies and on the packaging of some products, the public would only access the web information if they were maybe already aware or were browsing the website.

Synthesis

The critical writing research brought understanding on social responsibility in design and knowledge on social enterprises. Klein (1999) wrote that the brands that will succeed in the future are those that present the consumer with an experience, a lifestyle (:21). As explored, this is something that has been achieved by many social enterprises, however, lacks the exposure that is deserved. Furthermore, Wolff Olins (2017) found that businesses have the greatest potential to influence change. Klein’s thoughts and Olins’ research conclusion are the main motivation behind the practical project.

It is evident through the research of the explored social enterprises that there is a lack of identity to the social enterprise status, this being a weakness of the business strategy. Another weakness being that social enterprises are open to manipulation and exploitation for commercial terms, as explored in The Body Shop example. This contrasts the explored theory that states identity and concept is key for a successful brand (Klein 1999). As discussed with Christina Elliott, (entrepreneurship researcher) it has been suggested that it is due to the need to appeal to the consumer market, to compete with commercial brands. However, with the current market seeing a rise in independent businesses (James 2015) there is the potential for social enterprises to benefit from a trusting identity that adds recognition to their purpose. The practical outcome is a proposal for a Social Enterprise Certification. The body of design for the identity of the organisation includes a logo, animation and mock ups of various platforms relating to the outcome.