015 - How to do Brand Partnerships without giving the Ick | Part 1: Masturbatory Panels
No one wants to hear what your brand sponsor told you to say.
Morning, Misfits!
Creatives and activists are increasingly relying on branded work to stay afloat. (It’s a fair solution to a shitty political situation: talent needs fair pay, and brands are doing right by platforming their work and voices). But as deadlines and budgets tighten by the day, brand partnerships are at risk of leeching talent of their creativity and drive. Messages are censored, art becomes advertising. It’s giving the ick.
Panel talks are one such cornerstone of this world. They’re a brilliant medium for sharing perspectives: much-loved by brands wanting to get involved with the convo, but easily diluted in the process. Luckily we have Larena Amin, poet, activist, and strategist for AZEEMA Magazine, here to tell us how brands and creatives can work on panel events without it getting gross.
My upbringing by activists has shaped me in ways I couldn’t possibly summarise. But, having attended seminars, protests, and panel talks since I was a baby, one thing I have learnt is the prevalence and power of scripts. We’ve seen politicians use them to best dodge and doctor their scandals. I’ve become awe-inspired by freedom fighters and organisers who curate them to best communicate the struggle, and galvanise the people to demand change. We have memorised ways to answer questions in job interviews, and how to gently deliver bad news.
So why are we so underwhelmed when we hear artists answering interview questions with well intentioned, curated, inoffensive scripts agreed upon with their PR? Simple: we can’t buy into a message that we feel is driven by profit. Vapid attempts at churning out beautified community engagement have become saturated and obvious - it's no surprise that the Julia Fox's of the industry, who seem to go totally off-script for no one else but themselves, create such mass delight and confusion.
Today, London’s creative class is increasingly brand-sponsored (a direct fall-out of the Tories financially and socially strangling youth creativity for the past decade). And their cultural currency is often judged by how many other brands have called upon them for content, rather than their work itself. But it’s a morally dangerous route for fashion and art to go down: We need to preserve creativity, not plunder it. And it’s the responsibility of brands to move with dignity when renting an artist’s essence.
So, how? Maybe it’s not so hard. I've sat through hours of artists lying through their teeth, bragging about accolades, and skimming over supposedly perfect decision-making. And I’ve been honoured to interview honed artists who’ve pointed out flaws in their fields, ethics, and peers. Here are the lessons hard-wired into me at the events and talks I've experienced during this time:
ADVICE FOR BRANDS - Spend time, money, or BOTH 💸
Whether it's the proper time or proper money. Spending it shows.
Race, spirituality, sexual orientation, and gender identity have, in countless instances, been commercialised into monoliths that many intersectional folks refuse. The hard-fought-for diversity London’s creative scenes are blessed with is still working against tokenisation at industry events. So instead of asking quickly thunk up surface-level questions on broad identities unfairly represented by one person in the panel;
More research,
More ontological questions,
More delving into their work and interpersonal lessons,
More relevant industry leads and questions.
You will most likely have certain areas you want or demand to be covered. Some standard industry procedures and chat are to be expected, but you need to understand where name-dropping and endorsed speech looks awful. There are always impact reports that need to get written up and social assets to get edited, but the most timeless are the well-researched, genuine, panel talks.
Fairly paid too, every time, if we’re being serious. I also suggest, where appropriate, not shying away from bringing together hosts and panellists who may well know each other personally or in a work capacity.
I would like to remind you of a beautiful example of this, because we should look to cultural and educational institutions for how to best host discussion. Facilitated by The New School for Liberal Arts, this public dialogue is layered, loving, and explorative. There are gentle disagreements and shared laughs between Cornel West and the late bell hooks, as they enter un-guided discussion for a live audience that they engage with eye-to-eye. I’m grateful this was recorded, everytime I rewatch it, and everytime I remember I need to.
These potent instances come to fruition best wherein brand funding is quiet, and/or it has been community-organised. These tend to beautifully engage guests in insightful conversation, and candid recollection of one’s pitfalls and learning curves. On which note;
ADVICE FOR COLLABORATORS - ⚠️It's Time to BeReal⚠️
In those 30/45 minutes, you get to make a mark. With the ability to hone the future of art and literature, one congregation at a time, the things audiences will always benefit from hearing you speak about will be;
Times you've f*cked up and learned,
Things you still hope to learn,
Subjective career highlights and perks,
Your tips for safety, integrity, and skill growth.
You will always know what ‘feels’ right to say in front of an audience, as someone always growing. Some artists are keen to stick to their aural optics and personas, but the beautiful flexibility of honesty in intimate spaces can be owed to its temporality.
One last thing I always hammer home with my artist friends is this: You can choose your bag.
If a brief is not aligning with your trajectory, you can push for your changes, or you can politely decline it. Bags pay the bills - but if your gut instinct is telling you a certain partnership will not bear an equal yoke, then hold out for a better suited opportunity.
It's okay to be a little quiet for a while.
That’s all for today. Go forth with the knowledge that truth performs. Meaning braver, more considered brand events will always pay off better than the alternative. Good is good for business, after all.
If you have any thoughts about brand partnerships, we’d love to hear them at @morning.fyi or in the comments. We’ll be back with more on this series soon, but for now, we’ll leave you with Larena’s dream panel lineup (and urge you to let us know yours!) <3
Words: Larena Amin
Editor: Letty Cole
Thoughtful as ever Larena xx