The Corporate Video Cartel: Redefining Business Communications Together

Have you read The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek? I've recommended it before. Here's a quick synopsis:

The concept of "The Infinite Game" revolves around the idea that many aspects of life, including business and leadership, are not finite games with clear winners and losers. Instead, they are infinite games with continuously evolving rules and players. In an infinite game, the goal is not to win but to keep playing and perpetuate the game.

Whether you like Sinek or not is irrelevant; the concept of finite and infinite games was first introduced by James P. Carse, a religious studies scholar, in his 1986 book Finite and Infinite Games: A Vision of Life as Play and Possibility. In this book, Carse explains the distinction between finite games, which have set rules and a clear endpoint, and infinite games, which have evolving rules and no defined endpoint.

Sinek adapted Carse's ideas to apply specifically to leadership and business. Sinek's work expands on Carse's original concepts, offering insights on how they apply to modern organizations and leadership practices.

One key idea that resonates with me is that you cannot "win" at business. You can't conquer your rivals, and you can't claim to be number one unless everyone plays by the same rules. If you're number one in sales, it doesn't mean you're necessarily successful in terms of profit, awards, or client satisfaction. True success comes from the game continuing and everyone achieving more. Instead of striving to have the tallest skyscraper by tearing down others' buildings, why not focus on helping everyone build bigger and better?

Hi, corporate production companies! Did you sense I was coming for you now? In the early 2010s, I went through a preferred vendor process to become one of the key suppliers for BP. We succeeded, hooray! We "won" along with nine other agencies. See where I'm going with this? We were invited to a supplier day, an experience I had previously done with National Grid and other companies. These events are awkward and uncomfortable, and I can't understand why.

The average production company head, when placed in a room with competitors AND clients, becomes incredibly competitive. We view one another as adversaries, battling for a slice of the corporate production pie. For instance, Dave from Dave's Pictures could stand between me and my year-end bonus if his rates are lower or, heaven forbid, he presents a unique creative idea that our clients prefer.

I understand the drive for competition, market share, money, promotions, awards, bonuses, and dividends. However, can we let the competitive fog clear and recognize that true success doesn't lie in small victories imagined in one's mind. You're welcome to stay on that track if it brings you comfort, but it may not lead you where you want to go.

Here's some key points from "The Infinite Game" to muse on:

• Finite vs. Infinite Games: In finite games, there are defined rules, fixed boundaries, and clear endpoints (e.g., sports games). Infinite games lack a clear endpoint and the rules and players may change over time (e.g., business, politics).

• Just Cause: Players in infinite games strive for a just cause, a shared vision of the future that inspires people and serves as a north star to guide decisions and actions.

• Trusting Teams: Building and maintaining trusting teams is essential in an infinite game. Trust allows for better collaboration and risk-taking.

• Existential Flexibility: Organizations must be open to adapting their strategies and structures to stay relevant in an ever-changing environment.

• Courage to Lead: Leaders need the courage to make decisions that may not provide immediate benefits but contribute to the long-term health of the organization and its stakeholders.

• Worthy Rivals: Instead of viewing competitors as threats to be defeated, consider them worthy rivals from whom to learn and improve.

• Consistent Performance: Success in an infinite game comes from consistently working towards your just cause, rather than chasing short-term gains.

It's about long-term vision, adaptability, and building trust, rather than merely striving to outpace competitors or win the battle.

With that in mind, last week I made a suggestion about what may need to happen to redefine business communications. I'll quote myself here:

"Companies would need to shift from viewing each other as competition and evolve into partners working toward a grander mission that benefits everyone in the long run. That’s either considered as cooperative economics, or starting a Cartel. I'm going to attempt a small project to see what happens and whether we can rally the corporate production community to support each other and act as one on a small scale before trying something bigger. Stay tuned. Let's see what happens! 🍿"

Now, here's the plan: I want to introduce a soft entry point for the corporate production industry to start collaborating for a greater good.

Every time I write a proposal, I use references to illustrate my ideas. Typically, these include two or three references sourced from various places to help the client understand my direction. For instance, I might use a short-form commercial selling socks to demonstrate a voiceover style we'd use while developing your script. Or, I could show an explainer film for a software product and emphasize the animation transitions we'd mirror in your film. Another reference might demonstrate how to distill a complex process into simple, accessible communication, which could be useful for your film's process inserts. If you write proposals, you probably use references too. If you don’t, now you understand why we do.

The toughest part of this whole process is the internal email everyone writes that often goes ignored.

Subject: Reference Request

Body: Hi everyone, I'm looking for examples of exceptional executive interviews that use graphics effectively to illustrate key points. Doesn't have to be our own work.

Crickets... unless the Brunswick US film team was on the email alias. If you know, you know.

Here's an idea: I'll be circulating a Google document to crowdsource references for corporate video. I'll share the document with everyone I can contact, and I'm hoping the community can collaborate to create a valuable resource for all our worthy rivals to visualize their best ideas for our collective clients.

Keep an eye on your inboxes!

As you were

MrMcK.

Mark McKenna specializes in unlocking the powerful stories within businesses. He has spent nearly 20 years at creative agencies serving clients at the intersection of corporate communications, advertising, and public relations. For the last decade, he has held senior leadership roles, providing counsel to leaders of the largest organizations in the world.

Mark's career includes time spent in London and New York, working with Fortune 500 and FTSE 100 clients on their communication challenges across EMEA and the Americas. He empowers companies to drive progress through strategic storytelling and content production. He has experience working across various sectors, advising on solving critical business issues with creativity.