Imagine the ability to create a cultural shift by simply allowing folks to see the possibility…

There exists a myriad of reasons why untapped potential remains untapped, but one in particular stands out for me.  It is the inability to capture the essence and verve of what you are trying to communicate in a way that connects.  In other words, it is a big design question…HOW DO YOU GET OTHERS TO SEE WHAT YOU SEE?  How can you best optimize the possibility for what you are trying to express?  My fervent belief is that a part of the answer lies in one simple principle…SEE-FEEL-CHANGE.

I commented the other day on Twitter that every brand in the sustainability movement should invest in a film and video posse to tell their story.  Why?  The premise is simple…cultures with great ideas need to bring their story to life in a way that folks can SEE their vision.  Let them FEEL the essence of your verve and watch the CHANGE that unfolds.  As John Kotter suggests in his book The Heart of Change, one of the fundamental principles for creating shifts is SEE-FEEL-CHANGE.  Folks will be more likely to shift their thinking when they can see and feel the intention.

Consider the following examples:

1.  PARTICIPANT MEDIA - The folks at Participant Media and Film get it.   Founder Jeff Skoll understands the power and role film have played in influencing legislation and highlighted An Inconvenient Truth as the best illustration of “the power of film to make a difference.”  Their next film, Food, Inc. coming out this summer looks to be another powerful movie can move a nation.  And be sure to put Jacques Perrin’s Ocean (not a Participant Media film) on your list of must see movies.  I saw a sneak peak at TED this past year and all I can say is that for many of us we will never look at ocean in the same way…breathtaking.

2.  TED - The brilliant thing called TED - founded on the notion of Ideas Worth Spreading.  How do these ideas spread? By sharing twenty minute videos of amazing thinkers, concepts and ideas. In the time it takes to drink a cup of coffee we can be transported in a way that let’s us SEE a new world of scintillating thought.

3.  TECHNOLOGY - Got a camera and a computer?  Then watch the magic happen.  Case in point - youtube sensations Free Hugs (43 million views) and Where The Hell is Matt.  Technology is your friend and there is an abundance of platforms and technologies to let folks SEE your story.

4.  THE GIRL EFFECT - Trying to systemically eliminate the lack of opportunity for young girls in impoverished countries?  Too darn daunting to even consider unless of course you watch The NIKE Foundation video called The Girl Effect and then you SEE a new world of inspiration and hope.

5.  SETH GODIN - What’s interesting is that Seth Godin generally does not use visual elements to tell his stories, but he is incredibly adept at synthesizing complex ideas into resonant and compelling thought.  He allows us to SEE the metaphysical through words.

6.  WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE - I never thought Where the Wild Things Are could be a movie.  Spike Jonze and the movie trailer let me SEE that what I thought was once impossible is indeed possible.

7.  SEVENTH GENERATION / BRAND CATALOG - When I was CMO at Seventh Generation we realized that we needed to continue to bring the brand to life by humanizing our intentions and product.  The team saw an opportunity to elevate our thinking by creating a simple catalog (the line was previously suggested on an excel spread sheet)…only it was not simply a catalog.  The team created a catalog inspired to be a coffee table book that shared the heartbeat of the brand and activity in a way many reps, accounts and others previously did not SEE.

8.  BIOMIMICRY - Have you ever been connected to biomimicry - nature as a mentor?  Read Janine Benyus’s book Biomimicry and you are attracted to the concept of nature.  Spend a day in the woods with Janine and you are not only attracted, but also engaged and captured by nature in a way that you SEE that nature is indeed our greatest mentor.

Ultimately it is about discovering the acupuncture point that best ignites the human spirit and allows us to SEE.  It can be done thru words, sound or visual design. That said there is an abundance of great ideas and great individuals striving to create positive systemic change.   The beauty is that creating a shift need not be expensive and complex.  The key is to discover the power of storytelling in a way that we can SEE the possibility…