Culture Shift: How the meaning of “success” changes when stuck at home
Recently, a client of mine asked me to help out with the visuals for their new website:
“It has to show we have success at what we do, but without it being too loud, no bling and please, no fancy watches!”
This was pretty much the briefing I got and with this in mind, I turned to look for signs of success where we look for pretty much everything these days: Instagram.
Our minds are set to comprehend patterns and meanings based on what we’ve learned. That’s why, when it comes to showcasing success, people and brands tend to always recycle the same visual elements that confirm their status: expensive accessories, fancy clothes, champagne glasses and any blink and glitter, really.
This year however, just like everything else, celebrating success is changing. At first glance, the symbols of success confirm what we already know, but when looking deeper, we can see there is an unexpected shift in this particular cultural perception. Look at what I’ve discovered when scrolling down instagram after the Emmy night.
Expressions of success as seen on the night of the Emmys, 2020
What do you get when you take away the limos, the red carpet and the cocktail tables on a film awards night? For the first time in history, celebrities nominated to prestigious awards didn’t get to live the perks of the night: walking gracefully up to the stage, embracing your award and holding a speech that might make the headlines.
However, the need to show off success is there and even when the context is highly unexpected, some elements still scream “glamour” and “success”.
- Here is Jennifer Anniston getting ready for the Emmy Awards, with a face mask on, but with a fancy glass of bubbles in her hand — even the raised pinky screams “fancy!”
- Jeremy Strong surely seems to obey all rules of success, but when taking a closer look, you notice his bowtie is simply worn over a plain shirt. Isn’t this the equivalent of wearing a suit jacket and no pants when doing business via video conference calls?
- To celebrate her Emmy, Julia Garner announced a Pajama party, with tiaras and make-up, yet under the spotlight of her own living room.
Showcasing success is no longer about hiring a private island for your birthday (although, nice try, Kim!). Yes, this will backlash!
And remember when being “busy” meant being successful, and entrepreneurs would hustle around the clock to prove how they can’t afford to stop working?
Expressions of success are shifting more towards having the luxury to step back and take a break, enjoying the comfort of your own home, being imperfect and simply human.
Instagram is full of examples:
- Here is the richest man on Earth washing his dog and reminding us that successful people actually don’t have to hussle every moment of their lives, but can take time off and look after their dogs, their houses, their passions.
- The Sunday before his long acclaimed book was launched, Matthew McConaughey sits in a hammock. Because the hard work is done and his reward for it is simply sitting still and quiet.
So what does this mean for brands?
If “success” is what you want to transmit, because it is a form of making your customers trust your business and your achievements, then make sure you don’t alienate them by placing yourself in some uber-wealthy setting. If your brand is unreachable, nobody will buy your products — not because they can’t afford them, but because they can’t relate to them.
Even if you’re in a “serious” business like banking, or real estate — different communication channels allow you to show yourself, or your brand, from different angles.
Stay serious on your website, but drop your guard on instagram. Show your audience that you are successful enough to give your team a break, to have a laugh and be human and vulnerable.
Next time you want to remind the world how successful you are, step back and ask yourself this question: How would I show off success if I couldn’t leave the confines of my home? Then just sit in a hammock and relax, waiting for success to come to you.
When success is toned down, it seems more relatable, more achievable. Many of us can’t imagine getting onto a red carpet at an actual Emmy night, but that person in a bathrobe, with a (different kind of) face mask and a glass of bubbly in hand — that could be all of us.
