In our work with multiple B2B clients, we get to observe trends across many areas of the business world. Both in the in-depth pieces that we undertake for clients and in our own area of marketing, we get to see subtle changes in the way that business and work take place. It’s a definite perk of what we do and gives some fascinating insights.

And one of those trends is the increasing role of showbiz in business. Take, for example, the ringmaster and the broadcaster that good businesses need.

The role of the ringmaster – the magnetic centre

In our work with Woodhouse Workspace, we’ve studied extensively the changes to work patterns and the increasing adoption of hybrid work – working from home, the office, or anywhere else. As teams become subsequently more scattered, every manager or leader has to focus increasingly on maintaining good team cohesion and healthy links between team members.

The leader has to create their circus ring and she or he has to be the ringmaster.

The ‘ring’ is not necessarily a physical space – it is the means by which the different performers are drawn together into meaningful interaction with each other. The key role of the ring is to provide the space – real or virtual – that draws performers in from the surrounding ‘tents and caravans’ (i.e. their own satellite workspaces) and brings them regularly into the centre to collaborate with their teammates. And it’s the ringmaster’s job to draw them into the ring.

With in-person interaction still recognised as the highest quality form of interaction, it could be said that the ring will be experienced at its best in the same physical space, i.e. in ‘the office’. In the world of hybrid working, the ringmaster’s ideal is therefore to draw their performers regularly into the office for in-person engagement with fellow performers, strengthening the links that make collaboration happen at its best. Because it is that collaboration that makes the final performance to customers the best it can be.

With all this in mind, the ringmaster needs to be more of an entertainer and people magnet than a pure organiser of tasks and schedules. Of course, things must still get done, but team cohesion, motivation and happiness are the ringmaster’s top priorities, because they affect everything else: staff retention, quality of work, customer experience, and more besides.

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Ringmasters initiate routine and spontaneous activities that draw performers together and boost healthy interaction. They don’t have to be the life and soul of every performance, but they must make sure that those regular activities take place and that the big ring is always buzzing.

So there’s the first example of showbiz in the business world. The ringmaster style of manager, focused on creating their circus ring of cohesion. Now for the next.

Brand Broadcasting Champions in every business

The ever-increasing popularity of video marketing and the acceleration of video communication during the pandemic have combined to create a new need in effective business marketing and sales.

It has created the role of business broadcasting.

From spontaneous business updates to in-depth webinars, forward-thinking marketers need to be ready and able to broadcast regularly if they are to stay at the front of the pack.

Webinars, online CPD sessions, podcasts, and online events are all becoming increasingly commonplace. In the future, simply doing these things won’t make a business stand out; it will be the quality of the content and the professionalism of the delivery that will distinguish brands.

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That’s why we elevate the concept to business broadcasting because it needs to be taken seriously.

The 21st century marketing broadcaster will want to stream or capture high quality broadcasts with ease, without having to make significant special arrangements. They’ll head to the broadcasting area, and within a few clicks of a mouse, will bring up their script if required, activate their streaming platform or capture software, and away they’ll go. (This is how it needs to be.)

And it’s the same for the salesman doing his online sales presentation. It’s becoming increasingly popular with customers to request that the initial meeting with a potential supplier is online. The easier it is for businesses to offer such meetings and the stronger their delivery, the greater the edge any organisation will enjoy.

All this points to the need for marketers and salespeople to develop into broadcasters. But it also points to the need for organisations to invest in the right facilities to enable quality delivery at the click of a button, Observe the difference between a typical business webinar and a respected news programme and you’ll see the gap that needs closing.

Broadcasting needs will vary from business to business, but the principle remains consistent. In a world of video delivery, seamless, agile and professional streaming and capture is vital.

Those are two significant trends that we’ve noticed clearly emerging in the last 12 months. In a changing world, it’s those that change with it that stay on top!

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