#14 :: Dylan’s 5 forces for transformation
Or, what Bob Dylan teaches about dancing through waves of change
The mid-60s vibe shift
On 25th July 1965, as leader of the folk rock movement, Bob Dylan walked on stage at the Newport Folk Festival and plugged in his electric guitar. Electric. Fans and critics were horrified. An unexpected, radical move, a new sound that changed musical history. And not coincidentally, propelled Dylan to unprecedented highs.
Fans were upset. He had defied his roots, his fanbase and his folk-values. Change can be painful. But Dylan had recognised an important thing: Upending the status quo is critical to survival.
Dylan on stage at Newport, electric guitar in handThe master was at the pinnacle of folk. Yet transitioning to electric redefined Dylan as an artist, and ultimately gained him a new following (and musical legacy to boot).
Bold and wise amid seas of uncertainty
Even - especially - those at the top need to continually evolve to stay relevant. But knowing what to do, and when, is the challenge. Amid bounties of options, we can never be 100% sure what's going to succeed, what’s going to fail. But choices have to be made.
Spotting the right opportunities takes vision. Yet there are methods to hone that vision.
A typology of transformation
Reinvention, be it in business or art, is not about indiscriminate change. It’s a strategic and often courageous decision to adapt, reflective of deep understanding of evolving possibilities.
Going into 2024, we’re at the precipice of a gulf between old and new. Waves of change - tech, markets, culture, society - are demanding new ideas be developed at pace. Yet knowledge and awareness of what’s happening in our environments alert, inform and guide us towards next moves.
Dylan’s switch in 1965 was bold, strategic, calculated. One which we can analyse to learn how to dance through a wave of change. Here we present our typology to guide businesses navigating the seas of uncertainty.
Typology of transformation1. Influence + inspiration: Push-pull of competitors / contemporaries
Dylan was influenced by the progress made by his contemporaries in the early 60s. The Beatles and the Stones were the first of the new wave of bands to experiment with electric sound and rock influences. His peers had already crossed over to mainstream commercial success, global exposure and charts dominance, and were impacting other types of artists: fashion, art, film….
Here we learn that competition vs collaboration isn’t a binary choice. Contemporaries can inspire and push each other toward new horizons in a culture of collective R&D. In places like Silicon Valley, Tallinn, Lombardy, and Cambridge, experts and players from lots of disciplines, domains and businesses mingle together. This explains the clusters of successful companies in these geolocations. This model allows organic sharing of ideas, insights, intelligence, and therefore has wider impact on future trends and tendencies. Thriving ecosystems are setting the pace of global tech, design, and business.
[ TAKEAWAY ]: Supportive ecosystems challenge conventions. They raise the bar for intelligent R&D that can retain integrity of output while remaining competitive. Create ways to develop communities and collaborations. Think exhibition sponsorship; open forum roundtables, student award philanthropy. The Memphis design group created an avant garde design journal. Such initiatives can lead to fresh insight and R&D opportunities.
2. Change in tastes: Spotting a market shift
Dylan was strategic in shifting alongside popular tastes. His aim was to remain artistically relevant as culture changed. By 1963, electric sounds were at the fore, and he was quietly gauging the response. His new sound was designed to connect with a wider, more diverse audience than his folk niche. It extended his influence and commercial appeal, and pushed his popularity to new levels…
Later, and in another domain, Amazon anticipated receptivity of ordinary people to buying products online quicker than anyone else. By piloting as a bookseller it was able to measure early response. So when the dotcom era arrived, it could swiftly transition to other categories. Its later expansion to cloud computing epitomises transformative growth and foresight.
[ TAKEAWAY ]: Brands must be consistently attuned and responsive to socio-trends and preferences. Connecting with audience is expected. But exploratory proactive experiments - like small-run prototypes and popup experiences - can push boundaries, test the latent, uncover the unspoken.
Folk Dylan in 1963 (left); rock Dylan 1965 (right)3. Embracing challenges: Responding to emerging possibilities
By 1965, Dylan was a political activist, yet that voice was becoming less relevant in the hedonistic 60s. Anticipating this, he mirrored the cultural change and crafted a new message, persona, image. This brought him relevance and position to propel what came after…
Microsoft was slower than its competitors to come to cloud computing, but has entirely reoriented its strategy from software-centric model to cloud-first and subscription services. This has catapulted the company into new realms of profitability and relevance.
[ TAKEAWAY ]: Brands can use challenges as catalysts for transformative creativity. Nurturing a mindset of openness and willingness to change is a necessity to respond to new opportunities. It's a conscious decision to proactively evolve, to embrace the unknown, and transform challenges into opportunities. Spotting and responding to the concepts that affect product, positioning, or messaging involves attunement: a mindset for progress.
4. Applying advances in tech: Keeping ahead to future-proof
The advancement of technology, including amplification and electric instruments enabled a new type of sound. This provided Dylan with a fresh framework in which to experiment and develop his lyrical personality…
Continual embrace of new tech is critical to future longevity. Once a technology has developed, there’s no way to rewind. Starting life as a DVD-by-mail rentals company, Netflix embraced connectivity speeds to become the pioneer of streaming content. Then, it altered course again to rival the traditional houses as a content producer. In consistently developing IP, methods and processes, it has built unparalleled competitive advantage.
[ TAKEAWAY ]: Transformation is a continual process of adaptation and growth. R&D investment should be a constant flow, rather than a sudden burst. New tech may be integrated in product, process or methods. Experiment to find new endurance.
5. Instigating a vibe shift: Envisioning future spaces
Music was the vehicle by which Dylan developed his poetry, his voice. He’s credited as the craftsperson who created “a new kind of song” (Lloyd, 2015) and showed others the poetry of rock…
The creation of a new space is transformation at its most sophisticated. To create new meaning and value requires expert knowledge and vision. Meta is currently in the process of this transition — from social media platform, to architects of a 3D world inhabited by our avatars. Envisioning completely new possibilities requires significant time and resources.
[ TAKEAWAY ]: The ultimate metamorphosis tends to come from one person - the founder’s - unique interpretation of the direction of the world. Outside opinion and design-by-consensus are irrelevant here, precisely because the vision is unique. But upholding it create something frame-breaking that can be loved by people.
Precipice of change, 1964The moment for change
Dylan’s 1965 transformation was driven by a blend of cultural, technological and market factors. Reinvention was a necessity for endurance, success, longevity.
We’re heading into 2024 and what feels like the most significant change since the internet. Back in 1996, businesses that hadn’t envisioned the impact of global connectivity were already left behind. We’re at this point now with the generative AI. Lots of businesses are developing strategies for integrating AI, but most aren’t ready to implement them.
Embracing change is often about mindset. Here is our synthesis for leaders currently envisioning the impact of the AI era, and planning their transformation:
Fearlessness and risk: Embrace change boldly. The best reinventions are based on the running toward rather than the running from. Risk-taking is non-negotiable in a competitive, changing market.
Continual, incremental investment: The most authentic firms constantly integrate incremental changes. Tweaks. In this way, they can remain adaptable.
Research for foresight: Selecting opportunities requires strategic foresight. Transformation may not imply keeping the same audience happy, but it does require interest in the shifting of market demands. Brands should continue to build a deep understanding of audiences. The reinvention may not be loved by everyone at first, but ultimately, brands and artists win fans by delivering quality outcomes.