Out of Scope Issue 100: Is Four for Sure?
Out of Scope Issue 100: Is Four for Sure?
Plus: Selena Gomez’s Instagram record, more AI, and All That Jazz
This week, the Hirsch Leatherwood team (and the culture at large, it seems) found ourselves taking a look at the road ahead. Will the world take a sudden left turn and pivot to a four-day workweek? Are companies going to encounter an unexpected roadblock as they divest from Russia? Did the Kardashian-Jenner empire take a wrong turn somewhere? These changes are intimidating, and it can be tempting to stick to the rivers and the lakes you’re used to, but don’t discount the road less traveled!
💡ON OUR MINDS: The Four-Day Workweek
A pilot program in the United Kingdom has pressure-tested the four-day workweek to massive success. Nearly 3,000 employees participated, receiving the same pay as always, but shortened 32-hour work weeks.
The wins for the program were numerous– improved employee productivity, reduced stress, and perhaps most notably, this great buzzy stat we get to talk about for years to come: “15 percent of the employees who participated said ‘no amount of money’ would convince them to go back to working five days a week.”
How we talk about the future of work matters. This program (and the thinkpieces that have already followed) remind us of the number of stakeholders in the conversation. Everyone including government officials, your average workers, and the C-suite will have their own views on what work should (and can) look like.
Regardless, the nature of work is changing. You can expect the four-day workweek to stick around in conversation, if not in practice.
📡 ON OUR RADAR
The New York Times interviewed several well-known TikTokers to detail their poor experience with the Carter Agency, a talent management company that’s become infamous for not paying their clients. After going viral, many of the TikTokers partnered with the agency for guidance on how to handle brand partnerships, but were left feeling exploited. Unpaid and unsure of how to move forward, the influencers are doing what they do best and using TikTok as their personal microphone to spread awareness about their experience.
Is Broadway really back? Advertising for the Great White Way came under some scrutiny this week in BroadwayNews, where it’s suggested the quality of theatre advertising needs to keep pace with the quality of the shows being sold. With long-standing ad techniques (big splashy quotes from critics in print, star-studded posters plastering the town, and hundred-foot-tall marquees in Times Square) no longer reliably bringing in audiences, the industry may need to pivot soon. Capturing the modern audience’s attention is a Wicked task, but, hey, there’s no business like show business!
Corporate reputation is a high stakes issue with very real implications. Consider this recent op-ed from PR Week. Weber Shandwick’s Peter Rogers anticipates that some companies may face lawsuits from shareholders over the decision to divest from Russia in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine. If (when?) that happens, he argues, they’ll need to make a compelling and quantifiable case for the business value of their reputation that can stand up against the claims of disgruntled investors. It’s easy to say that reputation is priceless, but we may see courts assign a dollar value soon.
🥊QUICK HITS:
In case you missed these stories.
AI-produced art imitates life as science fiction and fantasy magazine Clarkesworld received a record number of submissions created by AI tools.
Microsoft’s new AI-powered search engine, Sydney, caused quite a stir after she attempted to convince The New York Times columnist Kevin Roose to leave his wife for her.
The infallible Kardashian empire cedes territory this week to superstar Selena Gomez, who dethroned Kylie Jenner as the most followed woman on Instagram.
As college admissions committees visit TikTok to familiarize themselves with applicants, Gen Z is beginning to think twice before posting their unfiltered opinions on social media.
Thanks for reading,
HL
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