Thinkerbell and social designer Ebony Gaylor have launched the world’s newest social cause consultancy D.O.A.
The name actually stands for Decade of Action – and builds on the many global movements calling for the 2020’s to be the decade of action. However, the acronym D.O.A. also means Dead On Arrival – a reminder that if we don’t change the way we do business and brands soon, there’ll be no business model on a dead planet.
To this end, D.O.A.’s proposition asks two simple questions “What will you do?’, and ‘When will you do it?”.
These questions guide businesses through a series of models and processes, to help businesses, movements, and government departments, to understand their unique contribution to the most pressing global challenges and move towards a more prosocial space.
Ebony Gaylor, Managing Partner of D.O.A. said, “I’ve spent my career disrupting power and systems through government, corporates and NGOs, exploring how people, brands and businesses can seriously amplify their efforts for change. We know that the next 10 years are critical in addressing urgent global challenges and these issues can’t be solved within one sector. Business has a critical role to play and needs to take more targeted and authentic action to have an impact now. D.O.A gives me the opportunity to bring that experience together through a unique agency offering, where science and strategy meet practical action.
It feels like it’s something business has dabbled with on the side. But we know that our staff, customers and stakeholders are demanding more. Which is why D.O.A. is looking to work with ambitious business leaders, marketers, and the c-suite to help business create positive change in what they do. Join us.”
Consumer psychologist at Thinkerbell, Adam Ferrier said: “Eb was our client at Red Cross and is a brilliant social change and systems design thinker. She’s hell bent on making a positive difference to the world, and gets the social change space better than anyone. Her understanding of the systems and processes actually required to make social change happen are formidable. As businesses step into a more pro-social, purpose led space they are going to need experts and specialists in the space who can work with them side by side to make these changes happen. D.O.A. is there to assist businesses embracing this space.”
D.O.A. will be based in Richmond and is working with some of Thinkerbell’s existing clients.
Margie Reid, CEO of Thinkerbell said, “We are really excited to welcome D.O.A. into our fold. Along with s p a c e, our festival-conference type thing, and Hocus Focus our market research agency, we are pleased to offer clients another interesting proposition. In D.O.A. we’re taking a full frontal approach to social cause-led business transformation, here and around the world.”
