Rushali and I are both Creative Technologists on the Labs.Monks team, which gives us the opportunity to explore and play with some of the latest digital innovations. A lot of our work is focused on not just exploring emerging technology’s potential, but also making it more accessible and understandable for audiences at all skill levels. As much as we are developers, we’re creatives and creators, too. Because of that, our podcast aims to “scrap the manual” by challenging pre-existing notions of what creativity and technology looks like and can be. You can listen to our first two episodes here.

Since we want to scrap the manual in all senses of the term, our goal is to keep  things informal and fun, because we already have enough seriousness in our lives considering the past two years have taken the world on a ride. Scrap the Manual is the podcast you listen to when you’re up for learning something new but also want some levity in your day. We’ll still be asking the tough questions—no doubt—but we’ll make sure that it’s still easy to listen to and feels like you’re right there in the room with us.

And with that, let me introduce our first two episodes with you to give you a taste of what’s to come—maybe with a dash of FOMO to encourage you to give them a listen. 

Diving Head-First into Industry Challenges

Our first episode follows our “Challenge the Hosts” format, where Rushali and I call on our customized randomizer, a tool that pairs an industry with a challenge, live. Once we have an industry and challenge, we brainstorm solutions on the fly about what we could do to improve it. No pre-scripted material for this one; it’s a 100% off-the-cuff discussion. If you’ve ever wanted to be a fly on the wall observing an R&D team in the heart of a brainstorm, this is the closest you’ll get besides working with us.

During this episode, the randomizer landed on a combo that couldn’t be more relevant as we tackle yet another stage of lockdowns worldwide: COVID-19 (challenge) and art (industry). In this discussion, we explore how the pandemic influenced art throughout the last couple of years, and how it will move forward, too. This was the perfect opportunity for us both to align our shared passion for creativity and technology as the world of fine arts—including museums, art galleries and experiential activations—quickly pivoted and adapted to emerging technology that until now has been waiting for its moment. From exploring NFTs to some of our favorite hybrid installations throughout the past year, we cover a lot of ground in our first episode.

Giving an Inside Look into the Lab

Our second episode takes a different approach, expanding on our recent Labs Report about the metaverse. As we roll out new reports, expect more episodes that dive deeper into some of the concepts explored within. The idea isn’t to repeat ourselves; these episodes instead serve as a companion to the reports by digging in a little deeper.

For the metaverse report, Rushali and I open up on the process (and some comical missteps) in creating a prototype in Roblox that demonstrates the metaverse concept of interoperability. To illustrate what the metaverse could look like if embedded into our daily lives, we built a series of spaces: an admin area to manage one’s personal details and assets; a social environment where you can engage with others or see what they’re up to; and a shopping world where you can try on and buy both physical and virtual goods.

Since we as a team always want to push technology to its limits, we always run into surprising challenges during our prototyping process. Episode two gives listeners an inside look into some of the quirks of the Roblox platform as well as its developer culture—and because Roblox is viewed as a pioneer in the metaverse landscape, our process may give you some insight into what to consider when building your own metaverse experiences.

So, where did we run into some trouble? It turns out we got trolled by young developers more than once… but you’ll have to listen to the episode to find out how. (On that note, you’ll also hear about Rushali’s deep-seated fear of teens—sorry Gen Z, we still love you).

What’s Next?

That’s all for now, but you can look forward to more episodes every other month. In addition to the two formats already mentioned, look forward to our third format: “How do we do this?” where our audience (that means you!) submits ideas to Rushali and I and we put our brains together to figure out how we can make it real. If you already have an idea in mind that you’re just aching to make possible, feel free to email us.

Rushali and I had a lot of fun sitting down to talk about all things creative tech, and we’re just getting started. Remember: this is a podcast for anyone interested in tech—whether you’re a passionate tech evangelist, a creative looking to learn more, or someone who simply wants a behind-the-scenes look into what the Labs.Monks are doing and thinking about. I hope you enjoy our first couple episodes and let us know what you think. Stay tuned for more!

Social Innovation Lab is a weekly show hosted by Claudia Cameron, our Head of Social in Amsterdam, in discussion with the smartest minds in social. The series features digital experts across disciplines and borders to provide a wide-reaching (but snackable) view into what’s happening on social media right now—and where things might be headed next. So from episode to episode, we’ll tackle different platforms, visit different regions and review high-level considerations to inform your ongoing social strategy.

We’ve hit the ground running by launching the first four episodes already, which you can find on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or your favorite podcast service. Below, I’ve pulled some of my favorite insights from each—but don’t let that stop you from listening for yourself, as each episode offers even more to explore.

Why the Future of Social Is in Asia

In our first episode, Claudia sits down with Werner Iucksch, SVP of Social in APAC. Werner drops some impressive statistics on social media use in the region: over 2 billion people are on social throughout APAC, and Filipino users spend a whopping 11 hours a day on social. All that time spent online fuels experimentation and innovation unique to the region, like live ecommerce and other locally grown platforms that don’t exist anywhere else.

But the rise of unique platforms and behaviors means western brands can’t copy and paste their existing social content to Asian markets and hope for success. “Facebook is the biggest player in APAC, but the content that works in the US or Europe won’t necessarily work there,” Werner warns. Instead, they must engage with the local culture: Werner highlights our Idioms of Love campaign with Burberry in China as an example, which reinterprets traditional Chinese love stories from hundreds of years ago with a modern twist.

TikTok’s Secret Sauce

TikTok has quickly emerged as a top channel for brands as they seek to get in front of Gen Z and drive engagement. In episode two of our podcast, our TikTok Strategist Aga Domagalska shares how the platform’s unique creation tools, collaborative spirit and algorithm work together to propel viral hits. But while TikTok may have the reputation of being a viral content engine that supercharges reach, Aga advises against taking shortcuts to relevance.

Decoding Social Signals and Human Behavior

In our third episode, Head of Social Strategic Planning Asahi Ruiz demystifies the role of a social planner. His team’s work is all about detecting and social signals that brands can use to remain relevant amidst cultural shifts. Asahi defines social signals as the cues people observe to help them make decisions and react to the excess of information around us.

One fascinating point Asahi raised is the need to develop research tools that resemble the way people collect information online—an idea that inspired his team’s modern and intimate approach to performing focus groups in WhatsApp. “We need to remember that people exchange information in a different way in WhatsApp,” he says. “Now we communicate in emojis and stickers, and this is pretty relevant when people are getting information in a focus group done in WhatsApp.” Decoding these cues and behaviors can help in the creation of work that is entertaining, informative and resonates with culture.

Connecting the Dots of the Consumer Digital Experience

Now that you’ve gathered some learnings, it’s time to put them to use. Episode four is all about how brands can integrate social into their larger digital strategy. Jouke Vuurmans, our Chief Creative Officer, notes how brands tend to think of social as a separate domain, which he sees as an outdated perspective and a missed opportunity. Jouke notes that brands can shift their perspective to view social as an integral connector across the marketing mix, and hits on our “feed the fees” mentality of tailoring big ideas into moments that drive engagement.

Social media is expansive, with each platform offering unique ways to bring people together and drive engagement. With the Social Innovation Lab podcast, we want to help you keep informed on everything that’s happening in social—as soon as it happens. Stay tuned for even more insights from across the internet and around the world!