Issue 75: A Bulletin for Big Ideas and Better Business

OPINION/ CREATIVITY

Who builds the most enduring brands?

💬 Sir John Hegarty

Ideas are free – and anyone can have one. This is one of the reasons that entrepreneurship attracts such a multitude of different people. At the helm of new businesses, you can observe those from all sorts of disciplines: technologists, designers, environmentalists, bankers, retailers, and restauranteurs. The list is endless. But there’s one skillset that stands founders in better stead than all the rest – in my opinion – and that is the abilities of the artist.

Consider it for a moment. The most enduring brands in history have often started with someone who embodies an artistic sensibility. Walt Disney was an illustrator who imagined a new epoch for the moving image. Henry Ford was a mechanic who envisioned a post-horse age. And Coco Chanel was a designer who invented a more functional, fuss-free fashion for women. All timeless entrepreneurs: all artists.

There’s some key overlap in the personal qualities of those who create great art and those who create great businesses

There’s some key overlap in the personal qualities of those who create great art and those who create great businesses. Firstly, they’re usually railing against something – an old way of doing something – and proposing something fresher, or more revolutionary. They also aren’t too preoccupied with, or inhibited by, the opinions of others. Then there’s the ability to fail and persevere. Mastering a craft requires a constant understanding of your own limits, and the courage to push beyond them.

There is a danger when companies no longer prize the artists in their ranks or at their helm. When creatives get pushed aside and executives are elevated ideas diminish, and boldness fades. The people driving aren’t those who made the thing great in the first place. When that happens, you’re on borrowed time. The smartest shareholders know where creatives belong. In charge.

THE AGENDA

🗓️ Diarise this: your agenda for the coming week

1.
Manchester International Festival has been boosting the creative capital of Britain’s second city since 2007. This year’s edition kicks off on Thursday, with an eclectic programme spanning everything from orchestral performances of traditional Süfi music to a football-themed exhibition of contemporary art.
3rd – 20th July

2.
The streets of Kingston will be pulsing with heavy basslines today as Jamaicans come together to celebrate International Reggae Day — a city-wide tribute to the island’s most iconic musical export. Alongside live performances, there’s also a rich programme of talks at the Bob Marley Museum, diving deep into the legacy and future of reggae culture.
1st July

3.
The Gallagher brothers will come together on stage tonight at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium as they kick off their much-anticipated Oasis reunion tour, which will see them looking back (hopefully not in anger) at their back catalogue of Britpop bangers.
1st July

4.
A major cultural milestone arrives this week with the long-awaited opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza. Set beside the pyramids, the new complex will house thousands of artefacts (including the full Tutankhamun collection) in what is now the world’s largest archaeological museum.
3rd July

5.
Across the United States, Fourth of July celebrations will light up the sky this Friday — but few rival Washington DC’s Capitol Fourth concert. Broadcast nationwide, the show pairs dazzling firework displays with performances from acts including the National Symphony Orchestra and Motown legends The Temptations.
4th July

HERZOGENAURACH, DE / ATHLEISURE

Hoeld at the helm: Things could start looking up for Puma
Source: Puma

Puma finds its footing

Arthur Hoeld starts his first day as CEO of German sportswear giant Puma today—and he’s stepping into tough terrain. Once a rising star in the athleisure world, the company has stumbled in recent years, missing out on the retro trainer resurgence that’s boosted rivals like Adidas. Puma’s stock has slumped by more than 50% over the past year, but with Hoeld at the helm things might start looking up. A seasoned Adidas veteran who previously led its famed “Originals” division (responsible for bestselling reissues of classic designs like the Gazelle and Samba), the new CEO certainly brings the right pedigree. But turning around Puma’s fortunes won’t be easy, especially as Donald Trump’s looming tariffs threaten to hit footwear brands that manufacture in key markets like Vietnam. Hoeld’s success depends not just on boosting the brand’s street cred, but effectively navigating changes that will shake the entire industry.

ON CREATIVITY /

Contributor: Sir John Hegarty

US / MEDIA

Media malaise

Under threat: America’s public radio and TV networks
Source: American Coalition for Public Radio and APTS Action

America’s public radio and television networks are under threat as lawmakers consider a rescissions package that would eliminate $1.1 billion in already-approved funding. In response, the Protect My Public Media coalition has mobilised to defend the nation’s non-profit broadcasters, including PBS and NPR. The proposed cuts could be devastating, particularly for rural stations that rely heavily on federal support to stay on the air. Beyond entertainment, public media provides vital local reporting, trusted educational programming, and real-time emergency alerts. In a world where news consumption has become driven by algorithms and click-bait, public media is vital for the dissemination of new ideas that can be vital for spawning creativity. That’s not to mention being free of the political biases and vested interests of billionaire media moguls.

LONDON / ART

Earth as a cube: Denes brings her cerebral explorations to the current Tube map
Source: TfL

Going underground

Since 2004, Transport for London has been commissioning leading contemporary artists to reimagine the cover of its pocket-sized Tube maps. Today sees the latest edition distributed across stations, this time featuring work by pioneering conceptual artist Agnes Denes. Known for her cerebral explorations of science and philosophy, the Hungarian-American artist’s cover design challenges conventional views of time and space through a digital drawing that reimagines Earth’s curvature as a cube. It was commissioned by Art on the Underground, TfL’s long-running public art programme, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. Over the decades, it has transformed London’s transport network into a sprawling, ever-changing gallery, with commissions from the likes of Tracey Emin, Yayoi Kusama, and Larry Achiampong. Not only do these works challenge how we experience art in our everyday lives, but they’re a celebration of London’s ever-evolving cultural scene — adding a dash of vibrancy to the daily commute.

What art is, in reality, is this missing link, not the links which exist. It’s not what you see that is art; art is the gap.

/Marcel Duchamp