Hi 

It is easy to get our self-importance out of whack. We are each only 0.00000001% of the world’s 7.4 Billion people. 97% of the world’s population do not live in Australia. Our own significance is likely self-inflated.

Read on square holes.com/blog

Way back in the day, in the mid-1990’s starting my career post university, cities largely worked independently. While the research agency I worked with in Melbourne dealt with Sydney and Asia, and I spent time at the Paris HQ, each city was isolated geographically, psychologically and most communications was via the telephone, face-to-face or fax, as email was only just emerging. There was a level of nervousness in relation to the perceived security gaps from email. This was how it had always been done, so why did it need to be done differently and face unnecessary risks? Mobile phones were just arriving.

Establishing a global network was on reflection likely more challenging then than it would be is today. Y&R launched in 1923 and Ogilvy in 1948 (now both part of WPP group) and established global networks well before the Internet. Large global accounting and consulting groups KPMG (pre 1818), Deloitte (1945), pwc (1954) and EY (1849) all created global networks well before any dotcom boom (or even telephone boom).

Yet, many business leaders still think in very much of a closed geographical way. Often they are oblivious that the world has changed, or are just lazy. They worked hard and long, but do not understand concepts like product-market fit — the degree to which a product satisfies a strong market demand. As long as they keep rolling out the same strategy to the same target customers, all will be just fine, is what they assume, even with the warning alarms ringing.

They forget that they do not need to limit their target customers to locally, but have infinite (almost) new markets in easier reach than ever. There are 7.4 billion consumers globally. For businesses targeting businesses, there are more than 43,000 companies listed on stock exchanges worldwide.

Small cities can obsess on their size, but rather than embracing the lifestyle and opportunities within and around, to make the local community prosper. Successful small cities have a hunger for success and an eye on the world.

Tel Aviv in Israel, with a population of around 4 million, is one of few high performing entrepreneurial hubs outside of the US, and has been noted as second only to Silicon Valley for producing successful start up companies listed on the NASDAQ and elsewhere. They have built a well established start-up eco-system of investors, incubators and hubs.

There is an entrenched hunger for success in Tel Aviv, and drive for a concept called ‘Tikkun Olam’ ( responsibility not only for their own moral, spiritual, and material welfare, but also for the welfare of society at large). It is a city historically poor in natural resources, faced by fierce conflicts and not long ago mostly land and desert swamps, which have since been transformed into productive and fertile farming land, and a global centre for research into irrigation and water technology. The volatile region has created world leading defense and non-defense research and development into defense, healthcare, telecommunications, security, transportation, aviation and more.

How people work is also continuously changing. It is becoming increasingly more common for people to work remotely, and freelancers to be available for any business anywhere, quickly and seamlessly. Automattic, the company behind Wordpress et cetera, worth $1 Billion plus US is proud of their team of 716 spread across the world in 61 countries, and speaking 61 languages.

“Everyone works from the location they choose. We’re spread out all over the world in more than 50 countries. Because of the geographic variance, we’re active 24/7. We care about the work you produce, not just the hours you put in.” https://automattic.com/work-with-us/

When I first returned from Melbourne to work in Adelaide I could see the potential. Such a livable city, with the potential to be a hub to the world. South Australia now has a population of 1.7 million. Three quarters, 1.3 million, live in the capital city of Adelaide. South Australia is 153% the size of France, 3% of the population, and produces 80% of Australia’s premium wine. Adelaide is also a place of great beer, food, arts, sport, universities and creativity nestled amongst pristine beaches and beautiful hills.

Yet, to call a spade a spade, the small population size and geographic isolation is challenging. Not too dissimilar to Tel Aviv, Adelaide and South Australia, is faced with unique complexities, and there are opportunities to increasingly adopt an ethos of thinking global and Tikkun Olam.

There are many businesses conquering Australia and the world from South Australia. In recent years I have worked with many successful local businesses partnering with Square Holes, e.g. Codan; Detmold; Haigh’s; and Elder’s. In South Australia, some of our key sectors such as wine, agribusiness and technology and innovation have survived and prospered through export. Exporting is challenging, but necessary, particularly in small markets.

Similarly, Square Holes is working well beyond South Australia, with a quickly growing client base in Melbourne, other markets and overseas. Over 2017–18 we have worked across Australia (from Rockhampton to Narrogin), and across the world from New Zealand to Canada, Thailand, Singapore, Africa, Europe and the US. Even our work for universities such as projects to support the development of a Masters of Agribusiness at Adelaide University and exploring the MBA market for AIB are seeking global audiences.

Recently we have been working with brands as diverse as TJM based in Brisbane exploring their Australian retail network, to tech company Maths Pathways out of Melbourne; to a Chinese company exploring Australia for a quick-service restaurant (QSR) franchise network. These all have national / global markets. Square Holes has also partnered with the State Theatre Company of South Australia for a decade, and it has been fascinating to watch their success thinking locally and exporting well beyond.

In 2017 State Theatre staged 375 performances of 12 productions in 28 cities, produced 5 major tours. During 2018, State Theatre will stage 295 performances in 19 cities. Such touring is only relatively new for the State Theatre, yet in recent years, exporting and touring quality productions has become the cornerstone of the Company.

“The Company has enjoyed international debuts in London with Things I Know To Be True and on 42nd Street New York with Pinocchio our co-production with Windmill. It’s no wonder our esteemed colleague’s interstate speak about State Theatre Company with admiration and awe and use the words “bold and ambitious” to describe State Theatre Company and our program.” Jodi Glass Executive Director/Producer, State Theatre Company South Australia

In the recent week or so there has been some controversy around the awarding of the lead agency advertising account for South Australian Tourism to TBWA. I will not rehash this, but more information can be found here, here and here. I’d like to highlight a quote from Jamie Scott the Managing Director of ShowPony Advertising (who won a spot on the SA Tourism panel - well deserved) that highlights the need for thinking beyond local self-protection …

“That’s the real challenge to South Australian business. Broaden your horizons and don’t protect your borders like some small-town Trump.” Read Jamie’s full article here

Adelaide has many world class businesses, creative agencies and other professional service firms. Small markets can translate to smaller budgets, and lower volume of work for professional service firms. This can make it challenging to grow to a global scale (if they have any desire to do so) relying solely on local workload and opportunities. 

Surely the interconnections of the world make it far easier than it was back in the 1980s and before to develop a geographic market. This all seems quite logical I am sure, and many businesses try and fail to export (even domestically). It is not easy and many businesses know they should be expanding their geographic market, it is just viewed too hard, costly or risky.

The reality is that in some markets such as South Australia exports are not increasing notably, yet are so important. Only 4% of Australia’s exports are from South Australia. Exports increased in South Australia 2% from 2013–2017, compared with 6% in Queensland and Victoria and 4% in New South Wales (More).

Read the full uncensored article on square holes.com/blog

The future of small cities and towns like Adelaide will likely be dictated by the ability to accept that they are not the world, just part of it. This requires a rethinking of business models, including communications, target audiences and how to engage teams and customers locally and wider. It requires robust and expert market research, analysis and planning. The biggest remodeling required is psychological and that businesses thinking globally should be set as the norm not the atypical and unusual. This is critical for survival, and maintaining a sense of our insignificance and leveraging opportunities.

Thank you,

Jason

If you are interested in the above, I also wrote these on similar topics ...

Conquering the world from anywhere has NEVER been easier (2017)

The (off-line) experience economy, and how to build it (2017)

Get off the couch Adelaide (2016)

Adelaide  - food, wine, sun, fun, creativity and grumpy middle aged leaders (2015) 

ADELAIDE DEVELOPED: J'adore Adelaide (2012)

Also ... I have been a proud board member of the Patch Theatre Company Board since July 2008. We have been set a critical fund raising target of $25,000 by end of TODAY!!!, as part of the Creative Partnerships Plus1 initiative. If (if) we meet the target, and we are well on the way,  Australian Government will match dollar for dollar every donation we receive. If we don't acheive the $25,000 no match. :-( As a Board member, I have been set a critical target, and I would REALLY appreciate any support.

Please click here for more / to donate

There’s never been a better time to donate and support theatre for young children. Patch Theatre Company has a diverse repertoire of acclaimed, tour-ready productions for 4-8 year olds and their families. The company is based in Adelaide, South Australia and has presented over 100 new productions to more than 1.6 million children and their families since it began in 1972.

Over the last decade, Patch Theatre Company has presented six of its repertoire productions, in more than 20 international seasons, to children’s festivals and venues in the US, Canada, Singapore, Korea, Japan and New Zealand. Patch also has delivered 7 consecutive national Playing Australia tours and has presented 8 seasons at the Sydney Opera House and the 9 seasons Arts Centre, Victoria.

Patch Theatre's most recent production of 'Can You Hear Colour?'  the new opera for children, launched at the Adelaide Festival was very successful and received RAVE reviews. 

"Can You Hear Colour? is a delightful invitation to open our hearts fully to life’s delicious possibilities and take the time to view things from the perspective of another. See it to remind yourself of the joy we can experience when we awaken our senses to the full spectrum of what the world has to offer." More via InDaily here

Companies such as Patch Theatre punch well above their weight in creativity with a small team and budget, and donations are critical. The amazing shows such as Can You Hear Colour are unconventional and empower our future innovators. Please GIVE $1,000, $500, $100, $50 to help fund critical stuff for little kiddies - the future. Do it! Pretty please.

Please click here for more / to donate

:-)