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178 Power Up Your Mind

idea of a modern version of “burn your bra”—furniture feminism.) It was
aired in September that year. By December IKEA sales had doubled. By
spring it was being quoted by politicians and newspapers as part of the
New Britain mood—“Tony Blair tough on Chintz,Tough on the Causes of
Chintz.” And by 1999 a survey of UK adults’ taste showed a complete
swing; two-thirds now saying they liked modern styles.

Once upon a time, about five years ago, it was possible to say that
only advertising, media, or entertainment companies, the Disneys
of this world, needed to have a sense of fun. It was possible, but
wrong. In today’s business world, many people are actively seeking
a sense of fun.
As increasing numbers of organizations are competing to
deliver similar services, having a corporate sense of humor is
increasingly important. So, for example, we see Richard Branson
wearing a wedding dress in the pages of the British press to adver-
tise Virgin Brides.
Or, after a dramatic attempt to steal a valuable diamond from
the Millennium Dome in London involving undercover police offi-
cers and robbers driving a JCB digger truck, it was a clever move by
JCB to run ads using the image of its product so surprisingly caught
in the limelight!
The rapidly growing communications company ntl is another
example. It has a vision statement about “making money, having
some fun and doing some good.”
This kind of combination of values and approaches to doing
business is becoming much more common.

What ideas do you have that could make your work more fun? For a moment, think of the
most outrageous suggestions you can and apply them to the way your organization:

promotes itself
communicates with its staff
deals with its customers
organizes its meetings