Happy Independents Day
Lucy Barbor on voices that don't normally get platformed, LinkedIn taking down our friends posts, meet outsider Su Luo, and Happy Independents Day.
Happy Independents Day
July 4th - Independents Day.
Apart from a brilliant pun, it’s a good time to recognise how great being independent is.
For our clients, it means we can be impartial - giving trusted, authentic and honest advice and guidance, rather than trying to sell something else.
For our careers, it means we can design the path we want to be on, rather than only cherry picking from the opportunities an employer offers us, if we play the game, or role they want us to fit.
For our wellbeing, working independently has been shown to have mental and physical health benefits over employment.
For our industry, I think the notion of being independent is in its teens, and with all the turmoil in recent years, more and more folk are turning to creating something for themselves, and doing it in a smarter, better, more valuable way.
We’re seeing the slow but definite demise of the established architecture of marketing, brand, communications, innovation, media, product, services.
That’s not to say there aren’t still huge monoliths and legacy models. But sole voices can too become giants, with platforms and far greater impact than ever before.
And we’re all here for it.
Outside Perspective is fueled by coffee and curiosity.
We don’t charge our members, but it does cost us cash to run it.
Consider donating to help sustain our community.
Huddles
This week, we invited Pip Bingemann from Springboards.ai to present their platform to the community, as well as an exclusive pricing model only available to core community members. If you’re in the slack, jump into the #useful channel for more details, saving you $350/month on the list price.
Independents don’t always get affordable access to enterprise type tools, so part of our mission is to try and make access to tools and platforms like this more accessible. Thanks to Pip for the support.
July huddle being planned at the moment - suggestions for topics and themes welcomed!
Unseen stories, voices and faces. Lucy Barbor on a new type of creative festival.
Lucy Barbor is founder at We Are Masterplan: strategy consultancy and training school, and independent consultant - prior to which, she was CSO at PHD, Strategy Partner at Carat and director of brand media at dunnhumby. She is also founder and chairperson for UN//SCENE - a a new creative festival for fresh thinking, new voices and building hope for our industry.
MK: Lucy, our industry has a bit of a habit of doing a lot of talking and not a lot of action. What is UN//SCENE and how is it different?
LB: The day is designed to leave everyone more connected and with practical steps they can take into the wider world to create positive change. We want to hear about real issues: menopause, grief, health and indeed, the challenges of life in freelance.
All our profits go to charity, so we’re not selling anything. That sets us apart from pushing product and instead, gives us the licence to tackle the challenges our industry is really facing.
We are focused on creating *action*, not just broadcasting concepts, we’ll be creating together as a community. Many of our ‘speaker slots’ are actually interactive: debates, workshops, play-sessions and masterclasses. The structured timeframes will run longer and shorter than the classic 25-minute slots, so we’ll have room for deep discussions and space for many voices to contribute.
We’ve got a series of tracks, running across rooms within our venue, Conway Hall. They are built around themes of UN//SEEN Potential, UN//SOLVED Problems, UN//SPOKEN Possibilities and UN//APOLOGETIC Perspectives, all driven at creating solutions together.
We shared some of Kathryn Ellis' research last week, showing the lack of diversity in the creative and strategy space - and I know you're actively trying to make strategy more accessible through your own work too - what are the barriers to entry in your view, and how do you feel UN//SCENE might contribute to resolving some of those issues?
Our industry rewards fame. High price events demand ‘big names’ on the stage, so we get a cyclical representation of C-Suite reps saying the same sanctioned things on a loop. I’d go so far as to say we’ve become toothless in our parity, so rarely looking to those with the sharpest perspectives for their points of view.
How on earth can we claim to speak to culture if everyone on the stage thinks the same?
UN//SCENE is a counter-point to that. A show, not a show off. We believe in the creativity that exists across all parts of our industry. We built this festival to platform that. Our broad, brilliant committee of volunteers is really excited about who’s applying and we’ve reached out to specific groups (including Outside Perspective!) to source the voices we wouldn’t usually hear from. We’re also working with specialists in the committee to ensure we flatten as much bias as possible within the application and selection process.
Who will be speaking on the day?
Applications to speak are now open!
If you’ve got a burning idea, please submit it – find the Submissions page on unscenefestival.co.uk. It’s a short, simple process.
Even you’ve never spoken ‘on a stage’ before, please go for it. The speaker options include short-form sharing slots, where you can express your ideas without running a full 45 min keynote.
We’re here to uncover new voices - of any age - and fresh thinking, so if you think that’s you, apply.
You're specifically keen for freelancers to contribute - why's that?
Ideas, inspiration, innovation - something the freelance community has in spades but, without the clout of a ‘title’, it so often goes unheard (i.e. UN//SPOKEN)
The freelance community is rapidly growing and yet, so little is built for us. We see the world from outside the structures, providing a unique perspective. We’re not restricted by an over-arching business line so are able to shed real light on the challenges we face.
This is a festival for all of us, including those not backed by a brand or agency.
Our ticket pricing - a flat £99 for the full day - is designed to try and make this as affordable as possible; though we’ve also reserved a few select discounted tickets for those for whom this is a stretch, but want to attend.
There are no early bird discounts, no late price cuts planned, just one price for all. Sales have been stellar since we opened them up on Monday so please buy now (on Eventbrite and link via our website) so you don’t miss out.
Going beyond the talks - what impact are you hoping for UN//SCENE to have - what's next on the roadmap?
This is very much year one. We’ve got growth plans for other events, including smaller sessions through the year and a stellar year two. One specific thing we’d like to do is to take the event outside of London in the UK. Not everyone can or should have to travel to be seen. There’s obviously so much talent around the country that gets woefully overlooked, so we want to show up for, and showcase, the brilliant minds from beyond the M25.
But, proof of concept comes first so we’re looking forward to seeing you in September!
» UN//SCENE is on September 17, 2025. Find out more at unscenefestival.co.uk and get tickets at Eventbrite.
Curiosity Stream
From our friends
» Our very own Lucinda Bounsall getting content banned from LinkedIn! Go see the contraversy.
» The 25th Edelmann Trust Barometer makes for interesting reading as always, and illustrates a world in fear.
» Sophie Lucas on the benefit of friction.
» Are we seeing the collapse of the pay to play awards industry infront of our very eyes? Too many takedowns to count, plus finally a light being shone on bogus award entries.
»
on how A24 is building brand ecosystems.
» The Semiotic Sisterhood’s first drop on cultural meaning across borders.
» The last part of the Quarantine Cohort series from
, exploring the “Permanent Performance Paradox” - depressing and important.&c.
» Tiktok and the death of legacy media, in the light of Glastonbury, and contraversial decisions on what to (and not to) broadcast from the BBC.
» From nudges to boosts - changing thinking in behavioural sciences.
» Ladies Who Tech: Systems in Flux is a one-day gathering of 150+ founders, experts, and leaders redefining what work looks like in an era shaped by AI – and driven by meaning.
» Handing over the marketing to Gen Z
» Copied ads.
» I took a nap, and didn’t hate myself for it.
Wanna share your work, ideas or thinking with the community? - drop me a message, and I’ll pop it in the next issue. This is a scrapbook of our ideas, so please open up your brains.
Meet an Outsider
👋 Hello, I’m Su Luo,
I'm a cultural strategist and market researcher who gets excited about semiotics, cultural insights, and spotting what's coming next. I've been doing brand and marketing consulting for 6 years (previously at Kantar and Ipsos) and love the variety of brands I work with - from FMCG, F&B, Fashion, Luxury to Auto; from decoding the meaning of brightness, to understand Gen Z mentality.
I’ve recently helped a global lifestyle brand crack their China strategy for Chinese New Year. Instead of going the obvious red-and-gold route, we found this brilliant way to weave traditional Chinese essence into their modern brand identity. The unconventional approach we developed actually became their go-to-market strategy, which is the most rewarding moment that makes all the research worth it.
Lately I've been fascinated by B2B - it's a completely different beast from B2C. The codes, expectations, and contexts are so distinct, but at the end of the day, it's still about how people think and feel. That said, I'm a bit of a magpie when it comes to projects - I love the variety and I'm always keen to dive into something new.
What I’m currently consuming…
Reading: "Selling the Night" by Andy Crysell - it's about club culture and the creative industry, and I'm fascinated by how nightlife shapes broader cultural trends
Listening: Math rock when I need to focus (sounds chaotic but somehow helps my brain work better). Currently obsessed with Elephant Gym, this incredible Taiwanese band
Doing: Trying to become a proper runner with the Runna app - I love how it makes training feel like levelling up in a game rather than punishment
Say hello to Su on LinkedIn or in the community.
Gigs.
Briefs discovered and curated from across the stratosphere.
Promote your brief - or tell us if you’ve found work via the project.
FEATURED BRIEFS:
⭐️ ⭐️ Head of Content & Creative Strategy at Wonderbly - Mat leave cover, contract (London,UK) ⭐️ ⭐️
https://outsideperspective.co/gigs/20250702-wonderbly.html
⭐️ ⭐️ Freelance Tech Marketing Strategist/Consultant (London,UK) ⭐️ ⭐️
https://outsideperspective.co/gigs/20250701-momentum.html
Mid–Senior Paid Media Creative Strategist (Freelance) (UK)
https://outsideperspective.co/gigs/20250703-nest.htmlFreelance strategist (US)
https://outsideperspective.co/gigs/20250703-imagination.htmlfreelance or part-time Performance Marketing Strategist (London,UK)
https://outsideperspective.co/gigs/20250703-dinosaur.htmlsenior freelance / fractional marketing specialist (UK)
https://outsideperspective.co/gigs/20250701-missionkitchen.htmlFreelance Creative/Brand Strategist (Ontario,CA)
https://outsideperspective.co/gigs/20250701-fullscoop.html
Hey hirers! We can host your strategists.
If you’re a business working with freelance strategists, Outside Perspective can now host your alumni. Keep your best freelancers close, reducing costs and saving time - plus share your briefs to our entire network for no additional cost.
If you’re keen to know how we can support your bench … drop me a note.
That’s all for this week.
mk✌️