Hi friend,

Oh my goodness. The Sun is out for once! ☀️

We hope it’s nice and sunny wherever you are in the world. If not, then nineteen eighty four is back in your inbox once again to brighten up your day instead.

Anyway, we don’t want to keep you up here in the newsletter intro for that much longer. Let’s get into the news, shall we?

🔍 Fun fact of the week: The 1883 eruption of Krakatoa is considered to be the loudest sound in recorded history. After its final eruption reached an ear-bursting 180db, a ship 3,000 miles away from the volcano mistook the eruption noise as nearby cannon fire.

We’re going to FOOTPRINT+

The Avery & Brown team are heading down to the coast next month for FOOTPRINT+, 6-8 June. In case you didn’t know, FOOTPRINT+ is the perfect opportunity to discuss, discover, and act in the state-of-the-art methods for reducing carbon emissions and achieving Net Zero in real estate, so of course we’re going to be there.

As for what we’ll be getting up to, we’ll be there to:

• Hear focused talks from experienced, expert speakers

• Network with attendees and well-known consultants

• Build the relationships and find solutions for reducing carbon

The built environment is responsible for around 40% of the UK’s total carbon footprint, so we’re joining developers, local authorities, housing associations, investors, lawyers, and environmentalists on the sunny Brighton seafront to be part of the community that will Build to Zero.

We’d love to see you there too, so why not join us? For members of the Avery & Brown community, we’re offering a special 15% discount for tickets to the 3-day event. Just tap the button below and use code ‘AveryBrown15’!

The AI debate: Is it time to stop?

Everyone’s been talking about it this year (yes we’re guilty of it too), but the debate on AI is still ongoing as to whether its place in society is something that’s going to help us or ultimately destroy us. So far, we’ve seen some amazing things, like Marcus Rashford getting called out for using ChatGPT to write his post-match tweets, as well as fully AI-generated songs from bands that don’t exist anymore.

But with possibilities of AI propaganda, the loss of jobs, and a general fear that society could lose control, have we reached a breaking point where we need to shelve the AI progress or even get the government involved? Hear from the AI experts and Future State 2023 speakers on their views.

Did you catch Google’s I/O conference the other day? Among the usual rabble like new Pixel devices and upgrades to the Android system, there was also the news of some big AI announcements, including the debut of Google’s new ‘Duet AI’. The features of it aren’t available to us yet, but from this list, it looks like there’s going to be some major tools available for Google’s productivity apps to give us a helping hand when we need it.

That wasn’t all the AI-focused news at Google’s event. It was also announced that Adobe’s text-to-image generators are joining Bard, Google’s experimental conversational AI service. With just a few taps, you’ll be able to transform your own words into designs available to use in Adobe Express.

What do B2B buyers really care about?

It can be difficult to understand what a B2B customer values most without falling into the commodity trap. To figure it all out, consulting firm Bain put together some research, identified 40 values B2B offerings provide customers, and made it into an easily digestible 5 layer pyramid. Give it a read if you’re interested in knowing what matters most to a customer. There’s even some great advice in there on how to improve your own value proposition too.

Ever thought about how you make customers feel? Considering how expensive, risky, and oftentimes complicated B2B purchases can be, transactions aren’t always straightforward, and making the right choice definitely matters. In a world where features, benefits, and pricing don’t tend to differ between competitors, it could be how your brand emotionally connects with a customer that seals the deal. Here’s how you can use thought leadership to connect emotionally with your audience.

With tech and marketing companies facing economic fluctuations and AI advancements, pressure can be felt within the industry to drive team innovation to stay afloat in the industry. The key to staying ahead of the curve isn’t turning your team into AI experts, it’s giving them a culture of trust, openness, and continuous learning. This is why a shifting marketing landscape requires a people-first mindset. Emotional connections aren’t just for customers. Y’know?

Wind is the UK’s biggest electricity source

In a nice piece of unexpected news, wind turbines have generated more electricity than gas for the first time ever in the history of the UK. Both onshore and offshore turbines generated about a third of the UK’s electricity in the first 3 months of 2023. But wait, that’s not all for the renewable energy news; April also saw a record period of solar energy generation!

Just as surprising but for all the wrong reasons is the news coming out of Central Asia this month, as Turkmenistan’s methane leaks caused more global heating in 2022 than all of the UK’s carbon emissions. Just to add insult to injury, the leaks (coming from only TWO fossil fuel fields) should be fairly easy to detect and fix, and yet they never were.

Tackling some of the UK’s road emissions is Stagecoach East after Cambridge has seen the introduction of 30 new electric buses, joining the 2 buses already introduced in 2020. The new additions to the fleet emit 72% less well-to-wheel CO2 emissions than an equivalent-size diesel bus, and push the city’s fleet to 31% fully electric.

As spring is in full swing and ‘No Mow May’ is in full effect, there’s no better time to turn your garden into something magical. It might be tempting to leave it looking prim and proper, but where’s the fun in that? Take a look at these 10 tips to wild your space for some inspiration on turning green spaces into havens for biodiversity.

If you’re looking to find out more about climate change and want something new to listen to during your downtime, why not have a listen to these 10 podcast episodes that cover the different perspectives to climate change?

Each issue of nineteen eighty four, we feature a different Certified B Corporation, to celebrate the brands which are working hard to create a better business world. To learn more about B Corps, click here.

Our featured B Corp this week is...

Periscope

Based in London, Periscope is a spatial design agency focused on regenerative design and public architecture. With some impressive projects under the agency’s belt like Highgate Cemetery, Romford Town Centre, and the Grønlikaia waterfront in Oslo, Periscope both design and deliver resilient projects that work for people and planet.

If you’re wondering how it’s done, Periscope’s approach to green and blue infrastructure recovers natural landscapes in cities to improve biodiversity and promote integrated ecological networks.

‘In valuing meticulous research, technical rigour and plural voices we seek to meet the challenges of our and future generations.’

Have you enjoyed this issue of nineteen eighty four? Let us know your feedback by dropping us a line at [email protected]!