This document discusses memes and their role in shaping culture and public perception. It begins with the author's story of declining a job with Coca-Cola and awakening to issues of corporate capitalism. It then discusses how memes generate cultural waves and movements by spreading ideas and behaviors. Specific examples discussed include climate change memes and how they have framed sustainability as an environmental rather than business issue. The author argues that culture design is about gardening memes and networks to drive positive change.

1. The
Sustainability
Meme
Presentation at denkstatt by
Balazs Laszlo Karafiath, PhD
Cultural Alchemist
Culture2 Inc. San Francisco, CA

2. WHY ARE YOU HERE?

3. My story of awakening:
Declining to work for
The Coca-Cola Corporation
WELCOME TO YOUR JOURNEY

4. My story of awakening:
Declining to work for
The Coca-Cola Corporation
WELCOME TO YOUR JOURNEY

7. Welcome to the World
Of
Corporate Capitalism

8. • Wheel within wheel
• Cog in the machine picture
8

9. WE MUST FACE OUR SHADOWS
• Fewer than one in five people trust
business or government leaders to tell the
truth when confronted with a difficult issue
- Edelman (2013)

10. Test
Our startup’s Green Room is a platform
for an ongoing conversation with NGOs,
suppliers and others who want to share
ideas and partner with us in helping
people live better around the world.

11. Test
The Walmart Green Room is a platform
for an ongoing conversation with NGOs,
suppliers and others who want to share
ideas and partner with us in helping
people live better around the world.

12. A GREAT BATTLE OF IDEAS
Dr. Joanna Boehnert, Director of EcoLabs
Entrenched interests have been fighting back ...and
winning for a long time!

13. Robert J. Brulle, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA
MASSIVE INVESTMENTS IN STATUS
QUO
Billions spent in dark money networks to confuse and stall
action. This is the map of the web of the PR efforts.

14. consciousness
culture

15. splash
surf
shape
MEMES GENERATE CULTURE.
THEY CREATE CULTURAL WAVES
MEMES ARE PARTICLES OF CONSCIOUSNESS.
THEY GENERATE THE FLOW OF THOUGHTS & IDEAS.

16. 16
Ideas
Thoughts
Theories
Beliefs
Behaviors
GossipsViews
Technologies
Movements
Occupy
TeaParty
Climate
350
Ancient gods
Hermes
Zeus
Apollo
Icons Heroes
Sherlock
Holmes
Pac-Man
Batman
Brands

19. CULTURE DESIGN

20. 20
„Freedom
torches”
“The
Business
of Doubt”

23. MAKE
AMERICA
GREAT AGAIN

24. MAKE
AMERICA
GREAT AGAIN
I LOVE
GATORADE –
PLEASE DON’T POISON ME

25. • They are not influenced by ads.
• They are influenced by their friends
and bloggers on social media.
• Authenticity is more important for
them than content.
• They are loyal to Brands.
• They want to help and they want to
make a difference.
• They want to know the story!
HERE COMES GEN-Y

26. THE SUCCESS OF A BUSINESS SHOULD
BE MEASURED IN TERMS OF MORE THAN
JUST ITS FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE
87%

27. NEVER WITHOUT MY MOBILE
89%

28. POSTS IN SOCIAL MEDIA DAILY
76%

29. THEY SPEND THEIR MONEY ON
EXPERIENCES, NOT THINGS*
78%
*EXCLUDING THEIR MOBILE OF COURSE

30. ACTIVE YOUTUBE USER
80%

31. NUMBER OF HOURS PER DAY
THEY SPEND GENERATING UGC
5

32. THE BRAND IS NOT WHAT THE
COMPANY SAY ABOUT IT
IT IS WHAT THE
GEN-Y SAY ABOUT
IT

33. They are cultural designers.
They are into spreading
memes.
One billion of them.
And they create their own
world by creating their own
culture.
They can change
what is possible.
1,000,000,000

35. • People have no direct
experience with climate
change.
• Despite the draughts and
tornadoes climate change
is not an object they can
touch to confirm that it is
real.
• And so it only lives in the
minds of people as a meme
– a very threatening meme!
INTRODUCING: THE CLIMATEMEME

36. If you think the economy is more
important than the environment,
try holding your breath while
counting your money.
Friends don’t let friends
date climate change
deniers…
“I’m definitely going to change
this year.” -- Climate
Happy to agree that
climate change exists. Not
sure if reality exists
though.
WE COLLECTED 5000+ MEMES FROM TWITTER AND HARVESTED DURING
MEMEHUNTER HACKATHONS IN SAN FRANCISCO AND SEATTLE.
Global warming = the result
of the sun trying to give the
earth a hug.
Global warming
is increasing UM
NO!!!! We
cannot control
the weather
The most effective green
house gas is not carbon
dioxide, but water vapor.
The trend of co2 in the
atmosphere is following the
rise in temperature, not the
other way around.If climate scientists find any evidence of
global warming then their funding
throughout eternity will be assured.
It would be
great if assault
rifles could
shoot climate
change…
The Doha climate
conference made
more hot air than
global warming
Remember when a Tornado was just a
Tornado and not a commercial for global
warming?
One of the main weapons of
the power elite is climate
change. People are
supposed to be panicked…
If we all just got real, as a
culture, then we would fix it…
Don’t believe in
climate change, rap
fans? Tell that to
Vanilla Slush, Water
Cube, and LL Warm J. Adjust your
spine, adjust
your attitude.

37. • Some people have been
“infected” with ClimateMemes.
• Their minds then tried to fight it
off by either actively denying the
meme’s existence – or striving
to rid the world of it
• Both of these groups represent
a small percentage of the larger
society.
• The majority of society have not
been infected.
CLIMATEMEMES ARE A SMALL
MINORITY

38. CLIMATEMEMES ARE NOT SPREADING
They only create anxiety.
• Are we out of harmony
with nature?
• Is it going to kill off
everyone we ever
loved?
• Does this mean there’s
something wrong with
us?
• Do we have the
power of gods to shape
the planet in such
profound ways?

39. • Five dimensions were found that explain 63% of the
variance among the memes.
• These are the drivers of the perception of climate
change:
FIVE DIMENSIONS OF CLIMATEMEME
17%
15%
12%
11%
8%
Harmony
Disharmony — Harmony
Survival
Extinction — Survival
Cooperation
Disintegration — Unity
Momentum
Stall — Advance
Elitism
Populist — Vanguard

40. CHALLENGES TO CORE
BELIEFS

41. ARCHETYPES: FOUNDATIONS OF MEMES
archetypes
memes
quotes
thoughts

42. CLIMATEMEMES ARCHETYPE REACH

43. CLIMATEMEMES ARCHETYPE REACH
archetypes
reached &
activated:
hero, outlaw,
warrior,
activist,
explorer,
adventurer,
pioneer

44. CLIMATEMEMES ARCHETYPE REACH
archetypes not
reached/activated:
innocents,
everyman,
citizen…

46. SUSTAINABILITY HAS BEEN FRAMED!
Was viewed as environmental issue, should
be core business strategy

47. Understood as technical problem, but
should be cultural norms
SUSTAINABILITY HAS BEEN FRAMED!

48. Was thought of as green products, but
should be new industries
SUSTAINABILITY HAS BEEN FRAMED!

49. Misconceived as outside of economy, but
should be foundation for economy
SUSTAINABILITY HAS BEEN FRAMED!

50. Considered to be a market segment, but
should be full-blown brand identity
SUSTAINABILITY HAS BEEN FRAMED!

51. So What’s Next?

52. AND YET -- REAL PROGRESS!
Transcends “green”
framing… goes into health,
family, the future instead.

53. TIPPING POINTS IN
CULTURE
To see meme spreading, we look at
dynamic patterns of evolution,
selection, emergence:

54. NOW WE NEED TO LOOK CLOSER...
...SEE EMERGING PATTERNS.

55. LOOK FOR THE
DIFFERENCE
• A good meme is one that spreads.
• A good meme is always about change.
• Change wants attention.
That was then and this is now.
• A good story is always about change

56. culture design is
gardening

57. memes spread
in networks

58. The Big Brain
full of mirror neurons
memes spread with imitation
95% of consumer behavior is imitation
Success = culture change.

59. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION
Balazs Laszlo Karafiath, PhD
DrKarafiath@gmail.com