The Future Foundation
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This article is part of the Nuclear Spin project of Spinwatch. |
The Future Foundation is a London based PR company and consultancy. It is owned by Experian a market research and data management group ultiately owned by GUS plc.
Nuclear Work
In 2003/04 the Future Foundation was paid £31,500 by Nirex to "help facilitate external events and to help draft corporate communications materials". [1] This continued the work the Foundation had undertaken for Nirex over the last few years. This includes:
- Public Attitudes to the Future Management of Radioactive Waste in the UK, A report for Nirex by The Future Foundation, February 2002
- Establishing the value of wider public consultation. A Report by the Future Foundation for Nirex, November, 2000.
Other work undertaken by the Future Foundation for Nirex was by Sue Tibballs.
The Neo-Cromwellians
The Foundation is involved in a study titled the Assault on Pleasure written by James Murphy. [2] Chris Grimshaw of Corporate Watch reports:
- A new study by the Future Foundation portrays opponents of unregulated corporate excess as puritanical 'Neo-Cromwellians'.
- Last summer the strategic consultancy, the Future Foundation (FF), claimed to have discovered a new social trend in Britain - a creeping menace they call the 'New Puritans' or 'Neo-Cromwellians'. This movement of moralising killjoys are apparently pushing an 'Assault on Pleasure' in general.
- According to FF's proposal for their 'Assault on Pleasure' project, manufacturers of luxury goods may need to rethink their marketing; if advertisers position their products as well-deserved treats, what happens when society decides that such treats are no longer socially acceptable? Furthermore they warn of new and repressive regulation. At least one of FF's clients aims to use the completed report due this spring, as a lobbying resource for use in Brussels.
- The report, written by FF associate, James Murphy, director of the consultancy, Model Reasoning, is simply daft in places. It warns that humble pleasures, including the bacon sandwich and blogging, may find themselves subject to 'incipient regulation' within another five years. Amongst those things likely to be heavily regulated the FF identifies 'biscuits at meetings'.[3]
According to Kate Zimmerman:
- The Foundation - which, among other things, advises the communications and marketing community on commercial strategy - recently conducted a study of 1,000 Britons, measuring their attitudes toward certain types of pleasures. The study discovered that there are now "substantial pockets" of people in British society who want to redefine what constitutes anti-social behaviour. In particular, they'd like to eliminate activities that most of us consider to be good, clean fun. [4]
Clients
As disclosed on their website circa 213: [5]
As disclosed on their website circa 2005-06: [6]
Contact
Website: http://www.futurefoundation.net/
Notes
- ↑ David Wild, Freedom of Information Request, Letter to Jean McSorley, Senior Advisor to Greenpeace UK, 15 July, 2005.
- ↑ James Murphy The Assault on Pleasure: How the marketing/communications community should review and respond to modern attempts to regulate or restrict consumer enjoyment of brands and products, Future Foundation, 2005 [1]
- ↑ Chris Grimshaw, 'The Truth Turned Upside Down' Spinwatch, 16 February, 2006.
- ↑ Kate Zimmerman 'Assaulting pleasure - just because they can', North Shore News, 14 August, 2005.
- ↑ Future Foundation website
- ↑ Future Foundation website
External links
- Model Reasoning, Press Release The Assault on Pleasure: First market research findings, May, 2005.
