3 Lessons for Brands on How to (Credibly) Drive Social Change – Sustainable Brands
Lucy von Sturmer Published 22 hours ago. About a 5 minute read. Image: In 2017, Patagonia took on President Trump to try and save Utah's Bears Ears National Monument | Bob Wick/Bureau of Land Management Brand Provided
The most creative marketers bring their passion to help brands drive positive change. But what does that actually look like? Here are three keytakeaways for marketers looking to stay relevant in a changing world, and take a stand for good.
For many in the creative sector, the promise of working with brands is due totheir storytelling power and potential to drive new narratives narrativesaround belonging, sustainable futures, feminism, identity ... the list goes on.
Within the marketing landscape, the brightest minds flock not to growbusinesses they dont care about, but with the ambition to bring theircreativity and passion to drive positive change forward; using the influence,power and platform of global brands to do so.
But what does driving change actually look like? And how can brands that want tobecome more purpose-driven embrace this change, credibly?
Last month, I curateda conversation at European conferenceOnBrand, to learn more about this with Isabel Crabtree-Condor, Knowledge Broker at Oxfam; RaviAmaratunga Hitchcock, founder of Soursop; Alex Weller, MarketingDirector Europe at Patagonia; and Nadine de Ridder, founder of We AreAll Activists. Here are three key takeaways for marketers looking to stayrelevant in a changing world, and take a stand for good.
While some brands might want to position themselves as changing a narrative,Crabtree-Condor from Oxfam was quick to remind us that a single brand cannotchange a narrative. Narratives are complex, interwoven stories andunderstandings about the world, she stressed; and though we all have a role inshaping narratives, no one actor can drive this change alone.
Reminding brands to stay humble and leave their ego at the door, she emphasisedthe importance of collective action.
If you can accept that a cause isnt something you can hijack or use to makeyourself more visible, then your starting point is radically different. Itsimportant to remember that it's not about you; it's about collaborating withothers and contributing.
Weller, when reflecting on how Patagonia continues to get itright,stressed the importance of making a long-term commitment to anissueand working to understand where and how their resources as a brand can make adifference.
Reflecting on Patagonias approach to supporting The Blue Heart ofEurope the last untamed riversleft on the continent he outlined that the first step was consultation withcivil society organizations and those already at the forefront of change. Heshared:
As a large company, it requires a lot of sensitivity to support people whohave made it their lifes work to generate positive change. So, before anything,our role is to gain a deep understanding of what those on the frontlines aregoing through and what they want to achieve and then ask ourselves: What isthe unique thing we can bring or do to increase the chance of success?
Brands must ask themselves, and be prepared to have an honest answer to, thequestion: Why pursue activism in the first place? de Ridder stressed. Shenoted that while many are eager to claim the position of brandactivist,theyre not willing to pay the price that comes with it. She asserted:
There may be praise and approval; but alsoresistance,lack of recognition,backlashesand canceling. How many brands are truly willing to make this sacrifice to beable to support their claim of wanting to change the world for good?"
Noting the inherent dichotomy between advertising and activism, the conversationquickly turned to reimagining business models. de Ridder dove straight to theheart, expressing her dismay at what she perceives as an inability for mostcompanies to redesign their business to find an authentic place for activism.
Weller echoed this sentiment, saying: Capitalism is fundamentally broken. Aslong as businesses serve one predominantobjective,which is to deliver value to shareholders or to accelerate the growth of theirbusiness in order to sell, then everything that follows behind that issubservient to that need.
Gone are the days when a faint promise to do good would cut it; the game hasclearly changed and the stakes are higher than ever. And with this new landscapecomes new expectations. As consumers, we want transparency; the ability to peelbehind the layers of a company and see long-term commitment to a cause notjust a new campaign.
There are countless studies to back up this shift in expectation: The 2019Edelman TrustBarometeris just one of these confirming that 64 percent of consumers want brands to domore on societal issues; while 76 percent say that CEOs should take the lead onchange, rather than wait for the government to impose it.
Clearly, there are many ways a brand can make a difference; it just requirescommitment, vision and bravery. At a time when were facing multiple crises allat once not to mention, were living in the midst of a global pandemic theneed for brands, and the private sector at large, to play a role in creating abetter future has never been more urgent. In fact, that future quite literallydepends on it.
Published Dec 4, 2020 7am EST / 4am PST / 12pm GMT / 1pm CET
Lucy von Sturmer is the founder of The Humblebrag, a strategic communications consultancy based in the heart of Europe, dedicated to amplifying the voices of change-makers.
See the original post:
3 Lessons for Brands on How to (Credibly) Drive Social Change - Sustainable Brands