As Mars rolls-out its global rebrand and purpose statement, Michele Oliver says it’s more important than ever for brands to stand for something, while marketers must act as cheerleaders for creativity that genuinely makes the world a better place.
Time and again companies have proved unwilling to stick to their lofty purpose statements when it costs them money. For purpose to have any meaning, corporations need to put it before profit.
The FMCG giant’s Q2 results are down year on year but Polman says innovation, investing in premium business and direct to consumer are all factors in why the company is “on track”.
An unprecedented number of brands are jumping into women’s sport sponsorships, but are they doing enough to advocate for female athletes or just benefitting from the wave of popularity?
Waitrose is running its “most prominent and impactful” CSR campaign to-date as it looks to address rising customer concerns about plastic and food waste.
Allbirds might have risen to prominence as a trainer company popular among the tech startup scene in San Francisco but it has its sights firmly set on becoming a global brand with purpose at its core.
Marketers want a positive, do-good brand purpose but if they do harm before doing good, all integrity will be lost and brand purpose will go straight out the window.
While Carling has shifted the focus of its advertising to highlight its communities, rather than talk about men drinking beer down the pub, it hasn’t changed its brand purpose according to its UK marketing director.
Mars is tackling climate change through a three-pronged strategy that will target its consumers, suppliers and its own operations.
Patagonia is launching a new community platform, Action Works, that aims to highlight and support the work of NGOs trying to address the most pressing environmental challenges.
A host of new brands are emerging, using surplus food and discarded plastic to offer consumers a sustainable alternative to everyday items like ketchup, beer and backpacks.
The energy provider is launching a campaign to tackle air pollution as it looks to challenge sector norms and how customers view E.ON.
Toast Ale, which is made from surplus bread, has rebranded, dropping its sometimes “preachy” communication to better engage consumers.
Corporate-NGO partnerships are becoming increasingly strategic as brands look to gain insight about new markets, while charities want more than financial investment.
Timberland plans to use its global tree-planting project as a chance to talk about its long-term sustainability strategy, which it hopes will help strengthen brand perceptions among consumers.
Cadbury’s efforts to promote diversity have been ridiculed on social media, but the bigger issue is the hypocrisy of doing so while paying no UK tax.
Ovo Energy wants to turn its marketing ‘green’ but the move has been met with conflicting opinions about whether carbon offsetting alone is enough.
Tom Fishburne is founder of Marketoon Studios. Follow his work at marketoonist.com or on Twitter @tomfishburne See more of the Marketoonist here
Ovo Energy has outlined a number of new measures to reduce the carbon impact of its marketing, but its director of brand and marketing acknowledges this might be easier said than done.
Danone’s first global CMO in a decade has overhauled marketing to create a new vision for the company that calls on brands to “be bold or die”.
Brands need to ensure they appeal to the LGBTQ+ community all year round – not just during Pride – to add real value, build authenticity and avoid backlash.
Virgin Media has made a number of changes internally in an attempt to reduce its disability employment gap but admits it still has a job to do to tackle the perceived stigma around disability.
P&G is leveraging “the size and iconic nature” of Fairy to spark conversations about LGBTQ+ rights as it aims to live up to younger consumers’ value systems.
