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.
Channel 4’s research claiming consumers want purpose-driven ads is the latest flimsy attempt to bolster a morally bankrupt concept that simply covers over corporate indiscretions.
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”.
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.
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.
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.
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?
Ikea’s innovation and sustainability commitments have positioned it above competitors in consumers minds, earning it a nomination for Marketing Week Masters Brand of the Year, powered by YouGov.
Asking whether purpose will increase market share is the wrong question. But brands all have a deep-seated vision, which marketers should dust off and use to inspire their approach to innovating for, and engaging with, consumers.
Since focusing the business around diversity and inclusion, Channel 4 has found leadership has become much easier and that it has fostered a culture of innovation that boosts long-term commercial success.
The latest opinion on the world of marketing, brand strategy and communications from award-winning columnist, marketing professor and marketing consultant Mark Ritson.
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.
The supermarket’s managing director Richard Walker admits its banned Christmas ad “did nothing for sales”, and while its drive to remove palm oil has been expensive it is helping to strengthen its position as a corporate activist.
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.
International Women’s Day offers a chance for brands to push their female-focused agenda and demand change. From Adidas and Amazon to P&G and Diageo, we take a look at what businesses are doing to mark the occasion.
Brands’ failure to create relevant and meaningful content, combined with their inability to improve consumers’ wellbeing, means they are becoming increasingly irrelevant in the minds of shoppers.
As one of Unilever’s largest brands, Knorr believes it can drive tangible behaviour change that has a lasting positive impact on the environment and people’s health.
The RAF, which won Channel 4’s annual £1m Diversity in Advertising award, mocks the gender stereotypes that all too frequently appear in mainstream advertising after new research found 40% of the most watched ads feature women in cliched roles.
Most consumers are glad companies are offering plastic-free alternatives but brands have got to make it easy and more cost effective or they simply won’t switch.