Is Social Responsibility a 'Nice to Have' or a Driver of Long-Term Growth?
Fiona Lloyd thank you for inviting me to be part of such an important discussion alongside Beatrice Cornacchia from Mastercard and Allison Kieth at KraftHeinz. I thoroughly enjoyed delving into the crucial role brands and the marketing community play in driving positive impact. The International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD) is proud to collaborate with major agencies like dentsu and the leading digital platforms to embed robust responsibility standards and further prevent underage exposure to alcohol ads.
It's clear that our efforts are not just about creating feel-good moments but are essential for long-term growth. Social responsibility is something that consumers, and, importantly, the investor community are increasingly factoring into their decision-making. Brands that lead with authenticity and action are delivering positive impact and will thrive in the future.
Looking forward to continuing our important work together.
#CannesLions#SustainableGrowth#MarketingForGood#InvestorFocus
𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐃𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥
In today's world, consumers are looking for more than just functional products. They want to connect with brands that share their 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘴 and make a 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥. This is where purpose-driven advertising comes in. Ursula Mejía Melgar, Marketing Director Southern Europe for Diageo, joined us on the MCA Prodcast to share her insights on how Diageo’s brands create deep and meaningful connections with their consumers.
𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬:
➤ 𝑩𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒂 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅
Ursula argued that brands have a responsibility to go beyond selling products and contribute to a better world. This is not just about philanthropy, but about embedding purpose into the core of the brand identity.
Statistics show that the advertising industry spends twice as much money as the film industry. This enormous reach gives brands the power to shape and reflect society. With such influence comes the responsibility to use it for good.
➤ 𝑨𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈
One of the biggest challenges for brands is authenticity. Consumers can easily see through greenwashing and superficial attempts at purpose. True purpose needs to be embedded in the company's core values and reflected in all aspects of its operations, from production to advertising.
➤ 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝒃𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒄 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒈𝒚
Diageo is a prime example of a brand integrating sustainability and inclusion into every element of its business strategy. Dove is another example, showcasing the success of purpose-led advertising with its "Real Beauty" campaign. This campaign challenged societal norms and empowered women, demonstrating the positive impact brands can have.
➤ 𝑩𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒔𝒌 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒕 𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏s
The conversation needs to shift. Instead of focusing solely on product benefits, brands and agencies need to ask themselves deeper questions about their impact throughout the entire value chain. This includes considering the environmental footprint of production, the diversity and inclusion of their workforce and partners, and the overall message they are communicating.
By taking the time to ask the right questions, brands can act with 𝒑𝒖𝒓𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒆 and create 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒔. This ultimately leads to a more sustainable and equitable future for both brands and society as a whole.
Such great insight from Ursula. For more, listen to the full episode for free:
https://lnkd.in/edQigpTc#brands#values#purpose#connections#change
I had the distinct pleasure of sitting with Kantar BrandZ for an in-depth conversation about global brands through the lens of PepsiCo's iconic portfolio -- what makes a brand valuable, the role of brands, how to stay relevant, deploying distinctive assets in a consistent and connected way, how the best-of-the best do it and so much more.
I believe brands have a bigger role to play than before and at PepsiCo we talk about Positive Brands. We want to inspire people to make better choices for them and the planet. We are developing programs that leverage the scale and power of our brand marketing to accelerate our sustainability journey and connect with consumers.
And we recognized brands are only relevant to people to the degree that they connect to something meaningful in their lives; something bigger that connects to core human needs like community, security, control, connection, enjoyment, etc.
When it comes to deploying distinctive assets, we have to be very humble as marketeers. Memory structures, distinctiveness, brand meaning is built over generations. As marketeers, we stand on the shoulders of the giants that went before us. I'm very humble to the generations of incredible marketeers who have built these brilliant brands.
Thank you Kantar for recognizing PepsiCo in the BrandZ Top 100 Brands Global Report 2024. Check out the full conversation: https://lnkd.in/eE3mtGxZ#PepsiCoProud#BrandZ#Kantar
Visionary CEO | Global CMO | President | Board Director | Chief Commercial Officer | Strategic Leadership | Expert in Business Transformation: Digital, Innovation, AI | Value Creation | Growth | P&L Management | ESG |PE
MASTERING THE 5C's of GLOBAL MARKETING
Global marketing is more than just reaching across borders—it’s about celebrating global similarities while honoring local cultures.
In my recent Forbes article, I shared the 5 Cs of Global Marketing, a framework that has shaped my approach to leading iconic brands globally:
1. Curate and Cherish: Focus on what makes the brand truly unique and protect its core essence as it enters new markets.
2. Co-Create Global Similarities: Develop shared narratives that resonate globally, creating a consistent foundation for your brand.
3. Customize for Local Nuances: Adapt campaigns to reflect local cultural, social, and economic dynamics, ensuring relevance and authenticity.
4. Connect Champions: Engage local teams and stakeholders to become champions of the brand, fostering collaboration and execution excellence.
5. Celebrate Unique Contributions: Recognize and highlight the unique impact of each market, strengthening global-local connections.
This strategic approach allows brands to be globally consistent yet locally relevant, unlocking sustainable growth and deeper consumer loyalty. Check it out at Forbes Communications Council. Special thanks to my past colleagues at The Hershey Company and Colgate-PalmoliveHill's Pet Nutrition for enabling me to gain these strategic learnings.
How are you balancing global cohesion and local relevance in your campaigns? Let’s discuss!
#GlobalMarketing#ConsumerInsights#Branding#Marketing#Leadership#CMO#Speaker#Innovation#Global
❤️🤝 OREO and Coca-Cola understand the power of friendship. By framing their collaboration around the concept of "besties," they're tapping into a relatable cultural trend and integrating context in a way that resonates with consumers on an emotional level. This partnership is a reminder that successful marketing is about building connections.
#BrandCollaboration#Innovation#BrandStrategy#Marketing
Stanley’s cup went from 74m to $750 million in revenue in four years by co-creating with their customers.
The marketing savviness of great brands is the diversity in their GTM. Brands should leverage other vehicles by which the message is not only reaching new people but done in a new context to be in full control of each customer’s buyer’s journey from first contact to closing. As it provides new opportunities to bring new people into the brand and into the idea.
Brands are not owned by the company; they are stewarded by the company, but they are co-created by the people. And if you invite people in to co-create value, to co-author the narrative, they’ll take you places where you’ve never been to and do things you can never do. After all, people trust people more than any form of marketing communication (Marcus Collins).
And at Velara we're thrilled to be training large foundational models to spearhead this same approach for brands like British Airways, Green Chef and HelloFresh. And hopefully looking forward to on board Air Peace Limited, Simmer, allplants | B Corp™ and The Foodhak. Ultimately to increase and cement their brand awareness with their customers, generate positive word-of-mouth marketing and potentially reach a wider audience.
Last night, we were inspired at the Brands Lecture, hosted by British Brands Group, where Adam Morgan of eatbigfish challenged us to do better!
The session sparked a great discussion, and one key takeaway resonated loud and clear: dull just isn't an option.
We’re a little bit obsessed by the power of a compelling brand story, but we know from our own client-side experience that sometimes this gets halted by risk averse teams.
This is especially a problem in healthcare where we have the added restrictions of what we can and can’t say.
So, Inspired by the night's message, we're asking you:
🗞 How "dull" is your brand comms?
✂ How can you cut through and make a difference?
🗣 Need help telling an interesting brand story? We'd love to help you!
#BrandChampions#marketing#brands#sparkchange
