MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS -
With sustainability increasingly informing consumers’ purchasing habits and behaviors, it is becoming imperative for brands to effectively — and authentically — communicate what they are doing to address key social and environmental issues along the supply chain. In an effort to shed light on its sustainability efforts, Nespresso is shifting away from its signature star-studded spots to a new ad campaign focused on the farmers and communities that are the backbone of the brand.
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS -
Leaving Cannes last week, I felt even more schizophrenic than I did during my hard-working years in ad land. On the one hand, it’s been the best year ever in the Festival’s history for advertising that does more than sell snake oil - call it ‘Goodvertising,’ if you will. On the other, it seems like most agencies and marketers are treating the biggest issues of our time as a new trend, as if doing good is simply the ‘new black’ or perhaps pink (judging from the number of women’s equality campaigns on show).
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS -
Google and Common Ground — an alliance of six major advertising holding companies — believe Generation Z could be the key to unlocking an SDG-aligned future. To drive widespread awareness and mobilize action among mission-driven youth around the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda, the two organizations have launched The Common Future Project action campaign.
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
With Earth Day 2017 quickly fading in the rearview mirror, I’m reminded of the challenge we face every other day of the year: maintaining high awareness and action on sustainability issues. Government agencies and nonprofits have traditionally shouldered the greatest responsibility for year-round efforts aimed at influencing behaviors that benefit individuals and society. But a growing number of forward-thinking businesses and brands are beginning to invest in the kind of genuine behavior change programs known as “social marketing” – or, when done by a corporation, “corporate social marketing.”
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS -
Following its announcement that it is the only national restaurant brand that doesn’t use added colors, flavors or preservatives — artificial or natural — in any of the ingredients it uses to prepare its food, Chipotle Mexican Grill has launched a new ‘As Real as It Gets’ campaign celebrating its commitment to using only real ingredients.
The ad spots see actress Jillian Bell, actor Sam Richardson and writer, actor and comedian John Mulaney ‘get real’ about their desires, fears and secrets as they kick back inside a burrito-shaped lounge.
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
Cleaning up supply chains and designing impacts out of products through the application of circular principles are essential components of reducing waste, but a more holistic approach to the problem of waste is needed. Consumers are increasingly educated on matters related to sustainability and recycling is more prevalent now than ever, yet litter continues to be a major issue across the globe. To initiate sustainable behavior change, the nonprofit Keep America Beautiful and the UK Government unveiled new litter strategies.
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS -
With a growing number of consumers demanding transparency from brands about the products they use every day, companies are faced with a new world order — come clean or face extinction. Of course, baring it all is a lot easier when the items in question feature ingredients and materials that are responsibly sourced and safe. Such is the case for natural oral care company Hello, the latest personal care brand to get real about what goes into their products.
INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY -
Hydrogen fuel cell technology is changing the way we think about mobility. The effectiveness of fuel cells in reducing emissions speaks for itself — the vehicles emit nothing but water vapor — which is leading more companies to invest in hydrogen for a low-carbon future. Toyota has long been a leader in the transition away from fossil fuels.
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS -
As Georgetown University linguistics professor Deborah Tannen says, “We tend to look through language and not realize how much power language has.”
We rarely realize it, but language is the lens through which we form perceptions about people, places and products. From my involvement in corporate marketing, I know that companies and advertisers are keenly aware of language’s power for consumers.
Marketing specialists pore over focus group data and behavior studies to understand what makes consumers tick, carefully selecting words to evoke emotions, motivate us and shape our tastes. The right phrasing can make a world of difference.
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS -
Ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8th, Proctor & Gamble has launched a new campaign dubbed We See Equal along with an ad spot highlighting its latest gender equality initiative.
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS -
The political unrest seems to be good for advertising with a conscience, as this year’s Super Bowl saw the highest number of Goodvertising campaigns ever.
ORGANIZATIONAL GOVERNANCE -
Two years after it pledged to eliminate artificial additives from its menu by the end of 2016, Panera Bread has released a new campaign in celebration of meeting its goal.
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS -
With over 8.7 million views on YouTube already, Leonardo DiCaprio’s documentary film Before the Flood is already making waves.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY -
Eleven bins shaped like giant coffee cups have popped up along one of Manchester’s busiest streets, Oxford Road. They’re part of a new campaign and social experiment from environment charity Hubbub that aims to give paper cup recycling #1MoreShot.
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
High street apparel brand Gap and garment aftercare expert Mr. Black have partnered on a new campaign that highlights the links between denim care and sustainability. The two brands have joined forces to educate consumers that by adopting a simple aftercare routine it’s possible to prolong the lifespan of garments while saving water and energy.
ORGANIZATIONAL GOVERNANCE -
On Black Friday of 2011, Patagonia released a now-famous New York Times advertisement with a picture of a jacket and a simple plea: “Don’t buy this jacket.” The response, ironically, was a surge in sales. Some analysts deemed the whole thing a cheap trick. But the underlying message was clear.
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS -
How can a brand or a company cut through the noise of our modern media landscape and truly connect with a short-attention span public about the social and environmental issues it really cares about?
Documentary film might not seem the obvious solution, given that the medium demands an audience’s full attention for a good chunk of time. Increasingly though, marketers are turning to documentary storytelling to cut through all that social media noise and tap into a growing consumer demand for content that isn’t simply a throwaway video snack.
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
Unilever Australia’s latest iteration of the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty focuses on the internet search terms used by young girls, which highlight the prevalence of negative body image and eating disorders.
INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY -
As an industry, we’re ignorant at best or utterly demagogic, one-sided and irresponsible at worst. The majority of do-good efforts from brands are little more than a cheeky pick-up line to charm consumers into buying more. How can we continuously ignore the societal or environmental consequences of our craft? I often hear marketing execs talk about advertising as a mirror of society despite its omnipresent impact. Advertising unquestionably promotes screwed-up beauty ideals, preys on people’s insecurities and egoism, and pushes a material arms race in which people are considered backward if they don’t have the newest gadget.