Sustainable Marketing: How to Drive Profits with Purpose book extract: On CEO and brand activism

Whether you think it is a good thing, or a bad thing, CEO activism is a real thing!

There are an increasing number of CEOs taking a stand on political and social issues. Their view is that a company should have a higher purpose beyond maximizing shareholder value, and that they can use their position of power as a force for raising awareness and doing good. Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce, has written extensively on the topic.

In his latest book, Trailblazer – The...

21 January 2021 | Best Practice

Don’t just ‘pivot to digital’ – build it into your events and brand experience

In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, experiential marketers are looking for ways to create immersive brand experiences for consumers. Most are opting for a total “pivot” to digital and virtual events — but that isn’t quite the right approach.

Knowing when it’s time to pivot

During the pandemic, most events haven’t been possible. CDC guidelines - in the US at least - along with local restrictions on large gatherings and in-person events, have made it difficult for...

18 December 2020 | Branding

How to tackle the five trickiest elements of a website overhaul

Depending on what your company does, its website falls somewhere between extremely important and everything to your business. For a global brand, maintaining a website that feels modern and that appropriately reflects the company’s purpose and voice is an ongoing task. And sometimes, it requires a major rethink. Is that a disaster waiting to happen? Only if you don’t plan for it properly.

A great website relaunch requires you to be equal parts creative and project manager....

15 December 2020 | Best Practice

Why experiential marketing is more than just FOMO-inducing activations

A pre-pandemic Ad Age article suggested that experiential marketing might have reached its peak and, in supporting its argument, cited Instagram-worthy installations like the Museum of Ice Cream and The Color Factory. The problem is that while both installations are fun activities in their own right, they’re not actually examples of experiential marketing. They’re photography-oriented theme parks designed primarily for entertainment and social media sharing.

Experiential...

9 December 2020 | Branding

WTF do B2B tech marketers do when the world is WFH?

Technology has really come into its own this year, with broadband straining under the enormous pressure of back-to-back Zooms (“You’re on mute…”), a massive rise in online shopping, and the digitisation of so many parts of our lives. Lenin’s famous quote, “There are decades when nothing happens; and there are weeks when decades happen” has never felt more pertinent than this year when we look at the scale of digital transformation across business and personal...

1 December 2020 | Advertising Technology

How to create a private mobile media gathering ecosystem

Sponsored Many brands and media teams have a growing need to collect, distribute and store digital content received from community members, internal personnel, content freelancers, brand ambassadors or influencers.

The digitally innovative brands, such as Red Bull, that have established their own private mobile media gathering ecosystems, are able to request, categorise and preview digital media, collaborate and operate more efficiently.

As an organisation, it makes...

1 December 2020 | Advertising

A modern approach to brand building: Empathy, storytelling and alignment

As 44% of CMOs take on the challenge of mid-year budget cuts in 2020 – a direct result of the Covid-19 pandemic – a modern approach to brand building is needed. At its core, this approach is about tapping into the wealth of information already owned by your brand, more efficiently and to greater impact.

The amplification of empathetic experiences

Covid-19 accelerates digital customer behaviours and amplifies the importance of empathetic experiences. Current behaviours...

25 November 2020 | Branding

Sherwin-Williams, influencer marketing and UGC trends: Why consumers were left shaken but not stirred

The story of a Sherwin-Williams employee who was fired after the company saw his viral TikTok channel focused on paint mixing has led to plenty of reaction around the decision, as well as discussion around wider influencer marketing and user-generated content (UGC) strategies.

Tony Piloseno, who worked part-time at a Sherwin-Williams store in Ohio, had built a 1.2 million-strong TikTok audience for his channel which showcased paint mixing. As reported by BuzzFeed, Piloseno was...

24 November 2020 | Branding

As eCommerce becomes more vital, the right content strategy is required – whatever your industry

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced marketers' hands in a variety of areas. One of the most evident is around the near-exclusivity of eCommerce - or, anything which isn't bricks and mortar.

Writing for this publication in July, Joel Davis, co-founder and CEO of Mighty Social, noted the need for change in messaging. "Take into account that during the crisis many consumers closely re-evaluated their consumption habits, what they define as essential products, as well as how to live...

17 November 2020 | Best Practice

Green is the new black: What sustainable brands look like heading into 2021

2020 has been a year of many important conversations and the environment is top of the list. This year, 66% of Raconteur readers noted “more sustainable” and “environmentally friendly” as the top traits they wanted brands to have. In a world of high market saturation and unlimited choices, it’s impossible to ignore what the consumer values. The smartest brands, in turn, have recognized this and have implemented sustainable practices. Let’s take a look at how some of the best...

12 November 2020 | Branding