Planting Seeds: How Brands Can Understand and Leverage Legacy
As the one-year anniversary comes and goes, people from all over the world will remember the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. Her death captured the attention of the entire world. Her funeral dominated television programs for several days and sparked a hotbed of conversation about her personhood and legacy as a ruler.
Many cast a soft and rosy-colored glow onto her. People regaled her as a dutiful servant to her country and a stable figure for Britons for 70 years. The English Premier League (EPL), one of the best soccer leagues in the world, halted its season for several days in mourning.
For others, her death was an opportunity to direct a harsh and critical spotlight onto the monarchy. Independent nations formerly part of the British empire and current members of the Commonwealth offered a counter-narrative to remind others of the brutality of British rule and its past colonial agenda. At the time, Jamaica expressed condolences at the Queen’s passing but also heard calls for the nation to become a republic. Now, there is a scheduled referendum for 2024, which will determine the future of Jamaica’s relationship with the monarchy.
In marketing, the idea of legacy is important to both brands and consumers. A brand’s legacy, or organizational legacy, can be a useful tool to connect with consumers or a barrier to building a relationship with them. A history of quality can build trust in the brand and its products or services. A history of mistreating employees is more likely to create negative emotional connections with a brand or company. In the court of public opinion, an organization’s legacy can be critical.
Legacy brands — like Coca-Cola, Tiffany and Co., or Nintendo — typically have an established presence in the market, historical narratives, and relative success over the long-term. One of their more powerful tools is their ability to tap into nostalgia, a very powerful emotion for consumers. Last year, McDonald’s announced that it would be offering adult Happy Meals, complete with redesigned figures of the brand’s old mascots, like Grimace and Hamburgler. More recently, the fast food powerhouse kept its mascots in focus by promoting Grimace’s Birthday with a special limited time meal, video game, and merchandise. This type of nostalgic marketing has been proven to connect with certain consumers, particularly Gen Xers and Millennials. Consumers sought comfort more than ever in the wake of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Studies have even shown that nostalgia encourages consumers to spend more money than they typically would on a product, if those positive feelings are activated in the right way.
While these brands may seem to have a leg up on others given their status, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania offers a caveat. In a 2019 article, writers from Wharton explained the recent lack of success of certain legacy brands — Sears and Toys “R” Us, for example. As the market changes and becomes increasingly digital, brands need to do more than rely solely on a nostalgic connection to keep consumers coming back. As much as legacy brands can use their heritage, they must also show a willingness to adapt in order to stay relevant. Innovation is key.
A brand has to take a nostalgic element, settle it into a modern context, and offer something new to the consumer in addition to the blast from the past. The Barbie doll has been around since 1959 and has consistently innovated to remain relevant. Over the years, Mattel, Barbie’s manufacturer, has released dolls more representative of diverse consumers and has taken on a positioning around female empowerment. The Barbie film released this year is the most recent example of the brand building on its established relationship with consumers. The movie was a perfect blending of nostalgia and modern relevance that clearly spoke to audience members of all ages, resulting in massive box office success and new relevance for the brand.
Another brand that pushes innovation while leaning on established roots is Oreo. Oreo is a household cookie that markets itself as an imaginative, joyful brand reminiscent of childhood fun and a connection with parents and grandparents. At the same time, the brand has over 100 different flavors and varieties worldwide and continues to release new ones.
People have a personal relationship with legacy as well. Personal legacy is the desire to leave a positive and lasting impact on the world. People wrestle with this idea, especially as they reflect on modern issues like climate change. In the market, customers are now projecting that desire onto the companies they patronize and the brands they buy. Modern consumers demand that brands vocalize their stances on social issues. According to an article from MarTech, a survey from last year determined that 71 percent of US consumers agreed that it’s important for brands to take stances on issues. This expectation, while tricky to navigate, offers brands the opportunity to tap into personal legacy. Taking advantage of the opportunity may encourage consumers to relate more to brands and add a human element to big corporations and brands.
Patagonia made headlines in 2022 when the founder and his family transferred majority ownership into a nonprofit that will ensure the company’s profits are funneled to fight climate change. Patagonia has always espoused a commitment to protecting the environment, but the ownership change signified its biggest action yet.
Ben & Jerry’s has always taken strong stances on social issues. More recently, in the wake of George Floyd’s murder and subsequent protests in 2020, the company issued a strong statement in response. The famous ice cream brand has a long history of addressing social issues and is rooted in activism.
Like Patagonia, Ben & Jerry’s has built social activism into the structure of the brand. They have a team dedicated to social causes as well as partnerships with grassroots organizations that they consult with on a variety of issues.
Carving out a personal legacy for a brand can come with some risks, especially when an issue is divisive. Bud Light has continued to see drops in sales following the controversy around its prominent inclusion of Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender woman and trans rights advocate, in an advertisement and beer can design. Drinkers who objected to the partnership with Mulvaney declared a boycott of the brand and significantly damaged the brand’s equity. Since the boycott, Bud Light has dropped from the number one beer brand in the US, and parent company Anheuser-Busch announced layoffs for two percent of its workforce in July.
In addition to potential backlash, speaking on social issues can backfire on a company if it comes across as inauthentic, a meaningless attention grab to appease choosey consumers. Brands have to be careful in order for personal legacy to benefit them.
Before promoting any kind of corporate impact initiative, a company should ensure that the issue or platform aligns with established company values and history. Deloitte recommends taking effective action, such as forming partnerships with organizations that are close to the issue, promoting volunteerism among employees, and making financial or other contributions to relevant causes. Due diligence about the issue is also critical. Brands should be able to answer questions about a cause like 1) What is actually happening or being said on this issue? 2) What are the important things to know? 3) Who is this important to? Social listening practices can help brands investigate and get a better sense of the “ground floor” of an issue, in addition to consulting with organizations that are working in the space.
Brands can create legacy without engaging in controversial topics, too. For years, Subaru has made love central to its positioning. Under its “Subaru Love Promise,” the company supports numerous initiatives for social good, including “Subaru Loves the Earth,” “Subaru Loves Learning,” and “Subaru Loves Pets,” among others. Their pet initiative partners with the ASPCA, hosts dog adoption events at Subaru retailers, and makes financial and shelter donations to pet rescue organizations.
Queen Elizabeth II represented the complexities of legacy as both a person and symbol. Her reign still holds deep meaning for Britons and even the world. For brands, marketers need to think about leveraging both kinds of legacy to create strong meaning and how to do it well. A brand can use the past to forge strong emotional relationships built on trust and nostalgia with consumers, and look at the present world and its future to focus on purpose and impact today.
Kacie Burton is a Senior Insight Associate at Olson Zaltman
