Purposeful brands are those who take real action in the real world
Melda Simon, Brand and Communications Consultant for Unilever
Melda spoke on the dynamic shift between consumers and brands, emphasising how the modern consumer now has constant access to information. Being continuously informed of social and environmental issues, these consumers are now calling on brands to not just support causes on world issues such as preventable disease, plastic pollution and deforestation, but to take urgent action to actively fix them.
Unilever itself is a brand born from purpose. In the 1880s, its founder, William Lever, pioneered the manufacturing of pre-wrapped, individual household soap bars (which previously had to be cut from one large block), in order to make sanitation more accessible to the masses.
Using examples from Unilever’s portfolio of purposeful brands, Melda gave several key recommendations for how companies can ensure their purpose is communicated properly and responsibly, to have a powerful impact in growing the brand.
Firstly, in addition to brands taking real action in the real world, they need to be committed to the long-term purpose- consumers see brands as more authentic if they have been actively supporting a cause for a long period of time. An example of this is Ben & Jerry’s, who have a long history of supporting the LGBT+ community and equality. In 1989, they were the first employer in the state of Vermont to offer health insurance to same-sex couples, and creating honourary flavours to support landmark occasions in the fight for equality.
Secondly, brand purpose does not always have to be expressed with a serious tone. Providing it is done right, it can be humourous or informative, and the benefit of unleashing this type of creativity in a purpose-led message can help build consumer trust, which in turn grows the brand.
Finally, brands need to be smart with collaborations. We all want to change the world, but global issues cannot be tackled in silo. Working with companies who align to your brand values and purposes can help foster innovation when it comes to tackling the worldwide issues that brands base their purposes on.
