A think piece on what brands can, are and should be doing in the world of activism

1. BRANDBRAND
ACTIVISM

2. IMAGE SUGGESTIONS:
BREAKDOWN OF SOCIAL
CONTRACT BETWEEN PEOPLE,
CORPORATIONS AND
GOVERNMENT
POLARISATION OF THE
NEWS MEDIA
THE SOCIAL MEDIA ECHO
CHAMBER AMPLIFIES AND
DISTORTS DIFFERENCES
1
2
3
IMAGE SUGGESTITITIIIONS:
WE LIVE IN MORALLY
CHARGED TIMES

3. MINEFIELD
OR GOLDMINE
FOR BRANDS?
Taking a political or moral stance
in this context can feel like hitting a
hornets nest, so it’s no wonder
most brands have aimed for
neutrality – no news is good news.
This is perfectly epitomised by
Google’s Don’t Be Evil.
But increasingly we’re now seeing
brands looking to channel the
energy and passion of people’s
beliefs and deliberately take a
moral or controversial stance – to
try to change the world for the
better.

4. THERE ARE RISKS IN PUTTING YOUR
HEAD ABOVE THE PARAPET
Target took a stance on LGBT
rights – designating their toilets
gender neutral was
controversial at a time when
“the bathroom bill” was being
fiercely debated.
Alongside positive press in the
liberal media, inevitably there
was a backlash and boycott
movement.
Although Target claim it hasn’t
negatively affected sales, the
risk of a backlash movement
deters some brands from
entering the debate.

5. GETTING IT RIGHT CAN PROVIDE GREATER
DISTINCTIVENESS, RELEVANCE AND FAME
Boost mobile wanted to fight for
equal access to voting booths –
traditionally in the States it is
harder to vote in poorer areas
where their stores were.
So they turned their stores into
official polling stations and
received 766 million campaign
impressions and won numerous
Cannes awards.
It can be hard to prove a financial
ROI on these campaigns, however
it can deliver unearned media and
social media conversation – fueling
fame and distinctiveness.

6. TO SUCCEED YOU NEED EMPATHY
As Brand Activism often targets
controversial or sensitive issues, it is
essential to approach them with
empathy.
You need to understand how your
actions are going to be perceived and
the potential impact on the brand and
the cause you are supporting.

7. BRANDS ARE
BECOMING
INCREASINGLY
MORAL

8. Functional -> Emotional -> Moral
WE’RE IN A NEW AGE
OF MORAL BRANDS
Traditionally the debate about brands is whether they should focus on celebrating
functional benefits Vs emotional appeal. But there’s a third choice too – the Moral brand.
The Moral brand is one that takes a position and stands for something. It connects with
its consumers by aligning with their sense of justice.
They’re motivated by an ethical pragmatism. There is a genuine desire to do good and
improve the world around us – especially amongst some of the recent start ups.
There is also a pragmatism to this, taking a stand can create a strong connection with
consumers and broaden audience appeal in a cluttered communication environment.

9. Makes a moral judgement about the world
Seeks to change behaviours / attitudes /
beliefs in the wider world
It’s LOUD
Rule of thumb – can you write your position on a placard?
BRAND ACTIVISM:

10. Delivers
social value
UNLESS BRAND ACTIVISM DELIVERS ON
BOTH FRONTS, THEN IT WON’T LAST LONG
Delivers
brand value

11. Challenge a
category
prejudice /
issue
Challenge a
societal
prejudice /
issue
Challenging
beauty
Normalising
periods
Transphobia
Equality
Refugee
Protecting
nature
NO ONE SIZE FITS ALL
Brand Activism covers a wide spectrum of issues and there are a number of ways
we can segment them. One way is looking at how category-close they are.
Activist brands operate on a scale, from challenging their industry to change, all
the way to tackling issues that sit outside their category but have a societal
importance such as LGBT issues or women’s rights.
Challenge a
category
prejudice /
issue
Challenge a
societal
prejudice /
issue
Challenging
beauty
Normalising
periods
Transphobia
Equality
Protecting
nature
Challenge a
category
prejudice /
Challenge a
prejudice /
beauty Transphobia Refugee
Normalising
RefugeeRefugee

12. BRAND
ACTIVISM
IS HERE
TO STAY
1
2
3
THE DISRUPTIVE EFFECTS OF
TECHNOLOGY HAVE YET TO BE
FULLY FELT AND THE STATE HAS
NOT DONE ENOUGH TO PREPARE
FOR THIS.
SOCIAL MEDIA IS THE GO TO
FOR GROUPS TO ORGANISE,
SOCIALISE AND ACTIVATE.
BRANDS CAN BE INVITED INTO
THIS SPACE THROUGH BRAND
ACTIVISM.
ACTIVISM MATTERS MOST TO
YOUNG PEOPLE. AS THEIR
BRAND HABITS ARE FORMED,
THESE WILL STAY WITH THEM
OVER THE YEARS.

13. WHAT DO THE
PEOPLE THINK?

14. 78%
OF PEOPLE THINK BRANDS
ARE ONLY GETTING INVOLVED
IN POLITICAL ISSUES TO
MAKE MORE MONEY.
35%47% >
PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO
REMEMBER BAD THINGS BRANDS
HAVE DONE THAN GOOD
!"#$%&'()%"#*+%(,-.#*%)*$"&*)/0*'"#012
PEOPLE ARE SKEPTICAL OF BRANDS
78%78%
OF PEOPLE THINK BRANDSOF PEOPLE THINK BRANDS
ARE ONLY GETTING INVOLVEDARE ONLY GETTING INVOLVEDARE ONLY GETTING INVOLVEDARE ONLY GETTING INVOLVED
IN POLITICAL ISSUES TOIN POLITICAL ISSUES TO
MAKE MORE MONEY.MAKE MORE MONEY.
-.#*%)*$"&*)/0*'"#012-.#*%)*$"&*)/0*'"#012
35%35%47% >47% >47% >
PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TOPEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TOPEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TOPEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TOPEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TOPEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO
REMEMBER BAD THINGS BRANDSREMEMBER BAD THINGS BRANDS
HAVE DONE THAN GOODHAVE DONE THAN GOOD
!"#$%&'()%"#*+%(,!"#$%&'()%"#*+%(,
Source: BAMM Brand Activism Study

15. 18-24
90%
35-44
82%
65+
30%
65+
30%
%OF PEOPLE BY AGE GROUP
WHO THINK THAT BRANDS
HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO BE
POLITICAL
BUT THEY SEE BRANDS AS HAVING A
RESPONSIBILITY TO BE POLITICAL
Source: BAMM Brand Activism Study

16. HELP
ME
SAVE
THE
WORLD
63%
OF PEOPLE SAID THAT THEY
WOULD BE MORE INTERESTED IN
BUYING FROM BRANDS THAT
HELP ME DO MORE TO MAKE A
DIFFERENCE TO POLITICAL ISSUES
I CARE ABOUT
BRANDS CAN EARN THE RIGHT
TO JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Source: BAMM Brand Activism Study

17. HOW TO BE AN
ACTIVIST BRAND

18. 1)1)
KnowKnowKnow
Thyself
VALUES
ACTIVISM
SOCIAL PURPOSE
PROMISE
Activism stems from your moral values.
It should live through your brand promise
and internal behaviours.
It delivers on your social purpose.
Brand Activism is part of a long-term
strategy – be in it for the long-haul.

19. 2)2)
Know thyKnow thyKnow thy
audience
Haters Gonna Hate
Taking a leadership position can be
divisive, this gives you skin in the game
and delivers authenticity. But also
requires bravery and sticking to your guns
if there’s some backlash.
Liberal bias of ad agencies
Speak with a range of people –
how do they feel about the issues?

20. 3)3)
KnowKnowKnow
thy shit
Don’t demean the issue
A big brand taking on an emotive issue…you
know how it can sound. Approach with respect.
Buddy up
Are there partners that can help you
deliver with more effect and credibility?

21. 4)4)
Know thyKnow thyKnow thy
end game
How do you measure social success?
Be clear on the behaviours / mind-sets you’re
influencing, how will you judge success?
How do you measure brand success?
ROI may be long-term, but salience,
distinctiveness and unearned media are good
’soft’ measures.

22. BE CREATIVE, BE
BOLD AND CHANGE
THE WORLD