This week in 60 seconds…
- Brands are finally recognising the demand for ethical fashion – rethinking the ways they manufacture and market their clothing to improve relationships with the sustainable shopper
- In fact, companies are looking beyond brand purpose entirely, transforming their stores into ‘activist hubs’ – placing sustainability at the heart of their strategy
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Facebook is providing the very tools needed for protest – introducing the ‘community actions’ feature as a means of accumulating support for a cause
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Grocery manufacturing company Kraft have been showing support for the 800,000 federal workers during the US government shutdown – giving back to the working-class families that ‘built their brand’
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Meanwhile, pretty much the entire world agreed to stand up to Netflix in their decision to increase the monthly subscription price – promising to boycott the service altogether
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And in light of consumer indignation witnessed during Netflix’s latest documentary (check out ‘Fyre’ this weekend), the CMA has reinforced influencer laws – preventing users from buying into marketing ploys
A final thought…
Protest often accelerates change. So brands are finally looking to social movements to connect with their consumers, banding together against inequality, environmental degradation, political injustice and gender norms…
However, as larger, more prolific companies jump on the bandwagon, the need for a clearly stated purpose is important – it’s not just enough to point out what you don’t like, you need to prove it.
It doesn’t take much to join a protest… Success will be made by those brands that can define a path forward and persuade the opposition there is a cause worth supporting.
Data Byte
Over half of ‘belief-driven’ consumers will choose not to buy a brand if it has failed to stand up for what it claims to believe in. As brands continue to advocate for important causes, it is important to remember that it is often far easier said than done.