Positive change

Kindred ‘Building a Better World’ thought leadership event

Rebecca Stevenson - November 2024

The noise around ‘post-purpose’ has been growing over the past year, with a narrative bubbling that we should return to a focus on sales. It might not surprise you that we don’t agree with this. It ignores an important fact – purpose and profit aren’t mutually exclusive.

That’s why we created the ‘Building a Better World’ report – and invited some of the biggest names in this space to talk about some of the issues it raises.

Creativebrief’s Nicola Kemp led Abel & Cole’s Georgina Holland, Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Alix Bluhm and content creator and current Creative Director at ITV, Clemmie Telford in a discussion that truly challenged the ‘post-purpose’ narrative, and explored what marketers should be doing to overcome barriers to realising the opportunity for purpose-led comms within their own organisations.

So what did our panel say on the role that brands can – and should – play to help build a better world?

Get comfortable with feeling uncomfortable

While an omnipresent fear of cancel culture undoubtedly exists, inaction is the worst approach. It can be nerve wracking to make unpopular decisions, but if you know it’s the right thing to do, ultimately your consumers will respect you for it and reward your brand with their loyalty. Georgina Holland shared the example of Abel & Cole’s decision to introduce plastic packaging for their refillable milk offer instead of reusable glass milk bottles (which their customers expected). The science evidenced it was the more sustainable approach, albeit one that felt like it was against the grain. While it was an uncomfortable move, it ended up being a success – both for purpose and for the business, with one in four Abel & Cole customers now shopping from the refill range.

Strength in numbers

No business can shift the dial on its own. That’s why willingness to work together is key. Rally with and learn from other brands in your sector and beyond. To evidence the power of collaboration, Alix Bluhm explained how The Ellen MacArthur Foundation brought together businesses representing 20% of the plastics supply chain to launch a global commitment to a circular economy for plastic. They have collectively invested £10billion into solutions and have stabilised plastics usage within the group, while the rest of the sector has increased usage by 11%. These business leaders are now part of the ‘Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty’ working with the UN and global governments to agree legally binding rules that could solve the world’s plastic problem.

Be human

While purpose encompasses serious issues, they don’t always need to be addressed with serious comms. Ultimately, you need to connect with your consumers on a human level – and brands shouldn’t be afraid to use humour to do that. Clemmie Telford referenced the fact ITV’s ‘Get Britain Talking’ – a mass market, mainstream entertainment brand encouraging people to discuss a serious issue – sparked 22 million conversations about mental health, in a campaign wrapped in the guise of entertainment. The success of this campaign is a good reminder of the importance of connection. Clemmie urged everyone to think like TikTok and ‘start with a face’ – content that puts people first will resonate most with your audience.

There will always be challenges to overcome for brands that want to be part of building a better world. Importantly, though, there will also always be opportunities. Be brave, be open, and listen to your audience. In the words of our compère, Nicola Kemp, “If you aren’t getting things wrong, you’re not doing enough”.