The relationship between brands and consumers has changed. Kantar Consulting’s Global MONITOR tracking of values and attitudes worldwide shows that over 60% of consumers under 30 (encompassing millennials and centennials) express a clear preference for brands that ‘have a point of view and stand for something’ and almost all consumers agree that improvements to their wider communities are important in their personal lives, report Jenni Baker.

With consumers increasingly demanding more from brands, the need for companies not just to take a stand but to have a tangible impact on society is now more crucial than ever. This is backed up by Edelman research in which 80% of consumers expect businesses to take the lead in solving social problems. And of course, there is a clear business benefit. Kantar Consulting’s ‘Purpose 2020’ report found that purpose-led brands had seen their valuation surge by 175% over the past 12 years, versus a growth rate of just 70% for listless brands uncertain of their role.

But it’s not just an external issue – if consumers are to believe that the purpose is genuine, brands must communicate the values internally first. While 76% of marketing bosses were of the belief that their own organisation had a defined sense of purpose, only one in 10 could produce a corporate purpose statement and plan to back-up these beliefs.

As one of the major themes identified at this year’s Festival of Media Global 2018, it seemed only fitting to delve into the ‘Impact Awards’ category shortlist to uncover the ways in which brands are creating deeper connections with consumers, defining their purpose and making a real difference.

Adam Gerhart, CEO of Mindshare, said: “All the programmes were rooted in corporate social responsibility or purpose-led marketing that had a positive impact. Two of my favourite three campaigns came from that one category – they addressed timely, important issues with a strong and clear insight that was brilliantly executed. And, in most cases, they did it on a shoestring budget or through a beautifully simple idea.”

FMCG brands are largely leading the charge on the purpose front, based on this year’s FOMG shortlist selection, with a number of brands in the Unilever and P&G portfolios, along with projects from Colgate-Palmolive and Levi Strauss, to name a few, displaying a true purpose that delivered on creating a positive impact on society.

For one of the judges, the secret behind creating a purposeful campaign is the power of the insight. “There is a clear difference between deeply understanding a certain situation/problem/social occurrence or trend because of targeted, in-depth research, hence enabling a “true” insight that a campaign can be built upon,” said Carsten Hendrich, Vice President, Media – Strategy at Lagardère Sports UK. “This is in stark contrast to taking general or public knowledge and trying to fit objectives around that.”

Purpose is one of the most misunderstood and misused business buzzwords used today. To be truly ‘purposeful’, it’s not just a case of identifying an issue and finding a way to address it, it’s a long-term commitment that needs to permeate throughout the entire company culture. That means identifying a long-term societal tension that is relevant but unique while staying true to brand values.

We put the spotlight on two FOMG Awards 2018 shortlisted entries, which highlight this trend:

Beautiful Lengths | Pantene | MediaCom | Israel

Shortlisted for: Best Branded Content in traditional / non-digital channels, Best Use of Geo-Location, Best Use of Traditional or Ambient Media, Impact Awards (SILVER WINNER)

Summary:

Half of us will get cancer in our lifetime. It’s a disease that puts sufferers through an emotional and physical trauma. One of the most common side effects of treatment is hair loss, which can go on for months after radiotherapy or chemotherapy ends. Hair loss not only damages self-esteem but reduces identity to one of “brave cancer sufferer”. It’s a huge issue, particularly for women.

In 2012, Pantene launched Beautiful Lengths – a charity that allows people to donate hair to be converted into wigs for cancer sufferers. These wigs are distributed via hair banks. In Israel, this is done through not-for-profit organisation Zichron-Menachem (ZM). To date, almost 60,000 wigs have been created in Israel – but it’s not enough to meet demand. MediaCom needed to reinvigorate Beautiful Lengths and help fill the gap.

Speaking to cancer patients, the agency uncovered a unique insight: if sufferers feel like billboards, why not make people relate to them by making their suffering personal – with billboards. It put one patient at the heart of the message who would speak to the nation by staring down at them from the most visible billboards in Israel. Her message was simple: “Without a wig, I am just a billboard for cancer. Help me out!”

Read the full case study here: https://festivalofmediaglobal.awardsplatform.com/gallery/GdzRrbdP/ZgpWyYLQ?search=5f999cc38c78cca3-3.

Rin Play Pump | Rin Detergent Powder | Mindshare | India

Shortlisted for: Impact Awards, Best Use of Traditional or Ambient Media

Summary:

Water scarcity is a huge problem in rural Uttar Pradesh. Rin relaunched the brand with ‘Smart Foam Technology’ which utilised less water during the rinsing process, thereby providing a solution to the water scarcity issue. Mindshare’s strategy was to make the brand address the overall problem of water scarcity rather than just addressing the washing of clothes issue. If the solution benefited the village at large, it would go a long way in establishing the brand proposition and brand credentials.

The “Women of the house’ do the laundry and have always had to bear-the-brunt of water shortages. She belongs to the lowest strata of society and is struggling to make ends meet. Washing machines are luxuries she cannot afford. Often she doesn’t have running water facilities at home and is dependent on the village hand pump. It is her job to fetch water from the village “hand pump.” This activity is extremely time consuming and physically tough to do.

Rin converted the ‘Hand Pump’ into a ‘Play Pump’, making a tough, labour intensive activity into a fun, enjoyable one which even the kids could participate in. The hand pump was connected to a ‘Seesaw,’ like the one installed in a children’s park or playground. When the children played on this “Seesaw” the water was drawn up and stored in an adjoining tank. A tap was connected to the tank so that the villagers could effortlessly take the water from the tank This ensured minimum wastage of water with minimal effort.

Read the full case study here: https://festivalofmediaglobal.awardsplatform.com/gallery/GdzRrbdP/ZBvzbaxB?search=3523bfe5cd69f6d0-7.