Brant Wansley
It began as words painted on rocks by children in my neighborhood.
An idea that sank deeper into my consciousness each time I passed by on my daily run.
The words: One Human Family.
What does this have to do with branding and marketing you ask? May I suggest—everything!
Who among us has not known someone affected in this past year by disease, prejudice, gun violence or economic hardship? The trials we’ve gone through as a nation have made it clear. We’re all connected as individuals, communities, businesses and governments, regardless of our backgrounds and beliefs. We’re one human family.
How can corporations manifest this message?
Well, there’s Procter & Gamble,
a longtime leader in raising important social issues. Last year, they responded to the death of George Floyd by speaking out against racial inequality. P&G’s “The Choice” campaign is a prime example of how marketers might leverage their voices to affect change with purposeful marketing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7bnS8R994I
Closer to home, HanesBrands Inc.
launched its sustainability website > [https://hbisustains.com/] with ambitious goals to “improve the lives of people, protect the planet, and generate world-class sustainable product.” “Comfort is more than the clothes we make” is more than a slogan for HBI. In 2020, it partnered with Mark Horvath and Invisible People to provide socks to the homeless. https://vimeo.com/298588210/8e164ea05c
Then there’s Mattel, Inc.,
which turned its Barbie doll’s sexist image on its head with this purposeful effort to demonstrate how dolls can be powerful means to impart empathy to children. And, as all good marketers know, “Without empathy, nothing works.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXLiK8whHPc
On my morning run today John Donne’s famous poem popped into my head: “No man is an island. Everyman is a piece of the Continent...Any man’s death diminishes me, Because I am involved in mankind.”
Marketing involved in mankind is the best kind of marketing. Inspiring positive change is the new way forward. It’s the kind of marketing and branding that truly matters to your customers.
No Brand is an Island.
COMPLIMENTARY BRAND CONSULTATION
Did you know two-thirds of customers would switch from a product they typically buy to a new product from a purpose-driven company? Let our experience work for you. Reach out to us for a complimentary one-hour review of your current marketing campaign and our thoughts of how to better lead with heart and humanity—what our world is crying out for right now.