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Purpose Platitudes vs. Brand Activism
Earlier, I posted about the much-hyped topic of brand “Purpose”, and called on marketers to go beyond platonic statements of intent to embrace full-on activism in pursuit of their brand beliefs. In this article, we’ll explore two related examples of brand purpose, one done with absolute conviction and good intent and the other with, perhaps,…
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Activism over Purpose
There’s a lot of buzz in marketing and PR circles about the importance of businesses having “Purpose”, usually with a capital P. Generally speaking, this leads companies to identify ways they can be seen to stand for something more useful to society than simply making vast amounts of profit. At best, this translates into organisations…
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Make Marketing Noble, Keep Social Honest
I’ve been banging on for ages about the importance of making marketing an honourable, noble profession. And I’m delighted that my friends at the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) have picked up this mission with their latest campaign entitled ‘Keep Social Honest’. From research carried out in March and April this year by YouGov across…
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Lessons From A Stiff Door
This is the entrance door to a bistro. What’s the easiest option for the bistro owner: fix the door so customers cam come in easily or put up a sign telling them how they should use it? I know which option customers would choose. And we all know which option the bistro owner should avoid.…
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How to Escape The Events Management Cycle of Despair
I’ve written previously about the importance of carefully selecting which business conferences to attend and – more importantly – which to avoid. With an ever-tightening squeeze on marketing budgets and mounting pressure to “do more with less”, some event management companies face tough trading months ahead. But not every player in the conference business needs…
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Dan Ariely’s The Honest Truth about Dishonesty
I’ve been speaking a lot about making marketing noble, not least because if you don’t you are virtually guaranteed to be found out sooner or later in our increasingly transparent and open society. Technology that has given us easier access to information lies at the root of this societal shift but my favourite behavioural economist…
