Covid-19 forces brands to ‘step up’ with strategic approach to societal issues
Brands are better than non-governmental organisations (NGOs) at tackling environmental, social and governance issues in a holistic manner, according to a new report.
The C&E Corporate-NGO Partnerships Barometer 2020 found that the approach taken by NGOs to address such issues is often reactive and fragmented, rather than strategic and holistic. This is different to brands which, on the whole, work across a broader range of issues.
“It is in part because nonprofits exist to address social issues and environmental issues, and they are deeply embedded in that, whether it’s poverty or cancer,” explains C&E Advisory CEO, Manny Amadi. “That’s their reason for being. They do that very deeply, but on a vertical level.”
The study surveyed 110 leading UK-based and international companies, and NGOs, engaged in corporate-NGO partnerships to assess the motivations, drivers, barriers, enablers, role models, trends and forecasts for corporate–NGO partnering.
Over a third (37%) of NGOs and around a quarter (26%) of corporate brands state that either their own non-profit organisations, or NGO partners, do not have a holistic environmental, social and governance (ESG) plan or framework in place.
In fact, just over a third of corporates (35%) and NGOs (37%) believe their charities or non-profit partners have holistic ESG plans in place. A further 39% of corporates and 27% of NGO respondents are uncertain of their non-profit partners’ or charities’ status on this issue.
Diageo expands marketing effectiveness tool to help navigate Covid-19
Diageo is expanding its marketing effectiveness capabilities by embedding a broader and deeper measurement, Radar, within its Catalyst tool.
The drinks company, which owns brands including Bailey’s, Guinness and Johnny Walker, is updating its capabilities in order to guide it through the ever-changing landscape caused by the pandemic. Radar, which sits within Catalyst, combines the latest data about Covid-19, including government politics and macro-economic data, with insights and consumer behaviour information.
That includes dynamic media pricing, as well as consumer indicators such as footfall and credit card usage.
The aim is to improve its ability to predict the gross profit outcomes of Diageo’s marketing investment, says global consumer planning director Andrew Geoghegan. And it does this across three, six and 12 month periods based on different scenarios and user inputted judgement.
“In short we can pivot rapidly to where the consumer is,” he said, speaking during the Festival of Marketing.
He added: “Combined with our data sets it combines real short- and medium-term level [information] by country, region, channel, subcategory and price point.”
GE CMO Linda Boff on why marketers are the ‘soul’ of the business
GE CMO Linda Boff has issued a rallying call for storytelling in marketing as the industry begins to consider its role in a post-pandemic world, while also remembering some of the hard lessons learnt through an era of vulnerability.
Speaking during the Festival of Marketing (9 October), Boff said that in a world where marketers can be saturated with data, it is important to hone an appreciation for the “magic of the story, the magic of the narrative”.
Boff said that the Festival of Marketing was well named, and not just as a celebration of the industry.
“It’s a festival because marketers are truly the soul of the company. I genuinely believe that we put our hands on the company bible, and our pledge is to keep that flame, that DNA, alive,” she said
“The magic of any company’s story is one that the marketer is there to find, to sometimes dig out, sometimes unleash, and the best data in the world ain’t gonna get you there. Igniting passion remains vital to effective marketing.”
Marketoonist on humour in marketing: It can be an act of empathy
Amid the trauma and chaos of the Covid-19 crisis, there’s an argument that marketers could be missing a trick – and that’s humour.
Yes, the times are tough and uncertainty is rife within organisations around the world, but Tom Fishburne – aka the Marketoonist – insists humour can be an “act of empathy” and is one of the most effective ways to communicate with an audience. “There’s an old Vaudeville expression that laughter is the shortest distance between two people and I feel like that’s a really important thing to keep in mind when we’re thinking about connecting with audiences.”
“There’s fear that comes with that, because what if it backfires? What if it doesn’t land right? What if it’s considered offensive? That’s a real fear and a lot of what that relates to is this sense that all forms of humour are the same. In reality, there are lots of different types of humour and some are much more likely to generate a positive response than other types of humour. I feel like empathy is the way into that.”Amid the trauma and chaos of the Covid-19 crisis, there’s an argument that marketers could be missing a trick – and that’s humour.
How brands are keeping their strategies alive amid global uncertainty
Covid-19 has thrown even the best-laid plans up in the air. Amid the uncertainty of lockdowns, restrictions and now recession, it can be difficult for marketers to keep an eye on the long-term strategy when day-to-day pressures soak up all their time and energy.
However, having a clear mission can provide a much-needed road map to navigate even the most challenging times.
Companies do not want a strategy they can turn away from, says director of brand and marketing at Ovo Energy, Sarah Booth. Formerly strategy director at BBH London and lead brand strategist at Asos, Booth is fascinated by the difference between strategy and tactics.
“The strategy shouldn’t move. It should be based on truths about people and you as a business, the direction you want to go in and an end point you want to get to,” she explains.
Booth cites the concept of ‘commander’s intent’ as discussed in the book Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip and Dan Heath. In the book, the authors explain that some armies are more successful than others because they communicate the commander’s intent. These squadrons understand not only their primary mission, but also the overall goal.