Brands and Causes

For quite some time now, I’ve been trying to write about a non-traditional aspect of branding, and it was only after listening to an inspiring speech from Dan Wieden that I managed to articulate my ideas.

Mr. Wieden, head of the W+K agency, whose best known client is Nike, did not share with us the process behind the famous “Just Do It” tagline, he rather concentrated on sharing what he finds most meaningful at this stage of his professional and personal life: the social responsibility aspect of the brands he manages, including his own philanthropic efforts.

As I was enjoying watching every one of the 3 minutes of “The Girl Effect” video he shared during his presentation, I felt I wanted to be like Mr. Wieden when I grew up. This is how inspiration struck, and I was able to share with you the subject of brands social responsibility.

The idea of socially responsible branding is not new; companies have always included what they call values in the DNA of their brands, what is new, though, is that today having values has become trendy, and that integrating them into the marketing mix is almost compulsory. This formula, that brings together the values of a brand and those of a company in tangible actions, is one of the most important revolutions in the branding process that results in a win-win situation for all. The brand wins, the consumer wins and the world we all share wins.

Let me give you a great example. The Dove brand is building a comprehensive marketing strategy under their “Real Beauty” campaign umbrella. Not the type of catwalk beauty that leads young girls into anorexia and bulimia, but the beauty that accepts a few extra pounds and freckled skin. It’s not about trying to shape yourself into a stereotype of a supermodel, but accepting yourself and showing off your inner beauty… a feature that far exceeds anything physical. Dove has reinforced this concept time and time again throughout ALL of their communications; taking a average woman and highlighting her for her unproduced features. Dove could also communicate their social concerns through thousands of existing foundations and public welfare organizations. But they went a step further. They chose to bring the values of their brand to life by creating the Self Esteem Fund, intended to develop educational programs in the areas of self-confidence and self-image for schoolgirls.

If at this point, you have already clicked on The Girl Effect video, sponsored by the Nike Foundation, we can continue reading, but if you have not I invite you to take a break before continuing, click on the video to verify how the “just do it” spirit is there even without seeing it. The solution to every world problem is in the hands of a girl who can change it all… Just do it! You can actually feel the brain of both, Nike and Nike’s agency, even though the foundation has neither the famous symbol nor the inspiring slogan.

As you can see from both examples, this is not about doing something just for philanthropy’s sake. It is about reaching the point where the values of the brand and the needs of the community intersect.

This new branding pillar, which, one way or another has always been there, today more than ever in history, responds to a socio-cultural trend. A trend that has convinced world leaders that their own welfare is directly connected to the welfare of the community where they belong.

In other words, to the three pillars of good enterprise: responsibility toward employees, responsibility toward shareholders and responsibility toward customers, we add a fourth one: responsibility toward the community.

Social responsibility goes well beyond charity, and encompasses a lot more; it is the strong commitment to the non-commercial values the brand stands for.

No admired brand, successful company or famous leader builds an identity without incorporating public good; be it through health, education or the environment; be it through sport values or social fairness; be it through proper behavior or the arts. What is important is to embed it in the brand’s DNA and to make sure it responds to a real need. Summarizing: A new dimension in Branding 101.