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Brands on the picket line: How close should companies get to their consumers’ crusades?
Journal of Brand Strategy,
10
(3),
214-220
(2022)
Abstract
We are an empowered population. We live in democratic nations, safe havens of free speech. And lately, we have not been afraid to show it, with protests, petitions and picket lines flooding the front pages. Increasingly, brands are getting involved in some of these important social conversations, but do consumers really want brands standing side by side with them in their moments of personal defiance? Or are there alternative expectations on how companies must behave? Taking acceptable ethical standards as a given, this paper challenges some of the accepted definitions around brand purpose to create a better construct that more authentically links to the brand’s soul and the role it plays in the lives of its consumers. Armed with this renewed definition of brand purpose, the authors contend that brands will be able to navigate their role in support of critical social causes more effectively.
Keywords: brand strategy; brand purpose; consumer crusades
The full article is available to subscribers to the journal.
Author's Biography
Jules Hall started out as a management consultant for Accenture and then moved into the world of advertising in 2000, taking a job at one of London’s early digital agencies. After moving to Australia he founded The Hallway in 2007 with a mission to build an advertising agency that could be more relevant, more effective and more interesting. Together with Creative Partner Simon Lee, the two have grown The Hallway into one of Australia’s top independent agencies, winning awards around the world for their creativity and effectiveness. The Hallway works with brands that include Google, ANZ Bank, Kmart, BINGE and Western Sydney Airport.
Tim Mottau is an experienced brand and creative strategist and has spent his career between Australia and the United States, working alongside some of the world’s most iconic global brands. He is truly passionate about the ability that brands have to influence culture and make a meaningful impact on people’s lives and so helps The Hallway’s clients to express the reasons why they do the things they do, and for whom. Tim has worked on multiple Super Bowl campaigns, been recognised for the effectiveness of his work and been a keynote speaker on consumer trends and insights at major international advertising conferences.
