Align Message and Messenger for an Authentic Voice

There is no doubt that consumers are looking for brands to lead the way when it comes to social causes: 71% of consumers report they believe it's important that businesses take a stance on social movements, and 75% are likely to start shopping somewhere that supports issues they agree with, according to a study by Clutch. But as purpose-based marketing initiatives take hold, marketers are faced with an increasingly-difficult challenge: Can they maintain authenticity when aligning with causes that their consumers care deeply about? Research by Adobe suggests marketers are struggling, especially when it comes to diversity and inclusion. While 61% of Americans state that diversity in advertising is important and 38% are more likely to trust brands that show diversity in ads, the study found 66% of African Americans and 53% of Latinx Americans feel their ethnicity is portrayed stereotypically. The challenge extends to gender-related purpose initiatives. During March 2022, brands looking to celebrate their female employees with positive tweets on International Women’s Day were chided by Twitter bot @PayGapApp, whose retweets pointed out the gender pay gaps at those very companies—a story that quickly went viral. Brands Need a Data-Driven Approach to Inclusive Advertising The key to making these initiatives successful is something that's often difficult for brands to accomplish on their own—authenticity. Without a broader, well-known commitment to a cause, expressed and supported by others in addition to the brand itself, purpose-based marketing initiatives run the risk of missing the mark. Many brands have turned to entertainment as a solution for helping demonstrate their commitment to important causes and diverse audiences. By investing in content creators seeking to tell their own authentic stories, brands benefit by both amplifying important voices and reflecting diverse consumers within their marketing efforts. One example can be found in the efforts of sexual health brand Durex. Seeking to authentically raise awareness of safe sex during Sexual Health Awareness Month, the brand formed a partnership with Lil Nas X, was boldly integrated into the massively popular, attention-grabbing artist’s music video for “That’s What I Want” and into an Instagram post in which he encouraged fans to recognize sexual health and wellness. The video reached over 30 million views in its first six days after release, while the post on Lil Nas X’s Instagram Feed quickly accumulated millions of likes. What’s more, these moments focused on safe sex through a same-sex relationship—something rarely showcased in entertainment or advertising—effectively reflecting the brand’s commitment to diverse communities. Old Navy has found similar success—their longstanding commitment to create clothing for people of different shapes, sizes and backgrounds was central to a recent product placement campaign. Old Navy focused efforts on supporting storylines from diverse creators that were centered on increasing representation and promoting inclusion. Again, the results were beneficial for both the brand and the cause: As a result of its segment in the GLAAD award-winning series Queer Eye, Old Navy saw a 22% increase in positive responses to the statement, “Old Navy offers clothing for all body types,” and a 20% increase to the statement, “Its clothing has a diverse range of consumers.” But brands don’t need to partner with creators as well-known as Lil Nas X or Mindy Kaling to bring authenticity to their purpose initiatives. The best approach is often working with emerging creators and voices to provide them with the financial support they need to get their first show made, a social channel launched, a writing deal done or a clip just right. Often, this support early on during a creators’ career can lead to long-lasting partnerships that benefit both the creator and the brand. Whether using entertainment as a strategy or taking a different approach, three factors emerge as essential for making purpose-marketing efforts successful. The first is having measurement in place to demonstrate the impact of purpose-based marketing on both a brand and its sales objectives. Too often, marketers don’t hold purposed-based initiatives to the same standard of measurement as their other marketing efforts. Yet measurement is essential for demonstrating both the power and importance of these messages with consumers and creating momentum for additional brand commitments and actions. Second is building relationships with trusted partners, whose stories or voices authentically resonate with your brand and consumer base. Whether that’s a micro-influencer or one of the world’s biggest musicians, supporting others who share and reflect your commitment to the cause often goes further than solely trying to communicate that commitment on your own. Last and most important is alignment between a brands’ purpose-based messages and its actions as a company. The efforts of Durex and Old Navy rang true with audiences due to each brands’ longstanding dedication to the importance of sexual health and diverse body types, respectively. Their brands’ values, policies, products and overall marketing efforts all reflect this commitment, making their purpose-based messaging an extension of their overall communications rather than something separate from it. When a brand has not yet aligned its marketing, diversity, product development and purpose-based endeavors, authenticity is almost impossible to achieve. Ultimately, authenticity is the most essential ingredient to any purpose-based marketing effort. Partnering with creators to advance social causes or diversity initiatives is one strategy that can aid the brand while also giving greater voice to the creators themselves. But the most important component of any successful campaign is a simple one—an honest commitment to the cause itself. Brands Have an Unprecedented Opportunity to Empower a More Resilient Hollywood

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Brands That Align Message and Messenger Build an Authentic Voice

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Erin Schmidt

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Erin Schmidt