A new generation of activists is taking action on social and environmental issues and they expect the businesses they buy from to do the same. In response, brands are adopting activist tendencies and taking a stand on the issues that matter to their purpose-driven consumers.
In fact, brand activism today is table stakes—brands that fail to take a stand risk losing the attention of a new generation of consumers.
How companies can support positive change is a topic that comes up time and time again in my conversations with agencies and brands around the world. Many are taking on some of the characteristics of the respected governing bodies consumers once looked to for guidance and direction.
Brand values aside, the current politically and socially charged agenda can’t be ignored. That’s why the future of brand activism will be a hotly debated topic on the Cannes Lions festival stage.
Spotlight on activism
Alfonso Cuarón, the Oscar-winning director of Roma, will discuss how creativity and content can drive change and share his experience making films at the forefront of art and activism. He will be joined by Participant Media CEO, David Linde and Ai-jen Poo, executive director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance.
Elsewhere on the program, the Body Shop’s global head of activism Jessie Macneil-Brown will talk about the future of brand activism and reflect on how the brand’s global campaigns like “Stop Sex Trafficking of Children and Young People” secured over seven million signatures globally and changed legislation in 24 countries to create real change.
Three-quarters of millennials expect companies to speak out on today’s biggest issues, so brand marketers are required to do the same. That’s what Netflix writer and producer Kenya Barris will debate alongside Colleen DeCourcy, co-president and chief creative officer for Wieden+Kennedy, and Troy Ruhanen, president and CEO of TBWA. Their session “Stop Holding Your Breath: Brand Activism in a Hyper-Charged Society” is moderated by Tiffany R. Warren, SVP and chief diversity officer at Omnicom, and founder and president of ADCOLOR.
It will dive into successful and unsuccessful attempts by brands to take a stand on divisive issues, and review campaigns like Nike’s execution with Colin Kaepernick and Nissan’s “SheDrives” campaign. The session will engage the audience in discussions on execution, outcomes and how to successfully embrace brand activism in the future.
Dialogues like these is where things get really interesting (and the risks get much higher). Conversations on and off the stage at Cannes Lions will undoubtedly revolve around how brands can authentically take a stand on issues that are important to socially conscious citizens and why doing good is ultimately good for business.
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Charlotte Williams leads on the Cannes Lions content strategy and live and year-round festival content offering to ensure Cannes Lions provides global, inspirational and original content experiences.
