Page 101 - AdNews magazine Mar-Apr-May 2023

Investigation
This isn’t confined to advertis- ing. Shareholders and staff aren’t the only concerns for big corpora- tions, which are now being pres- sured to consider the wider com- munity as a key stakeholder group.
Derwin: “If you look at the Grand Prix winners from Cannes in the last ten years, you’ll see an industry fixated on socially con- scious, purpose-driven work.
“Outside of the industry there’s a growing cynicism about the woke washing and virtue signal- ling of brands when real, impor- tant change is not at the core of a company’s belief system.
“Brands do have the power to create meaningful social change for our communities and environ- mental change for our planet, but to do so it can’t just be a line item in a marketing budget.
“And even when positive social change is at the core of a compa- ny’s value system, does their mar- keting always need to talk about it? Aren’t we at the stage when not screwing our planet should go without saying?
“Message fatigue and cynicism has started to creep in when brands claim to be holier than thou. And when brands are opportunistic and use the climate crisis, or the black lives matter, or gender equality for their own benefit, it’s no wonder that people have trust issues with our industry.
“Besides, purpose doesn’t need to be about saving the world. It’s just the answer to the question, why is your brand important or relevant? It helps define the actions that you take as a company, it keeps you consistent in your behaviours, builds trust, and cre- ates a deeper affinity with your customers as a result. Your pur- pose could be something as simple as saving people money or keeping them entertained. If it requires ethical gymnastics to get you to a socially conscious purpose, maybe it’s time to reassess what matters to you as an organisation.“
Swedish creative Jerker Fagerström, who in December 2022 joined Thinkerbell, a finalist in the AdNews Creative Agency of the Year, as managing partner Sydney: “I'm generalising quite heavily, but I think that the change that we're seeing
“Art brings humanity and authenticity to commerce. Creativity touches the heart and mind.”
Chris Dodds, Icon Agency