Why brand activism is a hero trap

I used to believe in purpose. And its arrogant cousin: brand activism. I have applauded and encouraged brands to fight against injustice or fight for our planet. I even wrote a book about it called “Goodvertising” (Thames & Hudson 2012). But I have to tear down my beliefs because history is not supporting our current approach to purpose. A while ago, a police officer barely lifted his knee from George Floyd’s neck before every brand and CEO was shouting, “Black Lives Matter!” I see the same pattern repeating itself more and more. Whether it’s the climate, plastic in the oceans or declining bee populations, it’s always the same. The purpose should not be a crusade to demonstrate which brand cares or sacrifices more.

Consider this: If someone kicks open a bar door and shouts, “I’m the best lover in the world!” no one will believe you. Why would it be any different if someone proclaims themselves as ‘a savior of the world’?

Take what Patagonia says: ‘We’re in business to save our home, the planet.’ It sounds like a narcissistic contemplation from a company that basically sells t-shirts to young people stuck in small apartments in Brooklyn who want to feel outdoorsy. But Patagonia can get away with it, because it’s a legendary brand that can break the rules. For almost any other brand, you are setting yourself up for failure and criticism if you do the same. If you try to fly like Superman, you’ll eventually fall like a soup can. Every day, I see failures and setbacks, and more and more people are becoming critical of brands that pose as heroes.

There are simply too many Mother Teresas.

When every brand presents itself as Mother Teresa or Gandhi, who can you believe? Each brand can claim to have a great role to play in your life as its burning ‘why’. But if you can’t see or feel the result, it’s another broken promise. What brand has changed your life for the better? Has he taught you something new? Has it made you healthier? Has it sparked new ideas? Probably not many. My list was very short, which shows that there is a lot of room for brands to play a meaningful role in our lives rather than simply shouting their ambitions to improve the world.

Less about buying, more about converting.

Wearing a t-shirt denouncing plastic in the oceans is the easiest thing in the world. It requires almost no effort. Being generous cannot be bought; It is something you earn with time and effort. During the pandemic, we have seen people embrace a reality where it is less about shopping and more about realizing dreams, goals and ambitions. It involves guitar classes, yoga, community work, baking and even knitting. I will argue that we are approaching a post-purpose market, where people no longer buy what you do, or why you do it, but who you can help them become. It’s about the difference you can help make in someone’s life.

Patagonia may claim to be ‘in business to save our home, the planet’, but contrast that with a statement from a Danish organic food box delivery service, Aarstiderne. Their mission is to spread ‘the joy of organic produce and delicious foods.’ As a customer, I am improving my cooking and learning how to make delicious organic vegetarian meals. I am grateful for newfound culinary skills, which I can enjoy and share with friends. I don’t actually buy their organic products. I buy into who it helps me become: a better plant-based cook. We don’t need more brands preaching, we need coaches who can help us achieve our goals or overcome obstacles.

Change begins by asking, Who can you help people become?

If we want to create change, we have to adopt a new perspective on leadership. It’s moving from “why” your brand is important, to understanding how you can help me achieve “who” I want to be.

Very few brands have been able to close the purpose gap and move people from buying the purpose to actually buying the product. The intention is there, but the action does not follow.

After years of coaching leaders and brands on purpose, I finally realized what the missing link was: The very people you are supposed to serve and, consequently, motivate. I turned to coaching and psychotherapy methodologies to understand how to go from inaction to action, from dissatisfied to satisfied. A simple but essential question helped bring about the necessary change: ‘Who can you help me become?’ People no longer buy marketing messages or a brand’s well-intentioned approach; They seek personal change. Anyone can sell them things, stories or identity, but very few brands can help people achieve their goals. It is moving from a transactional relationship to a transformational one, helping people to be more, do more, see more, experience more.

Your brand’s dreams versus my dreams.

I commissioned a study comparing commercials with known purposes, such as Budweiser’s “The Wind Never Felt Better,” with transformational commercials such as Always’s famous “Like a Girl.” The results were clear: people are 29.5% more motivated to act on transformation messages. It is dangerous to stand on the pedestal of purpose and don the mantle of the hero. And it is even more dangerous to put on a balaclava and behave like an activist. I realized years ago how difficult it is to create change. We are our own biggest obstacles to the change we want to see in our lives, and this is where brands have a truly significant role to play. Every brand can boast that it practices diversity, but the result that I can feel and appreciate is a brand that has helped me overcome some of my own prejudices.

Dear brands, don’t be activists, instead, make people activists of your own lives. WHO focuses on the role you can play in people’s lives; helping to materialize their beliefs and dreams, while WHY focuses on the beliefs and dreams of your organization.

Which one sounds better to you?

Marketing Activist, founder of the global Goodvertising movement, Speaker and Author of “Goodvertising” and “The Hero Trap”