December 2020 – Advertising and Brand Responsibility

MABR Cohort Perspective: Tell us you care! And mean it.

Kim Sheehan on December 18, 2020November 30, 2020

Today’s post is from Makenna Crocker.

Something I’ve paid attention to throughout the last year has not only been the way in which a brand responds to a social issue, but how quick they are to make a statement about it. With issues like the Black Lives Matter movement, COVID-19, the US presidential election and more, it seems obvious that brands should feel the need to be part of the conversation but some may not know where they stand.

Following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the nationwide protests and riots that pursued, some brands were quick to release statements on the issue. Nike put out a video from Wieden + Kennedy Portland that spoke on the issue of racism with a change of their slogan to “For Once, Don’t Do It”. Disney, Netflix, Amazon, YouTube, and the NFL were all quick to speak on the issue as well.

Ad Age now has a regularly updated blog that tracks “brands’ responses to racial injustice”. It sheds light on what marketers, agencies, and media companies are doing to stand against racism and for racial equality.

I assume a lot of the hesitation regarding making statements or content around these issues would be the risk of not saying the right thing; brands may be worried about being too political and losing customers as well. They may also feel that some issues don’t apply to them. For instance, clothing companies might feel disengaged with political topics, and artists may feel they don’t belong in conversations about climate change. SAAS (software as a service) companies might not feel like their stance on racial injustice matters to their audience. The list goes on. While the connection between some of these issues and various companies isn’t always a direct cause and effect, where businesses stand on these issues matters. We as consumers are listening. We care. Silence is not a safety net.

Brands should take note on what the above companies have done in response to these issues, but should also be prepared to make their own statements without always waiting to follow suit. Rather than holding off to see how other companies in the industry respond to social issues, brands should know where they stand and be vocal and prompt about their response. This stems from having a strong brand identity and core company values that do not silence when the threat of losing business is at stake. The social and ethical responsibility of a brand as an entity that impacts this world is much larger than their ability to sell products, and we as consumers want transparency, accountability, and to know that brands care above all.

MABR cohort perspective: A new accountability standard for brands

Kim Sheehan on December 17, 2020November 30, 2020

Today’s opinion is from Tara Wulf.

“If its not broke, don’t fix it”
“Take the easiest path”
“Avoid touchy subjects”
…

These statements are typical of many brands, and may have gotten them far…enough, until now. Contrary to the past, the bare minimum is not enough anymore for brands. With the global pandemic and essential social justice reforms, it is more important than ever for brands across the globe to step up to these “touchy subjects”, take a stand, and use words backed by action. According to PR News on a recent Sprout Social survey, “fifty-five percent of 1,000 consumers surveyed said they ‘expect brands to take a stance that goes beyond corporate statements and monetary donations…”. This means that public statements are needed and essential, but a brand must also show physical action behind their words. Furthermore, according to the Customer Insight Group, 66% of consumers sat they would switch from a product they normally use to a brand with a purpose. This is important for brands to take into account, in that their long-term business prosperity is majorly dependent on their purpose, not just their product.

In the last couple of months, some brands rushed to make immediate statements in regards to social justice, while others waited too long. In both decisions, each have their downfalls if the brand they have already built lack a previous foundation of lived-out values for social and community good. In the case of rushing to make a statement, brands can come across as inauthentic. Likewise, silence portrays complicity with the situation at hand. In my opinion, brands can no longer hide behind a curtain of comfort. There is no neutral ground for brands to take. They can either move forward in the right direction with clear, valuable action steps, or spiral down if they continue to spew empty words. Every company needs to evaluate their core values, mission, and purpose in order to dive in to how and what they can further do to take a stand, make a change, and live out a purposeful brand.

MABR Cohort Perspective: Truth

Kim Sheehan on December 16, 2020November 30, 2020

Today’s post is from Michael Hampton.

Often we look to our governments for answers, a historic sanction of power hinged not on heuristics of availability, but facts. At least we thought such. In recent years, we’ve found our own government pushing against irrefutable truths, issues involving climate change effects, racial injustice, and imbalanced opportunity. An unfortunate reality. So, when our own leaders purport false claims and ideologies, whom do we turn to next? Who is left to be arbiter amidst arrogance?

As a country outlined in “by the people, for the people”, we’ve had to look to new guards for future security, citizens that have utilized their means to fulfill a purpose beyond individualistic pursuit. Within the recent election and its “build-up”, we’ve already witnessed a discernable focus on fact-checking entities, with examples including Politifact, Snopes, and FactCheck.org. Bolstered by investigators whose purpose is to draw honest lines through false sand, we have some idea for what truth has become. Even among these champions of transparency, a deeper problem weave between them. An article published by The Atlantic covered a study looking at fake news circulation and its parallel to accurate journalism stories and found daunting implications. Where Russian bots or domestic agents of chaos could be mistaken originators, misinformation’s true heartbeat has its pulse in the American people. Meyer, the article’s author, articulates best this understanding in writing that, “[the] authors found that accurate news wasn’t able to chain together more than 10 retweets. Fake news could put together a retweet chain 19 links long—and do it 10 times as fast as accurate news put together its measly 10 retweets” (Meyer, 2018). It’s now made clear that false information finds believers better, based on message content, emotional charge, and timing. However, we still do not have an answer to what can mitigate this trend.

Without truth, what hope is there for reality itself. We ourselves, humans, have evinced a design that is holds clause for self-defeat. Where the hard understandings are ugly and cruel when we stare at them in the face, before choosing to either turn away or continue looking. So, we find ourselves now asking constantly: What is truth?
Citation(s):Meyer, Robinson. “Huge MIT Study of ‘Fake News’: Falsehoods Win on Twitter.” The Atlantic, The Atlantic, 8 Mar. 2018, www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/03/largest-study-ever-fake-news-mit-twitter/555104/. Accessed 13 Nov. 2020.

MABR Cohort Perspective: The next step for Brand Activism

Kim Sheehan on December 15, 2020November 30, 2020

Today’s post is from Haley Cruse.

Brand activism has been centered around Donald Trump and his administration throughout his entire presidency. Brand activism became political because taking a stand against any prominent issues meant taking a stand against Trump. Some brands might view the election of Joe Biden as a huge sigh of relief. They shouldn’t. It is not the time for brands to go back to the way things were. It is time for brands to reflect on their core values and purpose and to keep their promises by pushing to make these values a reality. Corporations need to do their part by holding the new administration accountable and by mobilizing their customers to do the same.

With Trump no longer in charge, it will be easier for companies to stand FOR something rather than stand AGAINST something. As was shown in the Black Lives Matter movement, merely standing for something is a nice gesture, but is not enough. Brands need to express their values through meaningful action. In order to do this authentically, it is important for brands to pick a lane of activism that is aligned with their values and purpose. Blanket statements mean nothing and are not accepted by the next generation of consumers. Brands need to prove their values by standing alongside marginalized communities in the fight for equality and by implementing sustainable practices for our planet.

Nike, for example, stood alongside Colin Kaepernick in the fight against police brutality that took the forefront during Trump’s presidency. Now that a new administration is preparing to enter office, Nike needs to fund activists that are working toward police reform and encourage their consumers to act on behalf of that goal. Other brands that changed their hiring practices to be more inclusive need to hold the Biden administration accountable in their pursuit to make the country a more welcoming place to everyone.

Brand responsibility has never been more important than it is now. The next generation of consumers seek service from companies that are involved and dedicated to helping their customers. Activism that is purpose-driven and reflective of core values is key to business success.

MABR Cohort Perspective: Single-Use Containers In Sports Venues

Kim Sheehan on December 11, 2020November 30, 2020

Today’s post is from Cole Rothman.

Every year, 8 million metric tons of plastics enter our ocean and more than 150 million people attend live sporting events each year in the US alone. While these two statistics seem entirely unrelated, think about the last time you went to a sports game. What did you eat? What did you drink? Whatever it was, it was likely wildly overpriced, but what didn’t you notice? What you might not have noticed —and what the sports industry has yet to notice— is that your food and drinks likely came in a single-use container.

Every time I go to a sports venue, I feel guilty about the amount of single-use containers I use. The problem is there isn’t usually a viable alternative. Venues typically don’t allow you to bring in outside food or beverages so that they can charge you $50 for a hot dog because they know you’re hungry. Venues, for the most part, don’t use reusable containers because they don’t want to deal with the cleanup after the game. That leaves you with one alternative. single-use containers… an absolute mountain of them.

One study estimated that sport event attendees account for more than “39 million pounds of trash per year in the U.S.” A small portion of this total is organic waste, but the majority of this astronomical figure comes from single-use containers. Many organizations around professional sports have committed to increasing their recycling efforts in their venues, but don’t understand that they’re missing the point entirely. It’s not about marginally improving their already incredibly environmentally damaging practices. It’s about addressing the foundational problems in the sports concessions business model.

We don’t need recyclable single-use containers. We need no single-use containers!

It’s high time professional sports organizations stop doing the bare minimum environmentally and use their enormous platforms to make meaningful and lasting change. The Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Florida) is doing just that. The Miami Dolphins Stadium recently committed to phasing out 99.4% of single-use containers in their venue. A promise, if kept, would eliminate more than 2.8 million plastic items annually.

THAT’S JUST ONE VENUE!

Imagine what the world would look like if every venue did that. It’s not like it wouldn’t be profitable either. If anything, it could reduce some concessions margins to have reusable containers. The Miami Dolphins are selling reusable, stainless steel cups for more than their plastic counterparts. The reasons for change are endless, but it comes down to sports venues around the globe stepping up and making the environment a priority. It’s our job, as consumers, to put endless pressure on sports organizations and venues until it happens. Climate Change is the fight of our generation. Everyone must do their part.

Thomas J. Grant Jr., Green Monsters: Examining the Environmental Impact of Sports Stadiums, 25 Vill. Envtl. L.J. 149 (2014).

MABR Cohort Perspective: The Value of Small Brands

Kim Sheehan on December 10, 2020November 30, 2020

Today’s post is from Leah Olson.

Small Business, Big Impact
How small actions from small businesses can change the world

In a world of tight competition, small margins, and whip-smart and attentive customers, focus on maximizing profit alone is no longer a viable strategy. According to a November 2019 article in Inc., “Business must be a force for good, rather than profit alone.”[1] Small businesses need to take a stand in order to stand out. In fact, small businesses can’t afford to not care about social and environmental responsibility. Apathy is costly in today’s highly competitive markets, and not “caring” is expensive in terms of customer acquisition, employee retention, and revenue in general. By adopting and demonstrating brand responsibility, you can improve your product, reputation, community, planet, and your bottom-line. Because what is good for your customers, your employees, your community, and your planet is also good for business. Doing this work is worth the effort.

Before we get started, I have a few words of caution: In the arena of brand responsibility, authenticity is everything. Don’t talk the talk without walking the walk. Your incredibly intelligent and discerning customers, team, and community will hold you accountable for your words, actions, and intentions.

Where to start:

Find your why and articulate your purpose
Start by taking a good long look at your business. Authenticity is everything, but authenticity is also just the beginning. Start by asking “why?” Why are you in the business of ____ ? What are you, personally, trying to accomplish? Once you’ve found your “why,” you can begin to define and articulate your purpose. According to a study by Kantar Consulting, “Brands with a high sense of purpose have experienced a brand-valuation increase of 175 percent over the past 12 years compared to the median growth rate of 86 percent.”[2]

“Determining your company’s purpose should involve employees, customers, suppliers, and members of the communities you serve.”[3] Answer these questions: Who do you serve? What do your customers need? What products or services do you provide? How well are you meeting that need? What makes you uniquely suited to meet that need? How can you become a more responsible brand? In terms of brand responsibility, what are you already doing well? Where is there room for improvement?

By asking these questions, you can identify some potential areas to integrate and align social and environmentally responsible initiatives and goals. Again, be sure that any direction you pursue is authentic and meaningful to your company, your community, and your brand.

Ask any small employer on the Oregon Coast “What’s the hardest part of operating a business here?”, and they’ll tell you “finding good help,” “employee retention,” or both. Brand responsibility may be the solution. According to the Harvard Business Review, “Many people—not just Millennials—want to work for organizations whose missions and business philosophies resonate with them intellectually and emotionally.”[4] It is hard to find and keep good help if your brand and purpose do not resonate. In Start with Why, Simon Sinek reminds us that “Great companies don’t hire skilled people and motivate them, they hire already motivated people and inspire them. […] Average companies give their people something to work on. In contrast, the most innovative organizations give their people something to work toward.”[5] Meaningful work can lead to great work and great work can lead to excellence—that is your competitive edge. One way to inspire customers to action and employees to greatness is by doing meaningful work.

Commit

Demonstrating brand responsibility is not just about supporting causes and donating money. It’s about committing to social and environmental good and adapting and outfitting your business and team to make a difference. Sometimes these changes are just small tweaks or realignments, but sometimes these changes require drastic deconstruction and/or reconstruction of complex systems. Either way, Amy Webb, Founder of The Future Today Institute, would encourage you to “Think exponentially. Act incrementally.” Here are two approaches to getting started:

Pick a problem area that needs improvement and start small. This could mean assessing inventory and suppliers and switching to more local, environmentally friendly, and/or sustainable options.
Pick something doable (that aligns with your why and your purpose) and do it. This could mean shifting to compostable to-go containers, swapping out all of your lightbulbs for energy-efficient LEDs, or placing a Black Lives Matter sign in your storefront window.
Need inspiration? Look to a business you admire. Remember: there is no correct place to start. The important thing is that you start and then keep going.

Partner up!
I’ve heard it said that “a rising tide floats all boats.” Here, at the mouth of the mighty Columbia River, that is a particularly apt sentiment. We are all stronger together. So, reach out, band together, and find or create communities committed to social and environmental good. Local businesses, suppliers, alliances, coalitions, and even your competitors are a great place to start. Band together, make changes, speak up, and redefine the playing field together.

4. Track Your Progress

You can’t measure success without first defining it. “Build a baseline” and measure against it.[7] Select three to four measurable Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and make a simple quarterly, bi-annual, or annual report card to help keep you on track. Review the matrix, assess your progress, give yourself a grade (or better yet: ask your employees and customers to give you a grade!), and, most importantly, take time to reflect and course-correct.

Small businesses may be small, but they are mighty. And when small businesses band together their small, steady, and incremental actions compound. And that, my friend, is how we change the world.

[1] Mestrich, K., Pinsky, M. A., Blakely, L., & Saporito, B. (2019). The Rise and Rise of Business as a Force for Good. Inc, 41(7), 70–78.

[2] Dupont, S. (2020, April). Green Days: Building a Purpose-Driven Brand. PRSA. https://www.prsa.org/article/building-a-purpose-driven-brand.

[3] Determine Your Company’s Purpose With Your Constituents. Harvard Business Review. (2020, November 9). https://hbr.org/tip/2020/11/determine-your-companys-purpose-with-your-constituents.

[4] Blount, S., & Leinwand, P. (2019, November). Why Are We Here? Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2019/11/why-are-we-here.

[5] Sinek, S. (2013). Start with why: how great leaders inspire everyone to take action. Portfolio/Penguin.

[7] Fort George Brewery + Public House Sustainability Report. Fort George Brewery. (2019, April 5). https://fortgeorgebrewery.com/about/sustainability/.

MABR Cohort Perspective: Brands and Body Image

Kim Sheehan on December 9, 2020November 30, 2020

Today’s post by Britnee Speice-Will

I’ve gone through many phases when it comes to my body image. I’ve struggled with being comfortable with my body, sometimes wishing it looked different. Many young women like me feel this way. Men, too. It can be hard to find confidence and self-love when most of the media portrays the “perfect” body.

Brands have the ability to help shift our perspective of ourselves. One brand that could contribute to this is Snapchat. I was on the app a few months ago, scrolling through the filters. As I was scrolling, I noticed a small “glitch” as I was swiping from filter to filter. A glitch that showed my realself, without the filter on it.

When I noticed the glitch, a common theme with the filters became apparent to me. Most Snapchat filters slimmed my face, made my nose smaller, enlarged my eyes and lips, and removed skin blemishes. Snapchat was normalizing a “perfect” look for users. For a moment, this left me feeling self-conscious and paying attention to my flaws.

According to the International OCD Foundation, there are about one in 50 people that have body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). People with BDD have repetitive and compulsive behaviors relating to their appearances, including constantly checking themselves in the mirror (NCBI). The term, “Snapchat Dysmorphia” was coined because people are losing perspective on what they actually look like after applying so many filters on social media (NCBI). The National Center for Biotechnology Information and WBUR state that many plastic surgeons have encountered patients that want to look like their filtered photos, enhanced versions of themselves that social media apps have helped them create.

Filters should be used as a fun social media tool (e.g., putting dog filters on your face, adding a flower crown), not making users feel self-conscious. Younger generations using Snapchat are still learning about themselves and are vulnerable. Snapchat should make the responsible decision to remove and ban filters that enhance one’s face in any unrealistic or “ideal” way.

Snapchat should join the body positivity movement, and empower young users to feel confident about their true selves.

Goldberg, C. (2019, January 25). In Selfie Era, Cosmetic Surgeons Confront ‘Snapchat Dysmorphia’. Retrieved November 16, 2020, from https://www.wbur.org/commonhealth/2019/01/25/selfie-filter-snapchat-dysmorphia
Phillips, K. (n.d.). Prevalence of BDD. Retrieved from https://bdd.iocdf.org/professionals/prevalence/
Ramphul, K., & Mejias, S. (2018, March 3). Is “Snapchat Dysmorphia” a Real Issue? Retrieved November 15, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5933578/

MABR Cohort Perspective: Should student athletes be paid?

Kim Sheehan on December 9, 2020November 30, 2020

Today’s opinion is from Cam McCormick.

Should student-athletes be paid? It seems to be an age-old question and debate year after year. Just recently, the NCAA announced student-athletes will be permitted to be compensated for their name, image, and likeness in 2021, however, not everyone will benefit from this new rule. Although the new ruling is forward progression, there is still money on the table in which many feel entitled.

As a student athlete myself, playing a sport while carrying a full academic load is extremely demanding. Our mental, physical, and emotional state is tested on a daily basis. There are insurmountable pressures on us that the average student doesn’t have to endure, as well as expectations and commitments a typical student doesn’t experience. Most college students are able to work to bring in money to survive, and can also control their school load. Student athletes are unable to work due to the demands of the sport and the time it takes to perfect our craft. We are also required to perform a certain number of community service hours each year to give back to the communities in which we reside. It is not uncommon for our sport to take up to 40 hours of effort each week. Playing a sport in college is simply a full-time job, and the number of credits we need to take each term cannot be adjusted.

Additionally, every time we step onto the court, field, track, pool, etc, we are putting ourselves atrisk for physical injuries, and sometimes those injuries are life-long and also life-ending.Although every athlete chooses to take the risk, the university benefits greatly by the risks wetake. When injuries occur, they don’t just affect the individual physically, but mentally as well.Mental set-backs from injuries can take a huge toll on a person, and, sometimes, they unfortunately don’t recover. Does a free education justify the risks? What price can be put on aloss of life, mental illness, or life long pain from an injury sustained while playing?

As a football player, it is clear the amount of money our sport provides to universities across the country. When the pandemic hit, the threat of seasons canceling raised alarms that some schools may close due to the lost revenue of not having a season. Many canceled multiple sport programs, because they could no longer afford to have them. This tells me, the revenues are extraordinary. At Oregon, in 2019 alone, the football program brought in $72.8 million dollars. The universities reap the financial rewards while the student athlete assumes the majority of the risks. For these reasons, paying student athletes beyond their “name, image, and likeness” seems like the right thing to do.

MABR Cohort Perspective: Why businesses should take the mental health crisis more seriously

Kim Sheehan on December 8, 2020June 10, 2021

Today’s opinion is by Stephanie Legault

It is no secret that mental illness rates have been steadily increasing with about one in every five adults experiencing mental health-related illnesses every year. Society has made no significant efforts to collectively destigmatize mental illness and offer better health coverage for those truly in need, so the responsibility now lands on businesses. If society isn’t brave enough to talk about and normalize mental health, then it’s up to the business world to make that change.

Expecting employees to show up to work to produce something valuable and meaningful to your mission when they are personally struggling with finding value and meaning in their life is an impossible reality. This describes the idea of presenteeism, which costs 1.8 times that of absenteeism. Your employees are assets to your business operations, and just like assets, employees’ work can depreciate over time if their mental health is declining. Not to mention how expensive it is to ignore. It’s estimated that mental illness accounts for nearly $200 billion in lost wages annually.

Gen Z is notoriously known as the leaders of the mental health, especially as more individuals report their increasing levels of stress and depression-like symptoms. In APA’s 2020 Stress in America Report, about 82% of Gen Z respondents said that they could have used more emotional support than they received that year. Gen Zers, with all our emotional baggage, are starting to make our way into the workforce, so what does that mean for the new era of business?

Start the conversation
Employers need to initiate the conversation of mental health in the workplace with empathy and understanding. Choosing to make mental health a more consistent part of communications from leadership will eventually trickle down the organization. Consider hosting empathy workshops for employees to work on their empathetic skills and active listening.
Encouraging open and honest conversation
Offering meditation or mindfulness workshops gives employees the opportunity to expand their mental health toolkit and discover what works best for them. You might implement compassion and empathy training for those skills on human interaction and crisis evaluation. Or even, doing monthly yoga as a team-building exercise.
On-site therapy
Consider offering on-site therapy as a benefit to employees. When Americans were worried about the increasing obesity rates, we brought gyms to the workplace. On-site therapy gives businesses the chance to invest in the increased productivity and wellbeing of their workforce while saving money in the long term.

Remember, mental health is not a one-and-done effort. It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon. It takes constant work, dedication, and improvement. But, that constant work and improvement feels a little less daunting to a Gen Zer when they have the support of their organizations behind them. Be compassionate. Be understanding. Be patient.

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