Not only do consumers encourage brands that take a stance, they also point out brands with campaigns seen as offensive. How not to remember Pepsi\u2019s campaign starring Kendall Jenner<\/a> or H&M\u2019s huge flop with the little black boy wearing the wrong t-shirt<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We wonder: how do brands deal with these social changes?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do brands truly believe in the social matters they promote? Or is it another marketing hoax? Do brands truly think they can make a difference<\/strong> or are they just communicating what the client wants to hear? What are their true intentions? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Sortlist surveyed 800 marketing managers from 5<\/strong> countries to understand how they cope with those changes and where they stand on social matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Key findings:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The majority (80%<\/strong>) of the companies polled believe in the importance of social movements and the influence they may have on today’s society. <\/p>\n\n\n\n With Dutch and Germans<\/a> being more skeptical & critical, about 20% of their respondents are less confident of the social influence of brands.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Brands believe they mainly have impact on: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Most of the managers believe that a brand has the power to alter people’s minds<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dove is a good example of a brand that decided to change people’s perceptions<\/a> about female bodies. The brand can no longer be separated from body acceptance, and all feminine shapes are now part of the brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Spain<\/a> is the only surveyed country where the majority stands out with 28% convinced that brands mainly give visibility to a certain social matter. This with the aim of informing and educating their consumers<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Last but not least, when it comes to social movements it seems that money isn\u2019t the objective.<\/strong> Only 12% of individuals polled believe that raising or donating money is the key to solving social issues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Change is not brought about via the use of money, but rather by informing, educating and highlighting important issues.\u00a0 In the past most brands decided to support causes by donating and advertise<\/a> around those donations. Nowadays brands feel they need to be involved and so do consumers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 70% of Kera\u2019s survey<\/a> respondents said a CEO’s public reaction to an issue, like the Black Lives Matter movement, would permanently affect their decision to buy from that company. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We asked the marketing managers to rank their top reason why they would do \u201cmovement marketing\u201d: <\/p>\n\n\n\n The main reason why brands find it necessary to take a position <\/strong>is <\/strong>because it is important to their audience\/customers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n More than ever, customers are always kings in the eyes of brands. They can use social media<\/a> to express concerns, dissatisfaction or gratify a brand\u2019s strategy and brands do understand that.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen consumers think a brand has a strong Purpose, they are:\u202f 4 times more likely to purchase from the\u202fcompany, 6 times more likely to protect the company in the event of a misstep or\u202fpublic\u202fcriticism, 4.5 times more likely to champion the company and recommend it to friends and family, 4.1 times more likely to trust the company.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>2020 Zeno Strength of Purpose Study<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Germany is the lone rebel in this scenario as for them,brand values come first. They are not as willing to play the role of the people pleaser. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 58% <\/strong>of respondents think that it is preferable for a brand to take a step back and consider how it may help to a societal issue based on its beliefs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The average majority of our respondents (32%<\/strong>) is convinced that a brand should engage in social movements that only fit their values. And even if brands use their marketing to address social issues you can\u2019t take the business out of it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 25%<\/strong> of the respondents said they should mainly address issues that are trending and drive online conversations. We won\u2019t blame them when you know that Unilever<\/a>\u2019s sustainable brands grew 46%<\/strong> faster than the rest of the business and delivered 70%<\/strong> of its turnover growth & Nike had a 14% increase on their revenue growth<\/a> when using Colin Kaepernick in their campaign. <\/p>\n\n\n\n France is the country where marketing teams are the least interested in tackling trending topics with 19%<\/strong> whereas the Netherlands is the country with the most interest in topics that drive conversations with 34%<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The fact that 49% <\/strong>of our respondents do not have a committed person within their organization to monitor social concerns was noteworthy to us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The responses of the interviewees are varied. It is worth noting that in the French (35%<\/strong>) and Spanish (36%<\/strong>) markets, the HR department is in charge of social movements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In the Netherlands the majority of department heads take care of social movements within their teams. Whereas in Germany 31%<\/strong> believe everyone is accountable to take care of occuring social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 22%<\/strong> of companies have a dedicated person and 6% <\/strong>are looking for someone. Most digital companies that target Millenials and Gen Z, like Asos & Netflix, have hired dedicated people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not only do they know this is an important value of their audience but it also helps them attract the right profiles into their company and spread the values. 60% of over-performing companies ensure all employees are fully engaged in their Brand Purpose<\/a> according to the Association of National Advertisers4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 47%<\/strong> of our respondents stated that their marketing approach has changed to cover themes essential to their target demographic.But in fact, there are still 58%<\/strong> of brands who have never based a marketing campaign on a social movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With 34%<\/strong> Spain is the country that had the most marketing campaigns based on social movements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 37%<\/strong> of respondents who have done movement marketing have seen an increase in the credibility, loyalty of their customers<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Only a few faced backlash or misinterpretation. The value of movement marketing is undeniable on the brand image<\/a> but also on revenue growth<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 60%<\/strong> of our respondents think it is important to consult a third party before starting a campaign. Spain is in the lead with 74%,<\/strong> followed by France with 65%<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Germany (16%<\/strong>), Belgium (9%<\/strong>) and the Netherlands (10%<\/strong>) seem less convinced. As mentioned above, these are countries that put the values of a brand before the wishes of the clients.-<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the proper individuals can keep you from failing. Consider the H&M “monkeyboy”gate. The consequences for H&M were pronounced. They were boycotted, and there were several demonstrations. Their operational earnings fell by 62 percent as well<\/a>. H&M definitely lost money as a result of their lack of participation and failure to engage a third party for such concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a brand, you can no longer afford to remain indifferent when it comes to social movements. You must know when to respond without violating yourself or your ideals, but also not losing clients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 59%<\/strong> of our respondents believe it is more than common to discontinue working with a partner that does not share the brand’s values. The French and Dutch speaking markets are taking the lead on this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Thanks to today’s technology and the public’s empowerment, unnecessary collaborations are more often exposed. Take the example of Lego and Shell<\/a>. After more than 50 years of cooperation, Lego has decided to stop working with the oil giant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the most crucial factors that brands should consider is to educate their consumers about occurring social movements. 86%<\/strong> of our respondents said they would certainly think about it. This is led by Spain, with 88%<\/strong>, followed by Germany with 87%<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 83%<\/strong> of the respondents said they would cooperate with professionals to educate their employees. With a high 91%<\/strong> chance, the Spanish market is the most likely to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With the growth of the social movement, brands are more cautious and skeptical before launching a campaign, particularly in France and Belgium (41%<\/strong>), Spain (41%<\/strong>), and the Netherlands (38%<\/strong>). Germans (31%<\/strong>), on the other hand, find it more difficult than previously. A poor buzz on social media<\/a> can spread rapidly, and the ramifications for businesses may be severe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To avoid a bad buzz, 38%<\/strong> of the marketing team review the campaigns multiple times and 30%<\/strong> admit that it is more challenging. On top of that, 60%<\/strong> of marketing managers say they always test their campaign before a launch with a third party<\/a> and 30%<\/strong> do it only for campaigns where they have a doubt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We may infer that businesses are still exploring uncharted ground when it comes to social movements. The desire is present, but the approach is not yet obvious. <\/p>\n\n\n\nOver 80% Of Brands See the Importance of Highlighting Social Movements<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.sortlist.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/11\/5-1.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nThe Power of a Brand\u2019s Belief<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.sortlist.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/11\/1-1.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.sortlist.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/11\/sortlist-insights-1024-x-768-px-1.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nThe #1 Reason Why Brands Act: Pleasing the Audience <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.sortlist.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/11\/2-1.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.sortlist.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/11\/sortlist-insights-1024-x-768-px-2.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nThe Key: Know Your Values and Know Your Team <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.sortlist.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/11\/6-1.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.sortlist.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/11\/sortlist-insights-1024-x-768-px-3.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nAll Talk and No Actions? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.sortlist.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/11\/sortlist-insights-1024-x-768-px-4.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nStaying Silent Is No Longer an Option<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
59% Of Brands Keep To Their Values<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Education Is a Must to Overcome<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Responsibility Lies in Your Brand\u2019s Hands<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.sortlist.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/11\/3-1.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nConclusion: If You Are Comfortable, Then You Are Not Listening<\/h2>\n\n\n\n