I read with great interest a recap of last week’s Association of National Advertisers conference. A theme at this year’s ANA meeting was purpose-driven marketing. Marketing executives from several companies echoed the importance of conducting business in a way that has a positive impact on communities and society while at the same time meeting business objectives. Representative of marketers’ sentiments is a quote by Jim Tripodi, Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer at Coca-Cola, who said “We have to move from impressions to expressions.”
Welcome to 2010, ANA members! I am at a loss to understand why this group of global companies is seemingly just now coming around to the importance of social responsibility in their marketing strategy. The stance taken by speakers at the ANA conference is commendable; my question is why have they been so slow to come around to that position?
Social responsibility can b e a strategy to differentiate a brand from competition, but a higher purpose is served by engaging in socially responsible practices. A business may exist in order to generate profits, but at the same time a business has a charge to conduct business in a way that not only minimizes impact in terms of resources used and ideally, positively impact the communities in which it operates and serves customers.
Purposeful Marketing is not a fad, it is here to stay. Kudos to ANA member companies that are leading a call to focus on how to better engage customers and create an organization culture that places an emphasis on giving back.
Advertising Age – “Purpose-Driven Marketing All the Rage at ANA”