Annie Longsworth of Saatchi & Saatchi S served as MC for our last day at SB’14. Reminding cause-marketers that we do things when we want to and need to and not when we’re told to, Longsworth eloquently introduced a series of plenaries with themes of authentic stories and focused purpose.
Doug Levy, author of Can’t Buy Me Like and CEO of MeplusYou, picked up the thread by proposing that marketing has moved past the Consumer Era of the ‘50s, which was dominated by brands telling customers what to buy, and into the Relationship Era in which brands must build relationships with customers. Using examples from great leaders in history who have inspired movements, Levy laid out 5 Fundamentals: 1) Take a stand. 2) Respect others 3) Inspire change 4) Persist and adapt and 5) Attract followers.
Michael Smith, Director of Industry Relations at Nielsen and a neuroscientist by training, offered valuable insight into the problematic gap between self-reported consumer attitude and actual behavior in making sustainable choices. Using EEG readings and eye tracking to measure consumer response to brands, Nielsen is able to reimagine brands as neural networks, bypassing consumers’ unreliable self-reports and tapping into unfiltered responses to brands.
Next, Denise Morrison, CEO of Campbell’s Soup, and Neil Grimmer, co-founder & president of Plum Organics took the stage to showcase their shared purpose for nutritious, delicious and accessible food. Morrison shared how the iconic brand is adapting to changing demographics and addressing environmental impacts as one of the largest carrot suppliers in the US. Citing reductions in GHG emissions and water usage and setting targets for Zero Deforestation and certified palm oil, Morrison acknowledged that even with its advances Campbell’s still has a lot of work to do in improving its environmental footprint. Ending with a picture of her newest grandchild just born this week, she handed the mic to Grimmer who elaborated on Plum and Campbell’s shared purpose of nourishing kids.
Grimmer passionately described how the founders of Plum gave voice to young modern families looking for delicious ways to set kids on a trajectory of healthy eating for the rest of their lives. Showing a short video from their Feed Amazing campaign, showcasing real toddlers in moments of wonder and excitement, Grimmer said, “That amazing deserves our amazing.” Drawing attention to the two-pronged problem of food insecurity and child obesity, he reminded the audience that 1 in 5 children are starving, not for calories, but for nutrition. Using the Buy/Give model, Plum has provided half a million Super Smoothies, delivering much needed nutrition for kids who regularly
miss meals. However, like Morrison, Grimmer noted that these efforts are just one step in addressing a much larger issue.
After the mid-morning break, Ty Montague, author of True Story: How to Combine Story and Action to Transform Your Business, espoused the value of “storydoing.” Citing Zappos, TOMS and Patagonia as examples, he said storydoing companies put their stories at the center of their business and perform better than mere “storytellers.” Storydoing requires being on a mission to make big positive change in the world; and having an enemy — not in terms of trashing your competitors, just having a real understanding of the change you want to make/the problem you want to solve.
Next, Citibank’s Elyssa Gray discussed “Banking on Bikes,” the company’s $41M, six-year bike-sharing program in New York City — the largest in North America. Four years after the worst of the financial crisis, the Citi brand was still suffering — Citibike forced the company to go out of its comfort zone and gave the bank a much-needed brand boost with its customers, Gray said. The goal was to win back 5 percent of its brand health; despite some hurdles (including bad press and Hurricane Sandy), Gray said brand preference has increased by 25 percent, positive impression increased by 8 percent, and brand consideration increased by 41 percent.