As the new US administration takes its place in the White House, poised to shape the future of geopolitics and commerce, brand leaders are confronting a stark reality: trust continues to fray. Polarization, misinformation, and a sense of betrayal permeate public discourse. Institutions once seen as pillars of stability are now viewed with suspicion.
Your ultimate marketing goal is behavior change — for the simple reason that nothing matters unless it results in a shift in consumer actions. This might seem obvious but more often than not, marketing objectives are seldom cast in terms of behavioral modification. Said another way, if the objective of your strategy is X then consumers will need to do Y and Z. Once you are clear on actions the consumer must take, the rest...
We live in an era that increasingly values immediate gratification over sustained fulfillment. As David Brooks notes in his recent New York Times opinion piece, our culture has evolved to prioritize distractions—small, momentary hits—over meaningful engagement.
Brands are born when someone has an idea for a product that they believe others will want to buy. There’s a reason for bringing the brand into the world – a clear purpose. Eric Ryan and Adam Lowry, cofounders of Method cleaning products, believed that people would pay more for eco-friendly products if they were both stylish and helped clean up the planet. The rapid growth of their brand proves they were right.
The World Economic Forum launched a Lighthouse Programme in 2022 about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). This was a big deal. There is almost no forum with more visibility and gravitas for something like this.
