Consumers Want Companies To Deliver On Social Purpose

Consumers want companies to pursue social purposes and marketers say their firms are responding to improve their bottom line. That’s according to the American Marketing Association New York’s (AMA NY) Future of Marketing survey.

Based on data gathered from online polls of 506 consumers and 411 marketers around the US in August 2021, the report highlights the importance of corporate purpose in influencing purchase intentions and reveals consumer and marketer attitudes towards post-COVID marketing. 

Consumers say the top purposes they want companies to pursue are fair employment, anti-racism, corporate citizenship and environmentalism, and that they’d be willing to pay more for a product based on a company’s actions on purpose. 

“These findings underline what marketers should have learned after a couple of years of social turbulence: your customers are interested in what your firm is doing about issues they care about, not just what you’re selling – and you’d better respond to them,” said AMA NY president Jason Revzon.

Key Findings

  • The most important purpose that companies should be promoting is how to be a good employer with fair pay and labor practices.
  • After fair employment, consumers believe companies should promote racial equity, corporate citizenship in their communities and environmental sustainability.
  • Gen Z consumers rank racial and environmental justice as corporate priorities higher than older generations do.
  • Minorities believe racial equity is the most important social goal companies should act on.
  • Companies are listening to consumers’ needs and responding to those that are promoted most heavily.
  • Males, baby boomers and upper-income consumers stress corporate action for democracy.
  • Females, younger individuals and low-income consumers feel companies should promote women’s rights.
  • Consumers and marketers agree that “purpose packs a punch at checkout” 
  • Purpose has a noticeable effect on corporate image.
  • Consumers punish companies that aren’t particularly focused on purpose.
  • Many customers report being willing to pay higher prices for products from companies that align with the customer’s stance on socio-political issues.
  • Some consumers remain skeptical about the sincerity of corporate commitments.
  • Buyers want independent sources of information on company performance on purpose.
  • Purpose matters, so pay attention and analyze by target demographics.

Purpose has become an essential part of marketing for companies that want to retain and gain customers, especially in the US where social, environmental and political issues are at the center of many people’s lives. 

According to AMA NY’s findings, marketers must convey profit isn’t their only pursuit. Ironically, marketers’ primary motivation for doing good in the world is, usually, to drum up more business.

That makes sense given that regardless of age, gender or race, consumers have affirmed that a corporation’s purpose will have an effect on its public image and bottom line. 

The survey shows there exists a noticeable gap between the issues marketers believe companies are addressing and those that consumers feel companies should be addressing. For example, both marketers and consumers agree that being a good employer is the top-most purpose companies should be promoting. While 47 percent of marketers believe companies are addressing this purpose, only 34 percent of consumers believe the same. 

That same gap for racial equality is 10 percent, for giving back to the community it’s 19 percent and for sustainability and for a company’s environmental impact it’s 14 percent. At 25 percent, the largest disparity between marketers and consumers is diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Because there are so many issues people could care about, AMA NY suggests companies looking for alignment listen to the specific concerns of their customer base. 

Marketers have responded to the public’s sentiment by showing concern for purpose, but consumers believe independent verification of such pursuits would help the company’s credibility and therefore its bottom line.

Not all consumers are interested in the same issues. For example, Gen Z consumers—comprised of equal parts white and non-white individuals—prioritize social justice and sustainability rather than workplace purposes. They rank racial equality first (35 percent); followed by sustainability (31 percent); diversity, equity, and inclusion ( 27 percent) and women’s rights (22 percent). 

Millennials, on the other hand, prioritize a good employer (34 percent), followed by corporate citizenship (30 percent), sustainability (25 percent) and racial equality (23 percent). 

For Gen X consumers the list goes as follows: a good employer (35 percent), racial equality (30 percent), corporate citizenship (25 percent) and sustainability (20 percent). 

Baby boomers prioritize a good employer (40 percent), sustainability (28 percent), democracy (27 percent) and corporate citizenship (24 percent).

Just as purpose priorities shift with age, race and ethnicity also have an effect. White consumers rank good employer first (38 percent), followed by corporate citizenship (27 percent), sustainability (26 percent) and racial equality (22 percent). 

Black consumers are more interested in racial equality (32 percent), followed by DEI (30 percent), good employer (24 percent) and corporate citizenship (24 percent). 

Latino consumers also feel racial equality is the most important purpose for companies to address at 34 percent, followed by good employer (28 percent), sustainability (25 percent) and women’s rights (25 percent). 

Some marketers reported that their companies are active on lower-tier issues. About 35 percent say they’re seeking to promote women’s rights, 31 percent to protect voting rights and democracy, 29 percent to support criminal justice reform and 27 percent to advance LGBTQ+ issues.

Sixty-eight percent of consumers in the US report being more likely to purchase from companies taking action on the social issues they care about. Twenty-nine percent go a step further and say they’re much more likely to do so, with income and area of residence (urban vs. rural) affecting that decision.

Of the consumers that are much more likely to buy from companies they view as purpose-driven:

  • 15 percent earn under $25,000 per year
  • 25 percent earn between $25,000 and $50,000 per year
  • 35 percent earn between $50,000 and $125,000 per year
  • 51 percent earn over $125,000 per year

Companies hear consumers loud and clear, with 80 percent believing customers are likelier to purchase from companies addressing the purposes they value and 50 percent believing customers are much more likely to do so. These sentiments remain consistent regardless of the size of the company or in which sector(s) they operate. 

Nevertheless, AMA NY found that it’s the fastest-growing companies that are most likely to believe purpose matters—65 percent of those growing by 15 percent or more per year versus 37 percent of those not growing or growing by under 10 percent per year. In total, 56 percent of marketers say that purpose has helped their company become more profitable.

Not only does purpose-driven action impact the bottom line, but it also affects consumers’ perceptions. Seventy-two percent of consumers say they view firms that act on social issues in a more positive light – this holds true across age, sex, income, educational level and race. And as much as 69 percent of the survey respondents say they would be less likely to buy from a company that does poorly.

Some customers are willing to go so far as to pay higher prices for products from firms doing well on issues they care about. Forty-eight percent of consumers in the US report the willingness to do so, while 41 percent wouldn’t be willing – with income, area of residence and race playing critical roles in the decision. 

Of those consumers willing to pay more for a product based on the corporation’s actions on purpose:

  • 34 percent earn under $25,000 per year
  • 48 percent earn between $25,000 and $50,000 per year
  • 53 percent earn between $50,000 and $125,000 per year
  • 64 percent earn over $125,000 per year
  • 70 percent are Gen Z 
  • 63 percent are millennials 
  • 50 percent are Gen X 
  • 24 percent are baby boomers

Marketers‘ perceptions of consumers’ willingness to pay more, on the other hand, vary by industry and the growth rate of the company:

  • 37 percent of companies are in retail
  • 39 percent are in business services
  • 44 percent are in consumer, durables
  • 48 percent are in producer, durables
  • 52 percent are in consumer, non-durables
  • 68 percent are in consumer services

For these marketers:

  • 33 percent are in companies that grow by less than 10 percent per year
  • 49 percent are in companies that grow by 10 to 15 percent per year
  • 57 percent are in companies that grow by over 15 percent per year

Challenging Vs. Disrupting With SmileDirectClub’s John Sheldon

Did you know that 60% of counties in the US do not have an orthodontist within the county? So, what do those people do when they find themselves needing orthodontic care?

This is the question that John Sheldon set out to answer. John is the chief marketing officer at SmileDirectClub where they are leading the charge with accessibility, increased convenience, and at a lower cost than competitors of orthodontic care.

In this episode, John and I discuss how the company started out as a disruptor and is moving towards becoming a challenger against their primary competitor. Listen to the full episode to learn more about the benefits of challenging the market and how the customer experience plays a key role.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • The benefits of challenging the market
  • Why you should center innovation around the customer experience
  • Where data plays a role in your brand

Key Highlights

  • [01:18] How John is responsible for many marriages and divorces
  • [02:15] John’s path to CMO at SmileDirectClub
  • [05:01] Who is SmileDirectClub?
  • [07:45] Scaling as a challenger vs. a disruptor
  • [10:37] Innovating around the customer experience
  • [12:56] How data plays a role in brand story-telling
  • [15:04] Investing in TikTok as a marketing strategy
  • [20:32] Pivoting with the changing landscape
  • [23:45] An experience that defines John
  • [25:05] John’s advice to his younger self
  • [27:15] What marketers should be learning more about
  • [29:03] The brands and organizations John follows
  • [30:55] The biggest threat and opportunity for marketers

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Alan B. Hart is the creator and host of “Marketing Today with Alan Hart,” a weekly podcast where he interviews leading global marketing professionals and business leaders. Alan advises leading executives and marketing teams on brand, customer experience, innovation, and growth opportunities. He has consulted with Fortune 100 companies, but he is an entrepreneur at his core, having founded or served as an executive for nine companies.

Creator Plus Hires Peter Sherman As Head Of Marketing

This week in leadership updates, Peter Sherman is named Creator Plus’ head of marketing, FIGS hires Jami Pinto as chief product supply and sustainability officer, Good American appoints Jamaal Layne as first chief marketing officer and more.


Creator Plus Names Peter Sherman Head Of Marketing

Creator Plus has appointed Peter Sherman as its new head of marketing.

Prior, Sherman was senior vice president of HBO Max at WarnerMedia and also held various marketing roles at Google.


FIGS Taps Jami Pinto As Chief Product Supply And Sustainability Officer

Jami Pinto (formerly Dunbar) has been named FIGS’ new chief product supply and sustainability officer.

Pinto joins the DTC healthcare apparel and lifestyle brand from Under Armour where she held a number of executive roles including senior vice president of global product supply.

Before Under Armour, Pinto was Abercrombie & Fitch’s vice president of technical design.


Good American Hires Jamaal Layne As Chief Marketing Officer

Good American has tapped Jamaal Layne as its first-ever chief marketing officer, according to WWD.

With previous roles at Calvin Klein, Sonos, Inc. and Adidas, Layne brings more than seven years of marketing experience to the brand.


Strava Appoints Zipporah Allen As Second Chief Marketing Officer

Zipporah Allen, former chief digital officer of Taco Bell, has been scouted as the company’s second chief marketing officer. 

Allen fills a position that had been vacant since the company’s first chief marketing officer, Erik Joule, exited in 2015. Since then, marketing had been led by Gareth Nettleton, vice president of marketing, until he left Strava in June.

Before joining Strava, Allen held several marketing executive roles at companies including Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and McDonald’s.


Tommy Hilfiger Names Dennis Seydel Senior Vice President Of Marketing And Communications For North America

Tommy Hilfiger has hired Dennis Seydel as senior vice president of marketing and communications for North America. 

Seydel previously founded and operated as chief executive officer of Baumhaus Collective and served as FIGS’ chief brand officer. He also held a number of marketing leadership roles at companies like Uber and YouTube.

Learning To Find Your Own Voice With Simple Practice’s Smita Wadhawan

Smita Wadhawan is the CMO at Simple Practice, a company that provides technology to private practice therapists and other practitioners. They’ve been around for 10 years and serve over 100 thousand practitioners.

In this episode, Smita and I discuss her journey from India to the US and her career path from companies like PayPal and GoDaddy to Simple Practice. During her early years, Smita shares how she learned to embrace a growth mindset and find her own voice—both traits that have served her well as CMO.

Later in the conversation, Smita also shares her view about moving from product marketing to a go-to-market strategy, how to plan that launch, and how good leadership plays a key role. Listen to the full episode to learn more.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • Why you should embrace a growth mindset and find your voice
  • How to see product marketing as the foundation for strong marketing
  • When to move from product marketing to a go-to-market strategy

Key Highlights

  • [01:24] Growing up in India
  • [02:58] Smita’s career journey
  • [05:40] What brought Smita to the US
  • [07:19] Who Simple Practice serves
  • [09:36] Smita’s first impression of the US
  • [11:28] Finding her voice
  • [15:01] Product marketing as the foundation for strong marketing
  • [17:03] Moving from product marketing to go-to-market strategy
  • [19:00] How go-to-market works at Simple Practice
  • [19:56] How Smita thinks about leadership
  • [23:52] An experience that shaped Smita
  • [26:28] Smita’s advice to her younger self
  • [27:46] What marketers should be learning more about
  • [29:48] The brands and organizations Smita follows
  • [31:50] The biggest threat and opportunity for marketers

Resources Mentioned:

Follow the podcast:

Connect with the Guest:

Connect with Marketing Today and Alan Hart:

Connect with Marketing Today and Alan Hart:


Alan B. Hart is the creator and host of “Marketing Today with Alan Hart,” a weekly podcast where he interviews leading global marketing professionals and business leaders. Alan advises leading executives and marketing teams on brand, customer experience, innovation, and growth opportunities. He has consulted with Fortune 100 companies, but he is an entrepreneur at his core, having founded or served as an executive for nine companies.

Gartner: 60% Of US Consumers Believe Brands Should Reconsider Doing Business In Russia

In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, governments worldwide enacted some of the harshest sanctions in modern history while brands working and investing in Russia acted swiftly to alter their involvement or completely cut ties with the country.

Devising a plan of action for the current situation and for when the next country breaks international order could mean the difference between being deemed by consumers as socially responsible and getting canceled.

Knowing where consumers stand right now is a good starting point. According to a Gartner survey of 281 US consumers conducted between February 25 and March 1, 60 percent of US consumers believe brands should reconsider doing business in Russia or partnering with Russian companies.

Respondents see several paths for a corporate response. After reconsidering doing business in Russia, or with Russian companies, consumers’ top priorities for actions companies should take include:

  • Ensuring the safety of their employees and personnel who are in the war zone (55 percent)
  • Preparing emergency plans to ensure that anybody connected to their organization is safe (46 percent)
  • Minimizing disruptions that would lead to consumer good shortages or price increases (46 percent).

Gartner also found that for 60 percent of consumers, an increase in fuel or energy prices is a top concern, followed by the safety and well-being of people outside the US (56 percent) and cyberattacks against US entities (56 percent).

Though 70 percent of consumers rated their level of concern about the invasion at a four or five (where five is extremely concerned) and many want businesses to take concrete action, they’re not eager to hear about it directly from those businesses yet. 

“Marketers should focus first on developing a compelling storyline about company activities, so teams are ready to take action when consumers do become more open to hearing from brands about actions they’ve taken,” said Kate Muhl, vice president analyst at Gartner Marketing practice.

According to Gartner’s survey, few consumers say they want brands to stop or reduce advertising at this stage of the conflict. But brands including General Mills, Google, P&G and more have already announced plans to suspend advertising or close shop in Russia.

General Mills said in a press release that it doesn’t have any plants, employees or distributors in Russia, but that it does have a joint venture with Nestle called Cereal Partners Worldwide (CPW). CPW sales in Russia represent less than 1 percent of the total General Mills sales but the company and Nestle decided to stop advertising and suspend all capital investment in CPW.

P&G has discontinued all new capital investments in Russia and is freezing all media, advertising and promotional activity, the company’s president said.

In a rare step, Google paused its ad business in Russia, including search, YouTube and display marketing after the country’s regulator demanded Google stop showing what it considered ads spreading misinformation about the invasion.

In solidarity with the hundreds of global brands rebuking Russia, the CMO Council has created a list of “Brands Taking a Stand,” which it will update daily as long as the crisis continues. 

As marketers assess the Ukraine-relevant exposure, Gartner suggests they consider these three near-term actions:

  1. Review and pressure test existing plans, especially in relevant categories like travel or whose brands have associations with the region.
  2. Direct teams to vary the topics and tone of social posts and other messages. The smartest brand strategies acknowledge and accommodate this diversity of concerns.
  3. Consider the brand’s audience: differences in degree of concern and key concerns can be seen along demographic lines, which may warrant differentiated strategies.

‘Woke-Washed’ Brands Aren’t Cutting It— The SXSW Guide To Staying Relevant

Panelists along the Advertising and Brand experience track were absorbed with the lingering pitfalls of how and when your brand should show up for sensitive cultural issues—and how to do so authentically. For brands to stay relevant, SXSW panelists suggested that marketers see brand-building more like the construction of social movements, take practical steps to achieve accountability and attract the right people and partners while being open to mistakes.

The Traditional Methods Of Marketing Lack Cultural Currency

At the panel Post-Brands Era: How Brands Spark Social Movements, Natalia Suniga, TikTok regional creative strategist for Social Snack outlined the next cycle of CSR beyond traditional brands, brands with purpose, and into the post-brand era. Suniga contends that for brands to truly mobilize communities toward action, marketers need to start seeing them more like social movements.

Suniga outlined a path for brands that hope to create values-based connections with their audiences. She noted that it’s no longer sufficient for brands to just have purpose-driven initiatives. This is because a combination of rapid technological advances together with shifting behaviors are causing “significant change that restructures social norms, individual beliefs and realities.”

“Gen Z and Alphas are choosing the information they want to consume. They are well-informed,” (sometimes by memes) and they “choose authentic brands that embrace diversity, embrace the environment, and those that also have a positive impact on the world,” noting that 73 percent of Gen Z want brands to take a more significant role in society, while 67 percent of consumers are belief-driven buyers, which means they made purchasing decisions based on their values.

“Traditional brands are no longer relevant nor effective as conscious [social] consumerism grows and people are ready to take action. That is why, when we think of the future of brands, we must think of the role and responsibility they have in social transformation and their connection with new consumers.”

“In a cluttered, fragmented marketplace, “post-brands” can social movements and build communities and mobilize people,” she said.

Citing the Argentinean social theorist Ernesto Laclau as an inspiration, Suniga said “I’ve come to understand brands as social discourses that produce, reproduce and transform social reality. We all know Coca-Cola as an excellent example, of a brand that created culture, created Christmas now as we know it.”

And it’s true that brands have had considerable power, even shaping the modern depiction of Santa Claus. But the transformative power of brands, she suggests, has been diluted within our hyper-active attention economy.

“It’s difficult for each particular information source to truly captivate our attention and influence,” Suniga says.

Such a change can reflect poorly on traditional brands, which can appear out-of-step and woke-washed when adopting cause marketing that lacks dimension. As Suniga puts it, brands become “pink, rainbow or black-washing movements” that use “superficial and sympathetic messages without helping the community or furthering the cause in any way.” The only way out, then, is to go beyond the brand.

Admittedly a “future foresight,” Suniga suggests that post-branding begins with adopting a new perspective on the idea of the brand and its role in society, one that asks marketers to begin to see brands like social movements to capitalize on a new unsatisfied social demand from people: that a product or service they’re buying is actually aligned with their core values.

Want an alternative post-brand future? Listen to Scott Galloway’s promulgations on the post-brand era (or hear some meditative SXSW-themed Galloway wisdom here).

Don’t Be Afraid Of Cancel Culture (Or Get To The Place Where You Won’t Be)

The evolution toward a post-brand era is theoretical and beyond the realm of what’s possible for most brands, but at Avoiding The Pitfalls of Brand Wokeness, Microsoft principal content strategist Sydney Carlton spoke about the urgency to meet and exceed your audience’s expectations for a wider representation of identities right now in concrete, practical steps.

“Your audiences and customers are demanding representation,” says Carlton. “If you’re reducing your representation to stereotypes your efforts will be perceived—at best—as lazy, and at worst, as harmful.”

Her one goal for attendees, she said, was to have them “walk away feeling empowered to advocate for more representative marketing efforts.”

Carlton’s not calling for a collective reimagining of brands as social movements, but a renewed effort to “see beyond the superficialities of ‘wokeness’ and to not fear cancel culture,” and a renewed focus on self-accountability by looking inward at your organization.

In referencing an ill-conceived cascade of decisions from H&M, Carlton pauses and examines the dysfunction.

“We can’t help but wonder. Who ordered that hoodie? Who then placed it on the black boy? Who then took the picture? Who edited the picture? Who posted it on the website? Who did [the] final review? How many hands did this decision go through before it was released to the public? And why wasn’t anyone culturally-aware enough, or empowered enough to call out this mistake?”

“Either there was a lack of diversity involved in this decision-making, or they didn’t feel empowered enough to say what was wrong,” says Carlton. Her suggestion is to “hire qualified and diverse consultants,” she continued. “I know that a diverse and inclusive work environment takes time. Certain verticals are harder than others. So, to fill the gaps in the meantime, hire consultants.”

“If you have self-accountability,” says Carlton, “it’s really hard for cancel culture to come get you.”

To convince the leadership at your organization of the importance of representation, bring data, research, and feedback says, Carlton. Encourage leadership to make a monetary investment toward DEI if it’s truly important to your organization.

Aligning Your Purpose With Core Values And Partners

From the theoretical to the practical and finally, to the actual, the examination of brand values at “The Anatomy of an Authentic Brand” opened with the statistic that 72 percent of U.S. consumers want to buy from companies that reflect their values. Featuring NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace, DoorDash CMO Kofi Amoo-Gottfried and NBA chief marketing officer Kate Jhaveri, the panelists discussed authentic partnerships and being open to missteps and criticism.

Bubba Wallace, a brand in his own right, the only black driver in NASCAR’s Cup Series and subject of the new Netflix docuseries ‘Race,’ spoke about how a meaningful partnership was formed with DoorDash and what underpinned his decision to support BLM at the potential cost of fans of the NASCAR brand. “I took a big risk. Our sport is funded by our partners. And without partners then you don’t really last long,” he said, “With everything that was going on, when the pandemic hit, I felt the time was right for me to say something that I believe in, and that’s equality for all of us in this room. Companies want to stay away from that,” he said. But not all companies, after all.

“I think we all needed a reality check and a culture shift to say ‘hey, to talk about these things is a good thing. We need to bring awareness to it.” Wallace continued, “The companies that aligned with that mattered the most to me.”

“I said… you know what? I don’t care the sponsors think, I’m doing this; I’m standing up for the human race, I’m doing what’s right. And actually had DoorDash pick up the phone…” which was the origin of the partnership, he said.

DoorDash CMO Kofi Amoo-Gottfied confirms they did just that, despite uncertainty about how the move would impact the company’s bottom line.

You should be prepared to take risks and adopt a long-view that “doing the right thing is the right thing to do,” says Amoo-Gottfried. There may not be an immediate financial reward to taking a stand. In fact, there may be consequences like a backlash or boycott.

“It’s easy to worry about what you’re going to lose. But when you take a stand there is a lot to gain,” he noted.

“You have to convince the business that this is in their interest. Treating this like it’s a social cause is useful but only to a point. The reality is if you think about black and brown businesses, if you think about demographics, if you think about spending power, if you think about what they drive from a trend perspective, these are the communities that are driving culture around this country, so to ignore them is crazy. Getting businesses to understand that leaning in here is the right thing to do, and it’s also the right thing to do from a business perspective.”

And what to do if your brand takes a stand but makes a misstep? Be authentic.

“Own up to it. Get out in front of it. This is a huge part of being authentic. When you make a mistake, you say you made a mistake. And you are public about that, and let people know how you are going to fix it.”

Ultimately though, the bottom line is still the bottom line; and it goes both ways. NBA CMO Kate Jhaveri notes, “Where your dollars go really tells the story.” Whether that’s hiring the right people or choosing wisely how and where to spend media dollars, it matters.

Amoo-Gottfried put it like this: “It turns out it’s quite hard to speak to the black community or the Hispanic community if you’re not from that community.”

And how to ensure you are speaking authentically and inclusively to your brand’s community? Microsoft’s Sydney Carlton provided some important steps:

  • Be aware of the impact your industry may have on marginalized communities
    • Do your research and understand the issues concerning diversity and representation facing your industry today—make a plan to address them.
    • Determine what role your company should have in moving your industry towards progress

  • Look inward before looking outward
    • Does your company have a DEI strategy?
    • Does your company leadership have a way to formally interact with historically excluded groups?
    • Are there equitable pay practices for employees and partners?
    • Your partners, vendors, and distribution channels will be on this journey with you and may need to be reexamined.

  • Ensure there is diverse representation in every stage of your workflow
    • Hire qualified and diverse consultants on key projects when that representation doesn’t already exist within.
    • Don’t assume that the “diverse” employee’s job is to be the educator on their own identity
    • Bring everyone on the journey of educating themselves to establish a common baseline of education to these projects

  • Realize that diversity has layers, consider intersectionality
    • Don’t think of representation in binary, one-dimensional ways
    • Represent the vastness in the actual lived experiences of marginalized people.

  • Be transparent & accountable
    • Be open about the areas where your organization could be doing better
    • Make plans and intentions for improvement
    • Create measurable goals
    • Leave room to adapt and grow

Using Creativity To Support A Nation With Fabio Baracho And Alex Gershberg

Our guests for this episode are Fabio Baracho, vice president of marketing, and Alejandro “Alex” Gershberg, marketing director at Grupo Modelo, part of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the largest brewery in Mexico.

In this episode, Fabio, Alex, and I discuss Grupo Modelo’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico. A huge part of this response was envisioning “The Match of the Ages” which occurred when the world felt most isolated and cultural gatherings came to a halt.

Soccer is a Mexican cultural icon. Despite any division the country faces, soccer is the great unifier. But during the pandemic, all games were canceled for more than 60 days. As a way to reunite the country and give back to the people, Grupo Modelo created a brand new 90-minute soccer game from scratch with the country’s two biggest rivals using 70 years’ worth of historical footage.

The game, which aired at zero cost on all major networks, became the highest earned media in the history of the brand. The initiative, El Classico de la Historia, became the first Mexican brand to win a Titanium Lion in the history of the Cannes Lion International Festival of Creativity for Corona brand.

Listen to the full conversation as they discuss the process behind creating the soccer game and how they used the talent and creativity of their employees to help a nation.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • How data can personalize creativity
  • When creativity can support a nation
  • Why you should reimagine entertainment

Key Highlights

  • [02:02] How Alex ended up in marketing
  • [03:44] Fabio’s path to marketing
  • [05:44] The role of VP of Marketing
  • [07:02] The role of Marketing Director
  • [08:22] Connecting creativity and data
  • [10:54] The essence of Grupo Modelo
  • [13:29] How Grupo Model supported Mexicans during the pandemic
  • [19:33] Envisioning the “Match of the Ages”
  • [22:54] Building the equivalent of a virtual Super Bowl
  • [29:33] Bringing brands together to support a nation
  • [36:01] Creating a sense of pride for the Mexican people
  • [40:31] An experience that makes Fabio who he is today
  • [42:24] An experience that makes Alex who he is today
  • [44:52] A topic marketers should be learning more about
  • [49:31] The threats and opportunities facing marketers

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Connect with Marketing Today and Alan Hart:


Alan B. Hart is the creator and host of “Marketing Today with Alan Hart,” a weekly podcast where he interviews leading global marketing professionals and business leaders. Alan advises leading executives and marketing teams on brand, customer experience, innovation, and growth opportunities. He has consulted with Fortune 100 companies, but he is an entrepreneur at his core, having founded or served as an executive for nine companies.

The 7 Global Marketing Trends You Need To Know With Deloitte’s Jennifer Veenstra

Jennifer Veenstra is the Executive Leader of the Deloitte Global CMO Program.

In this episode, Jennifer and I discuss the Global CMO program, what it includes, as well as the other types of programs Deloitte offers to up-and-coming chief marketing officers. As a part of her role, Jennifer helped conduct Deloitte’s 2022 Global Marketing Trends Report where they discovered seven key trends marketers should pay attention to going into the new year. During the conversation, Jennifer helps describe their findings and how each of the seven trends can impact marketers’ strategies today.

Later in the episode, Jennifer and I dig deep into three of them: building the intelligent creative engine, designing a human-first data experience, and elevating the hybrid experience. Listen to the full episode to learn why they are so important.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • What global marketing trends you should pay attention to
  • Balancing human-first with data mining
  • Creating a cohesive customer experience

Key Highlights

  • [01:40] Jennifer was a professional shredder
  • [02:54] Jennifer’s path to Deloitte
  • [04:20] What is Deloitte’s CMO program
  • [06:12] Seven global marketing trends to watch
  • [10:34] Building the intelligent creative engine
  • [15:32] Designing a human-first data experience
  • [20:00] Elevating the hybrid experience
  • [22:22] Comparing experiences across industries
  • [24:28] An experience that defines Jennifer
  • [26:31] Jennifer’s advice to her younger self
  • [27:05] What marketers should be learning more about
  • [28:09] The brands and causes Jennifer follows
  • [29:12] The biggest threat and opportunity for marketers

Resources Mentioned:

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Alan B. Hart is the creator and host of “Marketing Today with Alan Hart,” a weekly podcast where he interviews leading global marketing professionals and business leaders. Alan advises leading executives and marketing teams on brand, customer experience, innovation, and growth opportunities. He has consulted with Fortune 100 companies, but he is an entrepreneur at his core, having founded or served as an executive for nine companies.

Tackling Complex Business Problems With Boeing’s Ed Dandridge

Ed Dandridge is the Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer at the Boeing Company. In this role, he serves on the executive council and oversees all aspects of Boeing’s communications.

In this episode, Ed and I discuss the many executive roles he has had in the past. We also discuss what attracts him to challenging the assignments like AIG after the financial crisis, or Boeing after the CEO transitions, as well as the max airplane challenges that the company has gone through.

Listen to the full conversation to learn more about how Ed tackles complex business problems and how empathy is a key characteristic of diplomacy.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • Where diplomacy and business intersect
  • How to tackle complex business problems
  • Why empathy is a key characteristic of diplomacy

Key Highlights

  • [02:50] Ed’s favorite memories living abroad
  • [05:25] How Ed got into Tufts
  • [09:13] Hired on at ABC
  • [11:30] The intersection of diplomacy and business in Ed’s career
  • [17:09] How Ed finds his next challenge
  • [19:29] What to think about when solving complex business problems
  • [21:15] What’s coming for marketers in 2022?
  • [24:04] The balance of external vs. internal
  • [27:49] Ed’s advice on retaining top talent
  • [31:02] Empathy is the heart of diplomacy
  • [37:05] An experience that defines Ed
  • [40:15] Ed’s advice to his younger self
  • [41:01] What marketers should be learning more about
  • [42:14] The brands and organizations Ed follows
  • [43:23] The biggest threat and opportunity for marketers

Resources Mentioned:

Follow the podcast:

Connect with the Guest:

Connect with Marketing Today and Alan Hart:


Alan B. Hart is the creator and host of “Marketing Today with Alan Hart,” a weekly podcast where he interviews leading global marketing professionals and business leaders. Alan advises leading executives and marketing teams on brand, customer experience, innovation, and growth opportunities. He has consulted with Fortune 100 companies, but he is an entrepreneur at his core, having founded or served as an executive for nine companies.

Gartner’s 2022 Marketing Predictions On Virtual Influencers, Employee Advocacy And More

After two years of increased online interactions and blurred lines between commercial and social, people aren’t going back to their old ways. To help chief marketing officers capture new digital touchpoints. Gartner’s latest report shares its key marketing predictions on virtual influencers, the privacy movement, flexible workplace, social commerce and more.


Mobile App Tracking

Gartner predicts that by 2023, 60 percent of consumers will opt-out of mobile app tracking services, down from 85 percent. For one, consumers are discovering that untargeted ads increase their exposure to low-quality content. Their initial impulse to opt-out of tracking is also fading.  

Seeing that about 25 percent of digital users would actually allow tracking while another 25 percent report allowing it in specific circumstances, prior predictions about the collapse of online tracking are proving to be overblown.

A full reversal to “accept all” tracking from trusted sites and well-established publishers may soon be underway. And those apps and websites that offer customers a reason to opt-in will likely earn a substantial revenue advantage.

To capitalize on this opt-out ambivalence, brands should offer customers compelling reasons to trust them with their data and make it easier for them to change privacy behaviors and settings. They can also mitigate data degradation by maximizing contextual targeting and measurement.


Workplace Flexibility 

Gartner’s next prediction: Workplace flexibility will open the door to advertisers and the volume of ad impressions delivered by TV and streaming media channels between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. will increase by 60 percent.

The firm’s research found that 50 percent of consumers’ regularly scheduled and daily routines have shifted from what they were pre-pandemic. Couple that with the fact that this year, remote and hybrid employees will spend 20 percent more time watching video content during daylight hours.

The outcome of this behavior change is ads placed in former prime-time spots, i.e., those during morning and evening programs, could potentially no longer reach the volume or type of customers that brands would like to engage. On the other hand, this could benefit marketers who’ve been priced out of high-demand spots.

Moving forward, brands should align their ad strategy to utilize the times of day when their audience is most receptive and leverage audio as a core component of the messaging given many customers will be listening while at work.


Employee Advocacy

By 2023, 90 percent of business-to-business (B2B) social media marketing strategies will incorporate scaled employee advocacy programs, which Gartner forecasts will drive brand credibility.

According to LinkedIn, when employees share content it has a 200 percent higher click-through rate than when the company shares it. This finding, along with employees’ decreased trust in company-sourced information, suggests employees have greater personal credibility with customers than brands. 

These programs could achieve greater reach and engagement than conventional approaches to earned and owned social media while simultaneously improving reputation and increasing employee engagement and productivity.

To stay ahead of this trend, Gartner says brands must “leverage the personal touch” by utilizing employee advocacy programs that scale the curation and distribution of consistent brand content on social media.


Virtual Influencers

Everyone saw this one coming. Gartner anticipates that by 2025 CMOs will dedicate 30 percent of influencer and celebrity marketing budgets to virtual influencers. 

Among the benefits of doing so is computer-animated personalities may be worth millions just in brand endorsements. They give brands more control over messaging and cost less than celebrities. There’s also greater consistency and lower risk involved given they’ll never be involved in scandals or leave the firm. 

All of this isn’t to say they don’t come with challenges. Consumer backlash is ever-present and may become an issue if unattainable beauty standards aren’t adequately addressed, Gartner notes.

Brands seeking to harness the power of virtual influencers can explore how they may represent their company or industry, evaluate their performance using the same key performance indicators (KPIs) used for traditional influencers and continue monitoring customer sentiment toward them.


Social Commerce

Traditional digital commerce platforms are out. By 2026, Gartner expects 60 percent of millennial and Gen Z consumers will prefer purchasing on social platforms. Roughly 33 percent of B2B and business-to-consumer organizations have already incorporated selling on social platforms as a portion of their digital commerce strategy – motivated by increasing customer purchasing on social channels. Younger consumers are turning to these commerce options as they enable convenience and discovery.

Brands competing in the space must reimagine the customer experience and how best to design it so that simplicity and enrichment are at the center. The quality of social media product pages must remain high and include information that customers need to make a decision. Regardless of how many customers are willing to opt-in, privacy will forever be a concern therefore transparency here is key.