Influencing with a purpose: How brands are increasingly bringing about social change
It’s during the early years of school that children across the world are introduced to the 3Rs- reduce, reuse and recycle. However, this principle that encourages the reduction of waste, reusing, and recycling of resources isn’t just a concept taught in books; it’s a way of life. Perhaps the only way of conducting life if we aim to move towards a sustainable future.
In fact, it won’t be an exaggeration to regard them as ‘the three magical words’ in the present scenario. As you read this, the world is engulfed by a pandemic, which more often than not, is regarded as nature’s way of striking back on rampant humanity and consumerism. Moving to greener ways of life seems to be a conversation that is taking place everywhere, giving brands an opportunity to step up and give back to society, in more ways than one.
The influence that a brand exerts on its consumers has no bounds, especially in today’s age and time. And since with great power comes great responsibility, brands have realized the importance of taking steps towards building a sustainable future, one step at a time. Quite literally.
The case in point being Adidas and its shoe activism.
The latest season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) witnessed Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma sporting an extremely special pair of shoes on the field. A closer look at it would make you realize why.
Supporting the campaign to spread awareness about the conservation of endangered species, the pair of shoes worn by Sharma was designed to showcase the Great One-Horned Indian Rhinoceros alongside a statement- ‘Save The Rhino’.
Interestingly, this wasn’t the only instance. Further matches also witnessed the skipper sporting other pairs of specially designed Adidas shoes in order to bring awareness for a ‘Plastic Free Ocean’, along with a beautiful piece of art showcasing turtles in pristine blue waters; and another one encouraging the conversation of marine life with the statement- Save the Corals’.
Using shoes as a canvas for spreading awareness during IP- Brilliant, simple, and effective.
In a world where information overload is a rampant issue, ingenuity in marketing techniques like in this instance often works wonders for brands. It not only lends a persona to the brand but enhances its credibility amongst its consumers.
Given the extensive reach of IPL and the ‘God-like’ status of cricketers in the country, it seems like ‘the right opportunity leading to the right kind of awareness’ was just waiting to happen. And Adidas seems to have captured that beautifully! The shoes soon became the talk of the town as social media users did not shy away from praising Rohit for his consistent efforts to spread awareness about social causes.
But before you wonder whether it was a one-off marketing effort put in by the brand to garner some attention and credibility, let’s go back to 2015 when Adidas decided to partner with an environmental organization, Parley for the Oceans. The aim behind this partnership was to recycle plastic from the ocean and turn it into sportswear including shoes. In line with the same, the brand came up with a special collection of sustainable yet high-performance athletic wear.
Adidas also aims to use 100% recycled polyester by 2024, reduce its carbon footprint by 30% by 20230, and by 2050, aims to achieve global climate neutrality.
However, influencing with a purpose isn’t just restricted to environmental issues that brands like Adidas take action upon, but also social issues.
The ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement in 2020 sparked massive outrage in the United States and across social media all over the world. The issue of racism plaguing the nation took centerstage and brands didn’t stay behind in showing solidarity and support.
Adidas’ competitor brand Nike launched a commercial instigating a conversation around “For once, don’t do it” to take a stand against the prevalent racism. The commercial not only made headlines but was also supported by Adidas, in a rather bold move. The brand tweeted Nike’s commercial along with a statement- “Together is the way forward. Together is the way to change”.
This risky move was well appreciated by users across the internet as it encouraged putting up a strong and unified front against social injustice and issues and for brands to come together in order to build a better future. The same movement also saw other brands in the retail space like Reebok to take a stand against racism and come out in support of the Black community.
With mindful initiatives and campaigns like these, brands are increasingly realizing the influence of their content over their consumers. However, since actions speak louder than words, it is imperative for brands to also continually take action to bring about real change in the world, whether social or environmental.
But in all fairness, this is just the beginning! The consumers of the social media age expect brands to demonstrate their ethics and actively contribute to society while being transparent all this while. And rightly so! With a range of pressing issues in society, the conviction to bring about actual change alongside authenticity is valued by the well-informed audience of today. Efforts, like that from Adidas, deserve recognition and applause to bring about positive conversation and change and also mainstream issues that should have been at the center, perhaps a long time ago
About the author:
Yogin Vora, Head- Performance Marketing, HDFC Life
