Are socially conscious campaigns the future of marketing?
Modern consumers are more politically, environmentally, and socially conscious than ever — a trend which is slowly becoming evident in the way that businesses or brands have begun to market their services or products. Gone are the days of fad marketing campaigns, and instead, consumers want to support a business or brand that they trust to have similar ethics, values, and socially conscious responsibilities.
Modern consumers are more politically, environmentally, and socially conscious than ever — a trend which is slowly becoming evident in the way that businesses or brands have begun to market their services or products. Gone are the days of fad marketing campaigns, and instead, consumers want to support a business or brand that they trust to have similar ethics, values, and socially conscious responsibilities.
In recent years, and for many businesses, going ‘viral’ was a marketing dream. An explosion in popularity, a swift increase in sales, and the potential to become a globally-recognised brand left many searching for the next big social ‘hit’. Yet viral marketing-which encapsulated a large part of the 2010’s-was tantamount to lighting a match. You have an initial bright spark, followed by a steady burn, but before long the match has fizzled out, and a new match is lit — signifying the movement of the consumer from one trend to the next.
Social consciousness, or social responsibility, whilst not new in nature, has become a defining aspect in the way that people live their lives. Consumers have become more attuned to injustices and inequalities that plague everyday life, and because of this these people are more politically empowered, environmentally conscious, and socially aware of their privilege in society, or lack thereof. Whilst the nature of this modern consciousness may not encapsulate every demographic, in every market or sector, it is important to note that key demographic barriers are challenged and transcended — meaning that marketeers have the potential to engage with a larger demographic through a socially conscious campaign, regardless of the product or service, and largely due to the fact that social responsibility can be equally accessed by all.
So then what does this marketing shift mean for businesses and brands?
To be simply put, in order to attract, engage, and retain a large portion of the current consumer base as well as the next generation of consumers, businesses need to embrace the use of these socially conscious marketing campaigns or risk being usurped by businesses that do. Embracing this marketing style and strategy is not only ensuring that their businesses services or products align with the values and responsibilities of this shifting consumer culture, but that the brand itself does too.
At their core, consumers want (and need!) to feel like they can trust the business that they are buying from or using. Consumers want to know that they are supporting a business that has a positive social or environmental impact, or is politically aware and unafraid to challenge inequality, and in kind, consumers express this support with their money which thus creates an emotional and mental investment into a business and its brand.
This socially conscious business-to-consumer marketing perhaps sounds too simplistic on paper as whilst supporting a cause is easily done at the touch of a button, or the creation of a tweet, it is also just as easy to cause controversy and division. For a business or brand to embrace socially conscious campaigns and marketing, there is always an inherent risk of appearing inauthentic or disingenuous — even if the intention was good. To prevent this, businesses and brands must be able to demonstrate a genuine commitment to consciousness — whether this is through an internal inclusion and diversity programme, a corporate commitment towards sustainability, or even by partnering with a third sector organisation.
The role of socially conscious campaigns in marketing is clear. Consumer tastes and trends construct purchasing power, and it is this power that will always influence businesses and brands. Social consciousness (or responsibility) is currently at the forefront of consumers’ minds, and subsequently their purchasing behaviour, meaning that for the foreseeable future socially conscious campaigns will remain an integral part of any business or brands marketing strategy.
Whether this marketing style is a trend in itself due to popularity, or whether it will become the next evolution of marketing remains to be seen. What is a certainty however, is that the power of consumer spending will dictate to all and be governed by none.
