As awareness about environmental issues has increased, consumer behavior has begun to change as we find ourselves becoming much more careful and selective with products and brands we trust. Companies, for their part, have started to launch campaigns that place sustainability and respect for the environment as the cornerstone of their work. But are these types of campaigns truthful?
Recent studies have shown that more than half of consumers view brands as inauthentic when taking stances on these issues, seeing it more as an act than a true commitment to change. This phenomenon is known as “greenwashing,” and it has caused a divide between storytelling (what brands communicate) and storydoing (what brands do). What this has ultimately revealed is that there is little concordance between a customer’s experience with a brand and the messages put out by a brand.
At LeanFactor we believe that this is where agencies must play a more relevant role. We must get more involved from a strategic point of view, as opposed to a merely tactical one, sharing values to work in harmony with our clients. In this way, agencies have a more transcendental and innovative role when it comes to accompanying a brand in the creative and strategic process so that it translates into a real commitment to the consumer.
We also see an evolution in the relationship between agencies and advertisers in terms of the values that agency brands expect. This evolution represents an opportunity for agencies to play a much more active role, not only in planning campaigns, but also in creating strategies for different brands. In terms of sustainability, agencies can and must become engines to drive these changes, because as strategic relationships continue to be strengthened, a brand’s communication will be an accurate reflection of their social commitment.
We believe that we all must to work together for a better world, and that’s why our industry has a responsibility to create accurate imaging and messaging for brands.
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