The One Brand That Addresses My Concerns as a Grandmother

I can usually argue passionately for the power of branding to make a positive impact on the world, but recently, I found myself wondering whether some issues are too deep, too painful, too weighty, to lend themselves to such remedy.?Last week, I stumbled across two thought-provoking segments about just such an agonizing issue: the worsening mental health among our young people.

On Smerconish, I watched an interview with the brilliant Professor Scott Galloway, who delivered an alarming account of the deteriorating state of mental health among young men, noting the profound impact of this development on society as a whole. Then, as I prepared to begin work, I became totally absorbed in a TEDTalk by KC Davis, "How to Do Laundry When You're Depressed." Both segments highlighted a disturbing reality: in wealthy countries, young people are struggling with depression and anxiety, while those in poorer countries are suffering a plague of hopelessness.

As a grandmother, there's little I can do other than be loving, playful, and mindful with my grandkids to help them emerge intact as the teens of tomorrow – I hope, at least, to establish my bona fides as an ally to them, come what may.?

As painful as these issues are, I do not believe they are as intractable as they first appear although I do not wish to downplay the significance or severity of the struggles faced by younger generations.

But, as always, I asked myself, "Can brands do something about it?" The answer is a resounding yes. ?

Want some evidence supporting this claim? Look no further than Dove’s Real Beauty campaign, which launched in 2004 and has served as a much-needed balm to the harsh and unyielding ideal of physical perfection imposed on so many young women.

The campaign kicked off with daring ads featuring real women with real bodies and real imperfections, a stark contrast to the airbrushed fictions we have grown accustomed to seeing in the media. The campaign's multidimensional approach extended across all of the brand’s communication and social responsibility efforts. Dove didn’t stop there, and went on to found and sponsor the Self Esteem project, an initiative that helps young people build their self-esteem, along with a positive body image. Some of the brilliant content they created went viral, spreading the message even further.

What can we learn from this? First and foremost, brands need to prioritize a long-term platform that can enable many iterations over time. Social responsibility efforts must be aligned with the brand's consumer-facing values, and consistency across all products and marketing efforts creates synergies that optimize investments and elevate brand recall and preference. Actions speak louder than words, and brands need to deliver on their promises.

In the case of Dove, the brand's unique value proposition went beyond its tangible products to stand as a commitment to promoting positive self-image among women. Dove used creative branding to express this foundation repeatedly over time, adapting to different circumstances and channels.

These efforts have paid off. According to Statista, the Dove brand was valued at approximately 5.1 billion U.S. dollars in 2022, and it has grown from a US-only soap bar into one of Unilever's biggest global brands. Dove now competes in 60 percent of all personal-care buying occasions every day.

So, while the challenges facing young people may seem overwhelming, brands have the power to make a positive difference. By prioritizing a long-term platform for social responsibility efforts, delivering on their promises, and creatively expressing their unique value propositions, brands can rise above the become powerful agents for good in society.