Purpose Review: How Brands are Impacting Business & Culture
Welcome to the latest edition of the Purpose Review with the latest news, trend insights and happenings from the Allison and Headstand Purpose Center of Excellence.
November was both a full and swift month, beginning with the election and results and wrapping with COP29 and its climate finance deal, which left many wanting. With both in the rear-view, much remains murky on both national and global scales when it comes to the implications of purpose-driven issues such as climate and equity. But, we know the decisions made this past month will have lasting impacts for years to come. Our Center of Excellence is here to help you navigate shifts in the landscape as you continue to drive forward corporate purpose.
We’ve kept busy this past month as well. Following the launch the Allison Advanced Issues Monitor (AIM), a tool to support corporate leaders in navigating the digital landscape, our very own Whitney Dailey led an engaging discussion with a panel that included Adam Berinsky, professor of political science at MIT; Andrew Higham, director, The Harris Poll; and Rosemary McGillan, chief marketing and communications officer, The Red Cross. The panel discussed the impact of social media on misinformation and disinformation and what that means for corporate and media narratives. If you’d like to learn more about AIM, reach out to [email protected].
Read on for the latest trends, news and updates from our team.
When concern goes up, consumer confidence goes down. An overwhelming percentage of Americans want to feel more connected as a country, which gives brands a unique chance to become leading voices in bridging divides. Global marketers can start their pursuit of insight by looking for commonalities across countries and cultures rather than divisions. Specifically, people feel that emphasizing shared American values is the most effective way for brands to foster unity. By focusing on values such as hard work, honesty and the importance of freedom for all, brands can operate in a safe space that transcends political and social divides.
2.?Sustainable Brands: Corporate Giants See $5T Benefit in Climate Action, Doubling Previous Estimates
The world’s biggest companies see more business opportunities from tackling climate change than ever before – nearly $5 trillion in potential gains, according to data released by CDP. On a per-company basis, the average financial amount identified stands at $3.1 billion, with the most impactful opportunities related to shifting products and services, attracting new markets, and building climate resilience.
3.?Harvard Business Review: Green Innovation Shows New Markets Don’t Have to Be Disruptive
Adopting a nondisruptive approach, whenever feasible, transforms the environmental agenda from a mere obligation into a driver for profitable growth that breaks the tradeoff between economic returns and a cleaner environment. Instead of seeing the environmental challenge as an economic burden or potentially disruptive threat, turning it into a new, nondisruptive opportunity could open up a profitable path while you address environmental concerns, allowing you to achieve positive-sum outcomes for your company, your industry, and society.
4.?Fast Company: 3 reasons why a Trump administration may not slow climate progress as much as it could
While reaching the goals affirmed at last year’s COP28 Summit has become much harder in light of former President Trump’s reelection, a few bright spots – including momentum in capital markets, political headwinds and attracting and training a new clean-energy workforce – are keeping hope alive that the U.S. and world at large can continue to make steady progress on climate change.
IBM released its first-ever State of Sustainability Readiness Report 2024, revealing that 88% of business leaders surveyed are planning to increase investment in IT for sustainability over the next 12 months. Almost universally, respondents had a positive take on AI's potential for sustainability: 9 out of 10 surveyed executives agree that AI will positively influence achieving their sustainability goals. A huge opportunity remains if organizations invest in the right AI tools for them and lean in on data to lessen the perception gap between top execs and their staff.
80 – that’s the percent of executives who say they plan to maintain or increase sustainability investments under a Trump administration, per PwC.
Even as we await clarity on how Republican policy will come to fruition, there remain powerful incentives to prioritize sustainability. Such investments are still business imperatives with implications for the bottom line: for example, with potential tariffs in play, investing in resilient domestic supply chains becomes even more critical. Corporate ESG and communications leaders need to continue championing projects underway to ensure leadership maintains existing commitments, but they should also be thinking about contingency plans in case the Inflation Reduction Act and other funding sources undergo shifts. And, of course, communicators and ESG professionals will need to remain in lockstep with their policy and government relations teams to stay at the forefront of burgeoning changes.
Launching a one-of-a-kind public attraction with National Geographic Society: The National Geographic Society recently announced the launch of the National Geographic Museum of Exploration, a sustainably-built, must-visit experience as part of its reimagined campus in the heart of Washington, D.C. Scheduled to open in mid-2026, the public attraction, fueled by cutting-edge technologies, will feature one-of-a-kind National Geographic curated exhibitions, immersive and educational experiences, a state-of-the-art theater, restaurant and retail store. This fall, our team supported with outreach around the launch, securing 31 pieces of earned coverage, including hits in Washington Post, Axios DC, and Washington Business Journal.
If you have any questions or would like to learn more, say hello to the Purpose Center of Excellence at [email protected].?
Good read, appreciate the insights.