brandannual 2019

Carbotopia
Innovation
In Brands
we Trust!
The world is rapidly becoming more global. Modern
technology is bringing people who might otherwise
never have met closer together. The urbanization
process is having a positive effect on incomes.
We can watch movies that give us emotional triggers and
help us to identify with both heroes and ideals. This is
known as the multiplier effect and has been common in
the world of commercials for a long time.
Direct marketers have been early detractors of heavy
advertising spending, although the jury is still out on
how much their multilevel marketing remuneration
models have leveraged consumers. Although they often
bad-mouth commercial brands, the bigger networks cultivate
their own brands. Of course these are only known
within their networks.
Digital platforms enable businesses, particularly
start-ups, to build on existing brand awareness. Once
establishing a successful model these businesses then
become brands themselves but without having expended
any contributions, efforts or thoughts on brand-management.
There is still a lack of very basic knowledge on
what brands are about. Put simply, brands make specific
promises to their clients about what they can expect,
should the clients or customers decide to purchase their
products or services.
Globalization is making it harder for consumers to
make informed choices about things they care for. Certification
and labelling add to these difficulties. For example,
what does “Bio“ mean? Or “Sustainable“? Societies
today are over regulated and there are no common standards
to aid consumers.
In 2015 the UN member countries adopted 17 Goals
for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs).
Maybe the Developed World could acquaint much easier
if following sequence:
#8 Decent Work and economic growth generated by
#9 Industrial and Infrastructure Innovation for
#11 Sustainable Cities and Communities prioritizing
#12 Responsible Consumption and Production without
depleting or littering
#14 Life below Water nor diminishing habitats for
#15 Life on Earth, which would result in the most effective
#13 Climate Action additionally supportable by
#7 Clean Energy for All to deflate
#10 Inequalities starting from ubiquitous
#5 Gender Equality to be particularly built incipiently
from
#4 Quality Education as literate societies will always
rather strive for
#16 Peace and Justice cushioned by Strong Institutions
and conserve
#6 Clean Water and Sanitation, a condition precedent to
#3 Good Health and Well-Being may all help to finish
#1 ending Poverty and
#2 zero out hunger under joint efforts in
#17 Partnerships for the Goals.
Climate Change has been in the political arena for
25 years now and is undoubtedly the strongest indicator
of how unsustainable the world has become. There
have been recent public calls for action by various celebrities
and even some politicians took interest in such
publicity. There have even been so-called “Brothers in
Arms“ appeals for SDG efforts. But this is where brands
can have a more significant effect; together brands can
achieve what prosumers individually cannot.
Think about it. If brands were to work together to
replace the linear carbon economy which squanders
trillions of $US each year, 12 out of the 17 SDGs would
progress significantly. The reduction in CO 2
would
cash-up consumers. In return brands will enjoy such
increased purchasing power again. How about that for
a revolution!
The Business and Investment Magazine brandannual 61