I recently had the pleasure of guest lecturing on the “Marketing of Social Movements”’ for a graduate course in Advertising Media at The University of Texas.
First of all, I had an absolute blast returning to my college, and standing in a classroom with such great history. I was struck by how engaged the students became in the topic. It reinforced the ability of relevancy and resonance to make an impact.
Using a combination of purpose-driven advertising examples and case studies, I shared the power we possess to shape opinions. And that to change awareness, attitudes, advocacy and action – we use story and sentiment, not facts and figures. We combat apathy and distrust by enlisting authentic influencers to create sharable content. Making movements people want to join.
As I walked across campus afterwards, I was mindful of how far advertising has come. Sure, the tech transformation is noticeable in all aspects of creating, delivering and receiving marketing messages. But on the power of purpose to define the “why” of a brand — this is the first generation that will enter the workplace as diverse in their backgrounds and opinions, yet as unified in the belief that purpose drives people, process, promotion and profit.
And for that, the future looks bright. For all of us.