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Category: Leadership

What is a Regenerative Business? The Case of Palermo’s Moltivolti
  • Leadership

What is a Regenerative Business? The Case of Palermo’s Moltivolti

  • Posted on September 30, 2021October 9, 2021
  • by Christian Sarkar, Enrico Foglia and Philip Kotler

Social entrepreneurship has not consistently delivered on the promise of social upliftment using capitalism as an engine for change. Belinda Bell – a Fellow of Social Innovation at the University…

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Bruce Springsteen’s Reunited States of America
  • Brand Activism

Bruce Springsteen’s Reunited States of America

  • Posted on February 8, 2021February 12, 2021
  • by Christian Sarkar

UPDATE: Jeep has pulled the Springsteen ad following a report by TMZ that Springsteen was arrested in New Jersey for a DWI in November. Bruce Springsteen (and Jeep) give us a powerful…

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CEOs, Political Contributions, & the Brand
  • Brand Activism

CEOs, Political Contributions, & the Brand

  • Posted on January 12, 2021January 13, 2021
  • by Christian Sarkar & Philip Kotler

After watching the MAGA insurrection on live television, Corporate America is rethinking its political donations. Let’s be blunt about it: businesses have to decide if they support democracy or not.…

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Will Business Save Democracy?
  • Brand Activism

Will Business Save Democracy?

  • Posted on July 20, 2020July 23, 2020
  • by Christian Sarkar & Philip Kotler

What happens when our government fails to establish a standard for the Common Good?  In the case of COVID-19 and the topic of mask wearing, we see corporate citizens step…

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Black Lives Matter: When Wicked Problems Intersect
  • Brand Activism

Black Lives Matter: When Wicked Problems Intersect

  • Posted on June 1, 2020June 3, 2020
  • by Christian Sarkar

Last night, the President of the United States hid in a bunker and turned off the lights at the White House. Not since the murder of MLK has the USA…

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LEAD on Climate 2020: Will Business Make a Difference?
  • Brand Activism

LEAD on Climate 2020: Will Business Make a Difference?

  • Posted on May 18, 2020May 18, 2020
  • by Christian Sarkar

As Congress considers various paths to recovery from the health and economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, it should strive to build back better, by planning for a more…

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B2B Brand Purpose: The Coming Backlash
  • Brand Activism

B2B Brand Purpose: The Coming Backlash

  • Posted on February 18, 2020February 19, 2020
  • by Christian Sarkar & Philip Kotler

B2B brands are in for a rude awakening. By lagging behind their B2C counterparts, they are inadvertently creating a rift between their future customers and their future business. What do…

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The Declaration of Interdependence – an interview with Henry Mintzbeg
  • Brand Activism

The Declaration of Interdependence – an interview with Henry Mintzbeg

  • Posted on January 30, 2020January 30, 2020
  • by Christian Sarkar

Henry Mintzberg is the John Cleghorn Professor of Management Studies (Strategy & Organization) and Faculty Director (International Masters for Health Leadership) at the Desautels Faculty of Management of McGill University…

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How Brands can Create an “Internet of Purpose”
  • Brand Activism

How Brands can Create an “Internet of Purpose”

  • Posted on December 7, 2019December 7, 2019
  • by Christian Sarkar & Philip Kotler

With today’s brand activism, we see many companies deciding to take a stand for a better world. For example, since signing Colin Kaepernick to an endorsement deal, Nike has added…

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The ROI of Brand Activism: Unilever’s Latest Findings
  • Brand Activism

The ROI of Brand Activism: Unilever’s Latest Findings

  • Posted on November 27, 2019December 2, 2019
  • by Christian Sarkar & Philip Kotler

Purpose is not a luxury. It is a must have. Companies interested in the ROI of Purpose should look at the official results from a company like Unilever. Earlier this…

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How Companies can Build a “Purpose Platform” for the Common Good
  • Brand Activism

How Companies can Build a “Purpose Platform” for the Common Good

  • Posted on October 3, 2019May 1, 2020
  • by Christian Sarkar & Philip Kotler

We live in apocalyptic times. Everywhere we turn, we see a growing number of interlinked challenges – from rising inequality to environmental collapse – that will require collaboration between unlikely…

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“Will the Amazon Fires Wake Up the World?” – An Interview with the Rainforest Alliance’s Nigel Sizer
  • Environmental Activism

“Will the Amazon Fires Wake Up the World?” – An Interview with the Rainforest Alliance’s Nigel Sizer

  • Posted on August 29, 2019
  • by Christian Sarkar

Brazil has had more than 72,000 fire outbreaks so far this year, an 84% increase on the same period in 2018. According to The Guardian, the large number of conflagrations…

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Does Your Business Have a Soul?An Interview with Elsie Maio
  • Brand Activism

Does Your Business Have a Soul?An Interview with Elsie Maio

  • Posted on June 14, 2019August 26, 2019
  • by Christian Sarkar

Elsie Maio has guided leaders in the Fortune 100 for over 25 years to achieve specific business goals by managing their brands strategically. She is an alumna of McKinsey &…

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Should Business Support the Green New Deal?
  • Brand Activism

Should Business Support the Green New Deal?

  • Posted on June 1, 2019December 1, 2021
  • by Philip Kotler

Does your business support the Green New Deal?   The American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC) does:   As responsible business leaders and investors in industries across  America, we support the Green New Deal.  By…

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Procter & Gamble’s Marc Pritchard On the Gillette Ad Backlash
  • Brand Activism

Procter & Gamble’s Marc Pritchard On the Gillette Ad Backlash

  • Posted on January 29, 2019January 29, 2019
  • by Christian Sarkar

Jonathan Knowles recent article in The Marketing Journal – Do Not Risk Your Brand To Build Your Reputation: A Lesson Learned From Gillette – is a cautionary tale for brands…

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Gillette: “The Best a Man Can Be”
  • Brand Activism

Gillette: “The Best a Man Can Be”

  • Posted on January 16, 2019January 24, 2019
  • by Christian Sarkar

Has Procter & Gamble joined the Brand Activism bandwagon? Gillette’s latest ad campaign is turning heads with its “woke” message: What we see here is an appeal to the “better…

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Can a Beverage Fight Hate?
  • Brand Activism

Can a Beverage Fight Hate?

  • Posted on January 14, 2019
  • by Christian Sarkar

Sprite’s #iloveyouhater campaign breaks new ground for a soft-drink commercial: According to Adage, Sprite is now just one of a string of brands to have addressed online “haters” and social media…

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Patagonia: “We’re in business to save the planet.”
  • Brand Activism

Patagonia: “We’re in business to save the planet.”

  • Posted on January 8, 2019January 8, 2019
  • by Christian Sarkar

In December of 2018 Patagonia updated its raison d’être: Is this feasible? Can Patagonia really “use business to protect nature”? What concrete actions is Patagonia taking to prove this isn’t…

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A Critique of “Purpose”
  • Brand Activism

A Critique of “Purpose”

  • Posted on January 8, 2019January 11, 2019
  • by Christian Sarkar & Philip Kotler

Maria Hengeveld‘s article in the Nation, Big Business Has a New Scam: The ‘Purpose Paradigm,’ raises a critical point: “Contrary to its purported aim, the point of purpose isn’t to drive change.…

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Raheem Sterling: NIKE’s got your back
  • Brand Activism

Raheem Sterling: NIKE’s got your back

  • Posted on January 2, 2019January 8, 2019
  • by Christian Sarkar

Speaking up doesn’t always make life easier. But easy never changed anything. @sterling7 pic.twitter.com/sFZHeMo5s4 — Nike Football (@nikefootball) December 15, 2018 When Raheem Sterling spoke up about racism at a…

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Legacy Making: Building the Long-Term Brand – An Interview with Mark Miller
  • Brand Activism

Legacy Making: Building the Long-Term Brand – An Interview with Mark Miller

  • Posted on December 21, 2018December 28, 2018
  • by Christian Sarkar

Mark Miller is the chief strategy officer at Team One, Publicis Groupe’s advertising agency for premium and luxury brands, and the founder of The Legacy Lab, a research and consulting practice that explores how…

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“Why Competition in the Politics Industry is Failing America” – A report by Katherine Gehl and Michael Porter
  • Leadership

“Why Competition in the Politics Industry is Failing America” – A report by Katherine Gehl and Michael Porter

  • Posted on December 19, 2018December 19, 2018
  • by Christian Sarkar & Philip Kotler

Can government be “run like a business”? This is one of the biggest fallacies in the current political debate. We are told, time and time again, that a candidate for…

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Racism on Display at Prada
  • Brand Activism

Racism on Display at Prada

  • Posted on December 15, 2018December 15, 2018
  • by Christian Sarkar

Less than 24 hours ago, the world read about Chinyere Ezie‘s shocking encounter with Prada’s extreme insensitivity  outright racism in the storefront of their Soho outlet.  Here’s her Facebook post:…

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Where There is No Justice: An Interview with David Hinds
  • Brand Activism

Where There is No Justice: An Interview with David Hinds

  • Posted on December 11, 2018December 12, 2018
  • by Christian Sarkar

Musician David Hinds is the founder and front-man for Steel Pulse, the world’s leading reggae band. In 1978, race relations in Britain were in crisis. The National Front was gathering power and immigrants…

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Does Your Brand Have an Anti-Hate Policy?
  • Brand Activism

Does Your Brand Have an Anti-Hate Policy?

  • Posted on December 1, 2018December 13, 2018
  • by Christian Sarkar

According to We Are Social‘s Mobbie Nazir all brands should have anti-hate policies visible on all their channels. Here’s her insight: Almost all brands choose to silence hate on social media by…

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TOMS: The Campaign to End Gun Violence
  • Brand Activism

TOMS: The Campaign to End Gun Violence

  • Posted on November 30, 2018
  • by Christian Sarkar

Blake Mycoskie, the founder of Toms, the shoe company with the famous one-for-one program, announced a $5 million donation campaign to end gun violence. Here’s Mycoskie making an emotional statement…

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Brand Activism: Patagonia’s Tax Cut Goes to Planet Earth
  • Brand Activism

Brand Activism: Patagonia’s Tax Cut Goes to Planet Earth

  • Posted on November 28, 2018November 28, 2018
  • by Christian Sarkar & Philip Kotler

“Being a responsible company means paying your taxes in proportion to your success and supporting your state and federal governments, which in turn contribute to the health and well-being of…

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“Brands Taking Stands Is a Movement” – 82 Percent of Corporate Leaders
  • Brand Activism

“Brands Taking Stands Is a Movement” – 82 Percent of Corporate Leaders

  • Posted on November 28, 2018November 28, 2018
  • by Christian Sarkar & Philip Kotler

Eight-out-of-10 corporate leaders believe companies now have an obligation to speak out on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, according to new research on brand advocacy conducted by GlobeScan and…

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“Stand for Something: Brand Activism at Nike”
  • Brand Activism

“Stand for Something: Brand Activism at Nike”

  • Posted on October 8, 2018November 22, 2018
  • by Christian Sarkar & Philip Kotler

Marketing today means brands must stand for something– even if it means sacrificing a segment of their customers in order to be cool with the segment they are consciously targeting.…

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“The Regressive Brand: The Dark Side of Brand Activism”
  • Brand Activism

“The Regressive Brand: The Dark Side of Brand Activism”

  • Posted on October 7, 2018November 22, 2018
  • by Christian Sarkar & Philip Kotler

“…when riches and virtue are placed together in the scales of the balance, the one always rises as the other falls” – Plato’s Republic, Book VIII A recent online survey asks…

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“Don’t Be Evil: When Employees Stand Up to Save the Brand”
  • Brand Activism

“Don’t Be Evil: When Employees Stand Up to Save the Brand”

  • Posted on October 5, 2018November 22, 2018
  • by Christian Sarkar & Philip Kotler

What happens when employees decide their company should not pursue a customer or a project?  Do they have the right to be conscientious objectors? At Google, that’s exactly what happened. This…

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“Risking the Brand: When Companies Value Profits Before People”
  • Brand Activism

“Risking the Brand: When Companies Value Profits Before People”

  • Posted on October 1, 2018November 7, 2018
  • by Christian Sarkar & Philip Kotler

The Reputation Institute publishes an annual study of corporate reputation in America, and now, in 2018, the US RepTrak 100 reveals an average three-point decline in company reputation. This is the…

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“Brandshaming: The Kids vs. The NRA”
  • Brand Activism

“Brandshaming: The Kids vs. The NRA”

  • Posted on September 25, 2018November 7, 2018
  • by Christian Sarkar & Philip Kotler

On Valentine’s Day 2018, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School lost 17 students to a mass shooting. The students stood up in revolt against our politicians – asking them to do…

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“The Social Purpose of Business: Brand Activism as a CEO Imperative”
  • Brand Activism

“The Social Purpose of Business: Brand Activism as a CEO Imperative”

  • Posted on September 20, 2018November 7, 2018
  • by Christian Sarkar & Philip Kotler

A Call to Action Larry Fink’s recent letter to CEOs is titled “A Sense of Purpose,” and in it he makes the case for the CEO leadership for societal good.…

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“The Future of Brand America: Lessons from the Super Bowl and Beyond”
  • Brand Activism

“The Future of Brand America: Lessons from the Super Bowl and Beyond”

  • Posted on September 12, 2018November 7, 2018
  • by Christian Sarkar & Philip Kotler

Where are we going? When it comes to Brand America, the United States stands at an inflection point. It can be argued that what makes America great is our values.…

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“How to Become a Brand Activist”
  • Brand Activism

“How to Become a Brand Activist”

  • Posted on September 8, 2018November 7, 2018
  • by Christian Sarkar & Philip Kotler

Our economic system of Capitalism is both praiseworthy and blameworthy at the same time. We need to acknowledge that worldwide Capitalism has lifted many out of extreme poverty. But almost…

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“Finally, Brand Activism!”
  • Brand Activism

“Finally, Brand Activism!”

  • Posted on September 5, 2018November 22, 2018
  • by Christian Sarkar & Philip Kotler

Historically, most brands have been marketed on their performance characteristics. “Our toothpaste is better than yours.” We’re better at “whitening teeth,” “preventing cavities,” or giving you “fresh breath.” Positioning was the name…

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Recent Posts

  • What is a Regenerative Business? The Case of Palermo’s Moltivolti
  • Bruce Springsteen’s Reunited States of America
  • CEOs, Political Contributions, & the Brand
  • Coca Cola’s #opentobetter
  • Cross-Brand Activism: The Way Forward

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