The idea of sharing this article came up on my research for new brand awareness. I found it very interesting, I hope you enjoy it!

Big brand redemption
What if YOU believed big brands are the answer to a more sustainable, ethical, brighter future for us ALL?

We all know we need a new kind of consumerism. More sustainable and ethical, healthier and fairer for EVERYONE. And right now, there's a consensus answer on how we build it...

That answer tells us that big (often legacy) brands are the PROBLEM.

They are polluting our skies, pushing us sugar, exploiting vulnerable workers, invading our privacy and even lying to us to boost sales (yes, we're talking about you, Volkswagen). Their legacy processes, infrastructure and thinking means they wreak massive and often avoidable damage on the world around them - all in the name of profit.
The consequence? Millions of consumers feel distrust, distaste, even hatred, for the big brands that surround them. And that isn't about to change any time soon...


Meanwhile, a wave of startups show a new way forward.
Think buy-one-give-one shoe brand TOMS. Or electric carmaker Tesla. These startups have values of sustainability, ethics and fairness baked in from the start. Compact, agile and smart, they're able to intelligently minimize their damaging impact. They point the way towards a new kind of consumerism.
The consequence? Millions of consumers actively want to engage with – and work for! – a host of startups dedicated to serving consumers AND building a better world.

But what if we took the way we thought about big brands...
...and turned it on its head?

The idea that all big brands are causing massive environmental, social and health damage – while all startups are shiny, clean and ethical – is a gross simplification. Still, it's inarguable that many big brands currently cause more harm than good.
And if many consumers don't actively think that (because they don't think about these things at all!), then millions instinctively feel it. After all, when was the last time YOU were proud of your engagement with a big brand?
But there's an issue with the idea that, when it comes to building a better future, big brands are the problem and startups are the answer. Sure, many of today's iconic startups do have great values baked in. And starting from scratch means they can effectively build better processes, business models, infrastructure and more. But these startups are limited in reach and resources. They lack the scale to effect truly massive, widespread change.
Big brands, on the other hand, have real POWER...



What if big brands stopped being the sustainability, ethics, health and fairness PROBLEM, and started being the ANSWER...?

No, we haven't been smoking anything ;)

Massive, established brands such as Coca-Cola, Ford, McDonald's, Starbucks – as the saviors of consumerism and the guiding force behind the creation of a better world? YES, we're serious. Keep reading...

Big brands as the world's most powerful force for good?

These brands have massive scale and reach, and vast material and human resources. It's time to put them to better use.
It might sound like a crazy idea. But isn't a crazy idea long overdue? We've all spent years talking about the need for change. But are we really any closer to the system-wide trajectory shift that is needed?
It's time for a fundamental rethink. Instead of assuming that big brands must always be the problem, what if we started to see them as a powerful answer waiting to happen?
Big brands have the scale, reach, resources and human capital – as well as decades of accumulated skills and knowledge – needed to effect massive change. They can do things that no one else – in some cases, not even national governments – can do. They have the potential to be the world's most powerful forces for good.
Yes, we're a long way from that today. And the road to REDEMPTION is an arduous one. But it's time to start putting one foot in front of the other.

BIG BRAND REDEMPTION | Big brands are mired in eco, social and health sin. Now, they must seek REDEMPTION by leveraging their vast scale, resources and expertize to tackle the challenges that no one else can, and build a better world!
Big brands need to ask themselves: why do we exist at all?
Take Coca-Cola. It's one of the most effective mechanisms for manufacture and distribution ever devised. The Coca-Cola system (the company plus local bottling partners) employs 700,000 people in over 200 countries.
Can we afford – as a society, as a planet – for that organization to exist solely to make money? Will Coca-Cola even survive long-term if that is its only purpose?
What if Coca-Cola became the world's largest humanitarian distribution network, funded by the sale of (sugar-free) soft drinks? What if Ford became the world's largest anti-climate change organization? What if Unilever became the largest champion of global health?
This is about repurposing a big brand around the epic problem that it's best positioned to solve. And if you work inside or with a big brand, that journey could start with YOU!


You may say we're dreamers...
Hold on: many big brands are more profitable than ever! And most consumers don't care about this stuff: they just want MORE, FASTER and EASIER, and they want it NOW! After all, in Q1 2016, McDonald's reported a sales bump of 5.7% thanks to the introduction of the all-day Egg McMuffin breakfast.
Hardly REDEMPTION. But we're not saying we're there yet. Or even close. We ARE saying that this is – and must be – the direction of travel.


Okay, but what can I do?
You're right: a brand can't start on the road to REDEMPTION without buy-in from the very top. But who is going to light the fuse that leads to that change? YOU, of course! It's time to start a MOVEMENT inside your brand. But first, you need the argument – and the examples – that will persuade those early adopters...
A powerful convergence of changing consumer mindsets and shifting social and economic realities is driving this trend.
Rising numbers are trapped in a GUILT spiral.
Yes, millions of consumers are happily chowing down on their afternoon Egg McMuffins. But millions of others feel rising guilt over the negative eco, social and health impacts of their consumption. And as the consumer arena becomes more transparent, and customers become more educated and aware, that guilt is set to spread. Brands need to change accordingly, or face irrelevance in the decades to come. For big brands, REDEMPTION is simply enlightened self-interest.

Eight out of ten people say it is the responsibility of business to lead the solution of social problems.

WHY REDEMPTION? Find out more about this EPIC PROBLEM at trendwatching repport.

This trend is about big brands becoming THE change agents for a better world...

YOUR WORK STARTS TODAY!
Right now, you're just one voice in an organization of thousands. But gather a few like-minded colleagues, and start plotting how you could start a REDEMPTION movement inside your brand. Yes, it will be tough. But a select few brands are ALREADY on the road – why not yours? And never forget that you're on the right side of history!