Beyond Profit Podcast

Claiming to have a brand purpose without demonstrating positive impact on society doesn’t cut it with consumers. They expect brands to make a positive contribution to the world, to educate them, and to help them engage in sustainable behavior versus force feeding products the world doesn’t need. Indeed, according to Dr. Emmanuel Probst, the global lead of thought leadership at Ipsos, the most purposeful brands transform the people they serve and the world we live in. That’s a point he drives home in his new book Assemblage: The Art and Science of Brand Transformation. By combining personal, social, and cultural components, he argues, brands can make a positive impact on people, society, and the economy. In this episode of Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose (http://www.ana.net/brandpurpose), Dr. Probst joins host Ken Beaulieu to discuss key aspects of his book, including embracing the villains in your category, the need for brands to practice responsible consumption, and what we can learn from great artists like Picasso.

While there are many attributes to a purpose-driven company, one stands out as irrefutable: an engaged corporate culture.  PMG, a global independent digital company, has built a workplace culture that is the envy of the agency world. Named the 2022 independent agency of the year by MediaPost, PMG has been lauded as not only one of the best places to work but also a great place for innovators, working parents, and women. One of the champions of PMG’s efforts to put people first and foster a culture of belonging, inclusion, and diversity is Parks Blackwell, vice president of marketing and client development. In this episode of Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose (http://www.ana.net/brandpurpose), Parks joins host Ken Beaulieu to discuss how PMG prioritizes the personal and professional success of employees and how that translates to award-winning creative work, new business, and customer retention.

With research showing that 75 percent of brands could disappear tomorrow without consumers batting an eye, the need for a brand purpose is greater than ever. However, coming up with a powerful purpose that is authentic to your brand and speaks to consumers can be very difficult. To make the process a little easier, Beyond Profit host Ken Beaulieu shares four tips that will simplify the purpose discovery process.

As a trusted advisor to CEOs at some of the world’s most admired companies, Dev Patnaik has a good grasp of what separates good organizations from the great ones. And this much is true: It is not the quality of their ideas. According to Dev, the longtime CEO of Jump Associates and author of the acclaimed book Wired to Care: How Companies Prosper When They Create Widespread Empathy, businesses that anticipate and act on the needs of their customers are the ones that stand apart. It’s the essence of being an empathetic, purpose-driven company that seeks a higher reason for being than profit. In this episode of Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose (http://www.ana.net/brandpurpose), Dev joins host Ken Beaulieu to discuss why it can be tough for consumers and customers to separate the true do-good brands from the imposters, the importance of tapping into empathy, and whether the business world is truly walking the purpose walk.

Many companies are focused on the external activities needed to ensure brand purpose comes off as authentic and meaningful in the minds of consumers. However, companies that ignore these steps for internally activating their purpose are setting themselves up for failure.

As consumers look to business to solve the biggest challenges of our time, they are throwing their support and dollars behind brands they trust. But here’s the problem: Less than half of brands are seen as trustworthy. So, how do brands build trust and break through with consumers? Pranav Yadav, global CEO at Neuro-Insight, a leading neuromarketing and neuroanalytics resource, says businesses must dig deep by tapping into subconscious human motivations, emotions, and intuition that influence behavior. Only then, Pranav says, can brands truly develop marketing messages that leave a positive impression, influence buying decisions, and build trust. In this episode of Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose (http://www.ana.net/brandpurpose), Pranav joins host Ken Beaulieu to discuss this topic more at length, including the role purpose plays in building trust, and why it’s critical to identify the true feelings people have about brands.

There is no lack of research and data suggesting that an authentic purpose is good for business, for society, and for the planet.When companies lead with purpose, and root it in business strategy, a cascade of benefits are likely to follow — from greater customer loyalty and advocacy to increased sales and innovation to workforce retention and brand growth.            One man who needs no convincing about the power of purpose is Afdhel Aziz, founder and chief purpose officer at Conspiracy of Love, a social impact marketing agency. His whole business model is shaped around the idea of creating a better world through purpose. And in his work with some of the world’s most iconic brands, Afdhel hopes to help people use business and culture as forces for good. In this episode of Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose (http://www.ana.net/brandpurpose), Afdhel joins host Ken Beaulieu to discuss the state of the purpose movement and the trends that are reshaping the business landscape for the greater good.

While the internet has dramatically revolutionized almost every aspect of life, there is a toxic side to the online space that simply cannot be ignored — the spread of hate speech, for which the U.S. government declared a mental health risk for young Americans.According to the Anti-Defamation League, 35 percent of Americans have experienced online hate due to their racial, religious, or sexual identity. Of those experiencing hate, 45 percent of Americans reported cumulative negative physical or mental health effects due to online harassment.Drastically reducing online hate by 2025 is the mission of the nonprofit Engage Responsibly, led by the Association of National Advertisers in partnership with the Global Alliance for Responsible Media. Engage Responsibly harnesses the collective power of brands, social media platforms, and individuals to stop the spread of hate.In this episode of Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose, Anita McGorty, who leads Engage Responsibly as executive vice president at the ANA, joins host Ken Beaulieu to discuss why humanity is under attack online and what we can do about it.

Purpose-washing is a bogus attempt by a brand to appear purpose-driven or socially conscious, and it has consequences for the bottom line if brands don't learn to knock it off. On the first-ever Beyond Profit podcast POV, host Ken Beaulieu offers tips for marketers on how to avoid getting pulled into the purpose-washing trap.

Former world surfing champion Shaun Tomson is all about riding the wave of positivity and purpose, regardless of what life throws your way. The South African’s acclaimed Code Method, a self-development program built around 12 promises that individuals write and share, is designed to activate internal strength to help people find meaning in their lives, success, and personal fulfilment. Named one of the 10 greatest surfers of all time, Shaun has worked with some of the world’s best-known companies, including GM, Cisco, Google, and Disney, to empower purpose and re-activate their teams. He also created, managed, and sold two market-leading clothing brands, Instinct and Solitude.Author of three inspirational books, Shaun’s latest tome, The Surfer and the Sage: A Guide to Survive and Ride Life’s Waves, uses surfing as a metaphor to illustrate how to overcome life’s obstacles. In this episode of Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose, Shaun joins host Ken Beaulieu to discuss his new book, the Code Method, his work with brands, and the importance of having a personal purpose.