Reputation, employee motivation or the satisfaction of seeing the positive impact, both on society and the environment, are some of the benefits that brands find in exercising their purpose. However, making commitments a reality also entails challenges, such as the investment of all kinds of resources, constant disclosure or adaptation to regulatory frameworks.

Both points were addressed during the third edition of Public Affairs Forumthe meeting of Public Affairs managers in Spain organized by NITID Corporate Affairs (formerly MAS Consulting) in collaboration with Apple Tree and Dircom. Held on November 14, it was articulated around the concept “Social activism on the public agenda: lessons and opportunities for the corporate world.”

Those in charge of reflecting on the lights and shadows of the purpose in one of the debate tables were Carol Blázquez, Head of Innovation & Sustainability Officer at Ecoalf; Ana Palencia, Communications Director of Unilever; and Olivia Calafat, Global Chief Marketing Officer at Wallapopmoderated by Carme Miró, CEO and founder of Apple Tree.

In keeping with the theme that articulated the meeting, they began by explaining what the activism practiced by their companies. The Ecoalf spokesperson pointed out that the fashion brand seeks to protect the planet’s natural resources by creating a responsible lifestyle brand and innovating in each product. For her part, the Wallapop representative pointed out that the platform inspires more conscious and human consumption by promoting reuse as a purchasing option. And from Unilever they stated that it is promoting a sustainable lifestyle through its brands.

The challenges of purpose

Although different, they all agreed that making those wishes come true is not easy and involves notable challenges at multiple levels and spheres. “YOTrying to do things differently is not easy. The easy thing is conventional and established, because producing our garments with traditional materials or in factories without certifications or chemical control, would be much cheaper.”, expressed Carol Blázquez. “We assume that doing it well has a cost and we do not understand any other way to do it.”.

The challenges also have to do with consumers. “One of the challenges is that sustainability is not a purchase driver, but rather a way to connect emotionally, to break with what is usual in the category.”Olivia Calafat shared. “And this requires great efforts in communication and influence, awareness, and internal coordination so that the message is clear at all points of contact.”.

This point was supported by Ana Palencia, pointing out resistance to cultural change as a barrier. “The vast majority of consumers still do not understand or accept the issue of sustainability. We have launched recharging systems and more sustainable products and we have had to withdraw them”, he explained. “We must continue communicating so that you can see clearly what the benefits and positive impact of buying our brands are.”.

The speakers pointed out that there is a distance between users’ purchase intention and actual consumption, partly because the Spanish market shows a high sensitivity to price. “We are not used to paying the right price for making a garment responsibly.”explained the Head of Innovation & Sustainability Officer at Ecoalf. “There is still a way to go to understand that we have to buy less and buy better”.

In this regard, they commented on the negative impact that the fast fashion, creating high competition and hindering the awareness-raising work carried out by other agents in the sector.
There was also reflection on the regulatory frameworks that seek to promote circularity and sustainability, and whose adaptation by companies ends up, among other things, making processes and products more expensive.

The benefits of brand activism

Despite this, brands understand that the impact of their actions compensates for the challenges they face. In this sense, the fashion brand indicated that one of the main benefits of its commitment is the generation of a systemic change that is affecting, not only its value and supply chain, but that of a large part of the sector.

For its part, from the second-hand platform it was commented that working its purpose allows connect emotionally with users and, by achieving this, you drive the growth of your community. He also commented that it is a lever of motivation for the organization’s employees and for talent retention.

Likewise, Unilever’s Communications Director defended the positive effect of working on purpose in corporate culture and reputation, and pointed out that it is a strategy in favor of brand relevance and business survival. “Our experience tells us that brands that have a purpose grow more than those that do not. Purpose-driven companies last”, he stated in one of his interventions. “The consumer is still guided by price, but we have observed that the consumer is willing to penalize brands that do not do things well. They may not buy, but they do stop buying”.

Transparency in communication

As in other discussion tables that took place during this edition of the Public Affairs Forum, communication occupied an important part of the conversation. On this occasion, the speakers agreed on the importance of communicate commitmentsguided by the logic that if it is not communicated, consumers may assume that they are not doing anything to generate positive impact.

However, they stressed the importance of count from actions. “To speak, you must have your homework done, that is, have evidence to support your messages.”explained Ana Palencia. “If you are clear about your commitment, and you are fulfilling it, you have to tell it. The cost of inactivity is higher than the cost of activity”.

The brands also claimed a transparent and honest communicationeven with respect to the objectives that have yet to be met. “I think it is important to communicate what you are doing. You don’t have to wait to be perfect, because in terms of sustainability no company will ever be perfect.”, reflected Carol Blázquez. “Companies have to be transparent, also communicate the challenges we have and how difficult it is to achieve objectives. This will allow the consumer to connect with our efforts.”.

In achieving objectives, however, brands are not alone. They claim that communicating their commitments and working to make them a reality has allowed them to establish strategic alliances, both with other companies, even those that could be competitors, as well as with non-profit entities or organizations, and also administrations.

“Alliances help us promote this much-needed education”commented Ana Palencia. “There is much to do. Companies cannot achieve everything alone. We fight some battles with our own resources, others by providing support. The more we are on this path that we are walking together, the results will always be better.”.