Doing well by doing good

A surprising number of people on Desert Island Discs have a fondness for Yale mathematics professor Tom Lehrer’s zany satirical songs with such titles as ‘The Old Dope Peddler’, the last line of which is ‘doing well by doing good’. Such is the wonder of the English language that the phrase is instantly recognised as satirical in the song but perfectly reasonable in the context of what many companies are now doing.

Unilever has been in the vanguard of sustainable marketing and in the lead article in this issue Keith Weed describes how they are directing their marketing skills to social purposes, recognising that there need not be a contradiction between achieving a social outcome and a healthy bottom line. What I found particularly intriguing was the resurrection of an ancient brand of my own childhood – Lifebuoy. Many fmcg companies have such brands tucked away in the attic whose lineage could be dusted off for modern use. Along with new technology brands that make daily activities faster, cleaner, healthier in developing markets, Lifebuoy’s marketing in countries where infectious diseases are particularly contagious is teaching children to wash their hands. There is, of course, nothing new in this: Unilever’s roots lie in Victorian crusaders for hygiene; and Americans were taught to brush their teeth regularly through the activities of Colgate for decades.

Companies will never be truly successful at marrying social good to profitability until they take what is typically a box-ticking exercise labelled CSR out of Corporate Affairs, or PR or wherever it lives for bureaucratic convenience and place it firmly where it should live, which is in marketing. Perhaps more than anything, Unilever’s structure of incorporating these activities under the global chief marketing officer is the most important aspect of all. It’s a defensive as well as an offensive measure. As consumers become more conscious of their power in damaging the reputation of companies that transgress at some point in their resource and production chain – we see this happening daily – senior marketers must necessarily get involved in ensuring all aspects of their brands are fit for purpose – including the supply chain.

Another angle on this subject is described by Nick Cooper who relates the very important study by Millward Brown and Jim Stengel, ex-P&G global marketing director. The thesis was clear and the findings support it: brands and companies that represent an ideal – whether it is personal or social (Apple, Nike, Dove, Red Bull are some of the most famous of the 50 brands named) not only have happier employees, most significantly they have happier financial outcomes. Marc Nohr develops this thought in his article describing the tech companies of Silicon Valley.

We concentrate on the role of marketing in society in the next issue: watch this space.

Judie Lannon, Editor

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