As more brands leap into the evolving metaverse, best described as a network of open, 3D, virtual worlds, concerns about creating branded experiences suitable for kids and young teens will only grow.

Currently, brands are connecting with young audiences in the metaverse through gaming platforms such as Minecraft and Roblox. Research from the technology provider SuperAwesome, which helps children have safe digital experiences, shows that brands that create safe, thoughtful, and immersive in-game content activations are likely to drive curiosity in the brand, purchase intent, and positive perception of the games themselves.

Moreover, gaming platforms are allowing brands to advance their purpose initiatives and values and link to their charitable causes and other efforts promoting positivity.

In this episode of Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose, host Ken Beaulieu catches up with Devra Prywes, global head of marketing and insights at SuperAwesome, to discuss the potential of engaging young audiences in gaming environments and advancing a brand’s do-good work.

If there is one positive we can take from the many challenges of the past two years, including a global pandemic, it’s the desire of Americans to pursue their dreams now rather than wait for some perfect moment down the road. In response to this new mindset, the financial services company Northwestern Mutual recently launched “The Great Realization,” a purpose-driven advertising and brand campaign designed to help people reassess their lives and pursue what matters most.

Through proprietary research, Northwestern Mutual found that financial insecurity often prevents Americans from making their dreams a reality. The new campaign underscores the need for personalized financial planning to help people live life on their terms. Developed by the creative agency Mirimar, the campaign utilizes TV, digital, and social media platforms to bring this cultural awakening to the forefront through personal stories.

In this episode of Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose, Lynn Teo, CMO at Northwestern Mutual, joins host Ken Beaulieu to discuss key aspects of the company’s innovative campaign and how she’s elevating marketing throughout the organization.

Three years ago, the Beyond Profit podcast hit the airwaves to tackle the challenges marketers face in defining, activating, and advancing an authentic brand purpose. The first guest? That was purpose pioneer Anne Bahr Thompson, author of Do Good: Embracing Brand Citizenship to Fuel Both Purpose and Profit.

The world has changed considerably since 2019, thanks in large part to the COVID-19 pandemic, political unrest, powerful social movements, and global economic uncertainty. But over that time span, we have also seen the rise of purpose-led companies across industry sectors, as they look to make a meaningful difference for both people and planet.

In this episode of Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose, Anne Bahr Thompson returns to the show to chat with host Ken Beaulieu about how the rise of Purpose 2.0, key lessons from her book that are more important than ever, why companies must truly live their stated purpose, and more.

David Aaker, vice chair of the brand management consultancy Prophet and an American Marketing Association Hall of Fame inductee, has been hailed as the “Father of Modern Branding” for his many contributions to the science of marketing. They include hundreds of published articles and 17 books, of which more than one million copies have been sold.

Aaker’s latest tome, The Future of Purpose-Driven Branding: Signature Programs that Impact & Inspire Both Business and Society, casts a spotlight on why companies need to address the existential threats in society and how to integrate signature social programs into the business. Filled with examples of purposeful companies, the book also explains how to drive momentum for and scale a social program, including creating brand communities.

In this episode of Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose, Aaker joins host Ken Beaulieu to discuss key aspects of his new book and lessons he’s learned over his remarkable career.

There is often a sizable gap between what companies say they stand for and what they actually do. Ty Montague calls this regrettable space bullshit, otherwise known as purpose-washing.

As cofounder, chairman, and chief purpose officer at co:collective, a creative and strategic transformation firm, Montague is concerned about the growing number of brands that talk a good game about purpose but fail to deliver any meaningful action. He calls out some of these brands for their lack of authenticity and explores how to avoid the purpose-washer label through his aptly named podcast Calling Bullshit.

In this episode of Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose, Montague, named one of the Top Ten Creative Minds in business by Fast Company, joins host Ken Beaulieu to discuss the rise of purpose-washing, what he’s hearing from consumers about this issue, how marketers can activate purpose more authentically, and much more. 

As part of its rebrand in 2020, the Austin, Texas-based hardware, software, and services company NI (formerly National Instruments) updated its brand purpose to reflect the company’s commitment to making a positive impact on humanity. The purpose calls on all innovators, from individuals to enterprises, to Engineer Ambitiously. It’s about connecting the bold people, ideas, and technologies required to solve the world’s most pressing challenges, while celebrating the contributions of engineers.

By 2030, NI hopes to hit several moonshot goals, including building a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace and achieving zero waste at company-owned buildings.

In this episode of Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose, host Ken Beaulieu catches up with two leaders at NI to discuss the company’s higher-order purpose and drive to change the world for the better: CMO Ana Villegas and Tabitha Upshaw, senior director of brand, reputation, and impact.

In today’s purpose movement, large legacy companies are often considered second fiddle players to small social good brands. But increasingly, that perception is changing among U.S. consumers. In the latest Purpose Power Index, presented by StrawberryFrog and Dynata, 16 of the top 20 brands are mainstream companies. They include Toyota, Wegmans, Pfizer, General Electric, and Google.

The annual study, comprised of more than 20,000 individual ratings from over 5,500 U.S. consumers and employees, also found that rank-and-file workers rate their own company’s commitment to purpose substantially lower than senior management. The study points to a lack of clarity, communication, and activation as the main reasons why purpose is not trickling down to all levels of the organization.

In this episode of Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose, Chip Walker, head of strategy at StrawberryFrog, joins host Ken Beaulieu to discuss the study in more detail and why purpose matters only when consumers act on it.

For 75 years, the Boston-based Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has been at the forefront of cancer research and life-saving treatments. Of the 75 cancer drugs recently approved by the FDA for use in cancer patients, 35 were developed by researchers at Dana-Farber.

While the organization supports more than 640,000 annual outpatient visits and has over 1,100 open clinical trials, Dana Farber seeks to create greater awareness of the brand and its global impact outside New England. That tall order is being led by its vice president of marketing, Donna Lee Ubertalli, one of the top hospital marketers in the country. She is responsible for developing programs that deliver both short- and long-term impact and clinical volume.

In this episode of Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose, Donna Lee Ubertalli discusses with host Ken Beaulieu the latest campaigns from Dana-Farber, the importance of brand value, how the organization supports local communities, and more.

Giving employees time off to vote on Election Day is one of the biggest barriers to voter participation and a key reason why voter turnout in the U.S. is among the lowest in the developed world. In 2018, to address this issue, Patagonia, PayPal, and Levi Strauss banded together to launch Time To Vote, a nonpartisan movement meant to encourage company leaders to provide employees with the time they need to cast their ballots.

Today, a diverse coalition of nearly 2,000 companies are participating in the Time To Vote effort, from making Election Day a paid company holiday to offering paid time off on Election Day to actively promoting initiatives such as early voting and vote-by-mail. Time to Vote, implemented and amplified through the community engagement platform Countable, is a great example of the power of purpose in creating a culture shift, and what the business community can achieve when it works together to address the most significant challenges of our time.

In this episode of Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose, host Ken Beaulieu discusses the Time To Vote movement with J.J. Huggins, who handles public relations and communications for Patagonia, and Bart Myers, CEO of Countable.

In an age of political polarization and disinformation, companies looking to build trust with stakeholders would be wise to consider the advice of Dr. Yoram Solomon. Not only has he been studying trust for more than a decade, he wrote The Book of Trust, considered the most comprehensive tome ever written on the topic. He is also author of the book series Can I Trust You? and hosts The Trust Show podcast.

Trust is the foundation of everything, Dr. Solomon admits. Research shows that a trustworthy salesperson can sell the same product for a 29.6 percent higher price than an untrustworthy salesperson, while a trustworthy leader can increase productivity by 64 percent. Moreover, trustworthy CEOs generate 286 percent better shareholder returns than those considered untrustworthy.

In this episode of Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose, host Ken Beaulieu catches up with Dr. Solomon to learn why trust is rapidly eroding throughout the country, the habits of the most trusted organizations, the role trust plays in driving brand purpose, and more.