Trend chasing does not make for great advertising. It’s not a business model, either. As Jeff Beer, staff editor at Fast Company sees it, advertising is everything a brand does -- from creative execution to the CEO’s political donations. Recorded on location at the 2019 NRF Retail’s Big Show conference, Beer talks about what he’s learned from a career spent reporting on brand advertising and creativity, and what to look out for in the year ahead.

Listen to this episode to learn:

• Purpose is as unique in a company as it is in humans; with examples from Salesforce, Unilever, Toms, and Patagonia

• The customer value of utility versus purpose; and the business impact of scale versus intensity

• Does Gillette’s toxic masculinity ad embody the best and worst of modern advertising?

• Why Scott Galloway’s prediction of “woke” as a business strategy will dominate in 2019

• Examples of great work from brands (they all use a mix of creativity, distribution, storytelling, and outside-in thinking)

Additional reading:

Jeff Beer’s Fast Company articles:

https://bit.ly/2NWINWd

2019 NRF Retail’s Big Show recap:

https://bit.ly/2DMR3D3

Scott Galloway's 2019 business predictions:

https://bit.ly/2VL1WyD