Why Purpose Comms Need Pop Music Appeal

In the 18th Century there was an Anglican evangelist and hymn writer named Roland Hill. Roland fought an uphill battle to attract people to his church. The Anglican’s rivals, the Methodists, had a new weapon in their arsenal - Charles Wesley. Wesley had started writing hymns that were set to popular secular music. He’d put the Bible’s stories into a format people liked to hear, in a format that instantly resonated with them and moved them to change their behaviour of worship. And it paid off. People flocked to the Methodist movement leaving Hill asking the question ‘why does the devil have the best tunes?’

 

Time and time again this story comes to mind as our industry continues to help brands define and communicate their purpose. It's become clear that brand purpose must be real and it must be relevant to have a true impact with consumers (we’ve all seen the disasters caused by brands that tried to gratuitously connect themselves to something) BUT more often than not it still happens. Big brands who communicate their purpose well - no matter how small - still sing louder and with more impact than those with true, deeply ingrained purpose that don’t know how to sing the tune that resonates with their audience.

 

It struck me hugely when we began working with Fairtrade. I mean this organisation invented mass-market ethical consumerism. They ARE capitalism’s conscience. They were the original organisation to have raised the nation’s expectations of what ‘good’ looks like in business. They’re a national treasure. And yet they just weren’t getting the attention they deserve. We are bombarded by others taking the ethical headlines while doing far less good. Let’s be honest we all see brands winning plaudits for purpose-led ads that take crumbs of good and sell cake.

 

This is madness at a time when conversations around sustainability and purpose are now leading the charge socially but also with big business (so much so that purpose now influences shareholder interest). But like our friend Rowland Hill, it seemed to me that whilst Fairtrade had truly purposeful lyrics it lacked a tune that would get people dancing. 

 

Part of Fairtrade’s challenge was one they shared with many genuinely committed, purposeful brands. They played songs that appeal to altruism: they highlight problems that need to be solved; they speak with genuine outrage; they demand, ‘Something must be done!’ But altruism is a high bar. To act for the benefit for others is truly noble and, while we all have our moments, it’s frankly more virtuous than most of us are capable of most of the time. This is Rowland’s church music - worthy melodies playing to an activist choir.

 

2050’s solution for Fairtrade was not to compromise on principles but to set them to a different rhythm. Altruism is the obvious ‘purposeful’ motivation, but there is a second, and in fact more powerful, reason people do good - the ‘warm glow’. The two work in different ways: pure altruism aims for ‘good outcomes’ that benefit others whereas the warm glow rewards ‘good choices’ with the positive feeling of self-affirmation. 

Fairtrade needed to appeal less to altruism and more to the ‘warm glow’ if they were to reach out beyond their heartlands. This meant being a brand that not only does good, but also rewards people. To do this Fairtrade needed to hit the specific notes that trigger the warm glow and play in an altogether more uplifting key.

Working with Fairtrade we developed a new idea “Choose the world you want”. This is about being an ethical cheerleader to inspire the many to feel good about choosing Fairtrade. We do this by showcasing the breadth and scale of positive change that ripples out from their ‘good choice’. And align them with a like-minded community of people who are changing in the world. 

By opening people’s eyes to the impact Fairtrade actually makes – tackling climate change, empowering women, protecting the environment and of course fighting poverty - Fairtrade becomes more relevant to more interests and increases the warm glow the brand bestows on customers. As one respondent put it, “I didn’t realise how much good I was doing!”

Fairtrade is a fantastic brand in terms of the work they do and the commitment of their people who do it. They have a unique place in the nation’s hearts; they are truly the David Attenborough of brands. They didn’t need to be re-invented, they needed to be more accessible. They needed a new melody to invest their incredible lyrical offering with Jagger swagger. Because just like Rowland realised all those years ago, success ultimately lies in a tune that beats the best the devil has to offer.