How consistent, mission-oriented storytelling helps drive brand growth

How can we connect with consumers in order to achieve brand objectives and inherently drive brand growth? Chief Marketing Officer of science kit brand KiwiCo, Katie Soo, alongside Vox SVP, Global Partnerships & Strategy, Renee Appelle, sat down to discuss the age-old question we face in marketing here at SXSW 2022. More specifically, they double clicked into how mission-oriented brands can do so by staying true to their brand purpose. 

In this case, they focused on the opportunity brands have to leverage relevant, mutually beneficial partnerships. KiwiCo and Vox partnered to create sponsored episodes of the podcast Today, Explained to Kids, each tied to specific KiwiCo crate that was inherently linked to the topic of the podcast. It’s no secret smart partnerships can be wildly successful, but brands must keep their brand ethos top of mind, and identify a partner that embodies the same ethos and speaks to an audience with the same vision. If the brands ethos’ and audiences align, the opportunity to make a difference will be clear. 

Having multiple touchpoints in media was also key to the KiwiCo and Vox partnership. For example, they had a player embedded into the Vox website with additional content relevant to their audiences in parallel to the sponsored podcasts episodes.

However, these factors within a partnership are not the only thing to think about; there is a key component to consider simultaneously to ensure brand success outside of the partnership: Hold the consumer experience at the core every step of the way. Your story must be consistent to your brand and relevant to your audience across each touchpoint 

Besides the obvious KPI of brand growth, Appelle also highlighted another noteworthy indicator of success to both parties: They were able to “use content to influence the brand and use the brand to influence the content.”

One final thought: I was surprised they didn’t touch on authenticity, since I think a big challenge on the topic of purpose is brands that aren’t rooted in purpose are trying to prove they’re making a difference and coming off inauthentic.

Another session that talked about brand growth and purpose was GroupM Matt Sweeney, Chief Investment Officer and VOX Media President, Pam Wasserstein, Advertising’s Role in Supporting Credible Journalism. As COVID-19 hit, advertisers cut spend and the session discussed the crucial role advertising can play in funding journalism and preserving access to credible, reliable information and reporting capable of fueling healthy communities, democracies, and civil society, particularly in today's era of mis- and disinformation. As we talk about authenticity and purpose, it's important to think about identifying partners that align with your mission. This session is available to listen in full here.

_{Written by Megan Bradley, Manager, Strategic Planning, Mindshare USA}