Reset: Ten themes driving brands into the next decade

For many, 2019 has been in limbo.

There have been organisation shake-ups, projects stalling and brands standing up for what they believe in, but not a lot of forward motion.

In an environment of political instability and tightening of lending, we’ve experienced low consumer confidence and declining attitude to spending, low business confidence and declining media spending.

However there have been some significant milestones this year wrapping up this decade and forming a veritable platform for the next one.

Let’s take this chance to reset, take a deep breath to capture the key themes and set the brand wheels in motion for the years to come.

Ten Themes for 2020 and Beyond

1. Creating Long-Term Value for All Stakeholders
2. Purpose, Delivering Promises and Trust
3. Employer Brand and Employee Experience
4. Brand Alignment, Culture and Ecosystems
5. Return to Investment in Long-Term Brand-Building
6. Balancing Tech and Human Experiences
7. Data Security, Privacy and Control
8. Ethics in Marketing
9. Seeking Competitive Advantage through Data and Innovation
10. Wellbeing

In today’s blog, we’ll cover the first theme and continue over the coming days, as we lead up to the start of the next decade.

Theme 1 of 10: Creating Long-Term Value for All Stakeholders

The realisation that people and profit go hand in hand, its not one or the other; and that organisations need to consider all stakeholders – customers, employees, shareholders, suppliers, partners and the community as a whole – in developing, aligning and driving their purpose and values, objectives and strategies to achieve long-term value.

Launching almost simultaneously with the final report for The Royal Commission into Banking Misconduct, in February 2019 the 4^thEdition of the ASX Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendations came out in February 2019 with the guideline for values to be disclosed, against which an organisation’s officers and employees should be monitored.

Its states: “A listed entity should articulate and disclose its values. Values create a link between the entity’s purpose (why it exists) and its strategic goals (what it hopes to do) by expressing the standards and behaviours it expects from its directors, senior executives and employees to fulfil its purpose and meet its goals (how it will do it). In formulating its values, a listed entity should consider what behaviours are needed from its officers and employees to build long-term sustainable value for its security holders. This includes the need for the entity to preserve and protect its reputation and standing in the community and with key stakeholders, such as customers, employees, suppliers, creditors, law makers and regulators.”(Page 16)

In August this year, the US Business Roundtable– the body that issues Guidelines on Corporate Governance, and has since 1997 endorsed that corporations exist primarily to serve shareholders – redefined the purpose of a corporation signed by 181 CEOs to focus on generating long-term value for all stakeholders – customers, employees, suppliers, communities and shareholders, defining the brand promise and consistently delivering against it to build trust.

This is an outstanding platform to start the new decade.