The market is changing, but advertising agencies are clinging to the past. Their models are built to sell more, generate demand, and feed on consumerism.
However, when 91% of Millennials would switch brands to one associated with a cause and 73% of global Millennials are willing to pay extra for sustainable offerings, those old models don’t work.
In the face of this shifting market, the old regime attempts to co-opt historic social causes for their brand or gloss over their mediocre product with a heavy CSR push. Or, they attempt to bifurcate product from purpose by coming out swinging with the mission, only to realize they forgot about the product. So, they mistakenly scrap the mission and come out swinging with the product only. And on and on.
You need new thinking for a new generation of brands.