The document discusses how brands can take bold actions to prove their commitment to a higher purpose beyond just communicating their purpose through words. It provides examples of brands like REI, Red Bull, and Nike that have taken bold activations like events and challenges to demonstrate how they help people pursue passions outside or achieve victories. It also discusses how some brands provide marketing as a service by creating tools or initiatives that deliver real value to people in line with the brand's purpose, like Boost Mobile registering voters or Patagonia's worn wear program. Finally, it notes that bold brand actions are meant to generate excess attention and fame while holding companies accountable to their stated purposes.

1. bold brand actions
Miami ad school san Francisco | November 6, 2017
Mike Ronkoske | Strategy Director | Venables Bell + Partners | @koske

2. past / uncomplicated
Talk track: Marketing of the past was created in a world far less complicated than the one we inhabit. Companies could succeed by
showing people how they were different and special. By communicating unique selling propositions (USPs).

3. Show differentiation
Talk track: It was enough to show differentiation.

4. Talk track: Today this only works if you have a revolutionary product. This only works if you are Apple and Telsa.

5. Talk track: But they’re called unicorns for a reason — they’re rare.

6. prevailing / Higher purpose
Talk track: The prevailing best practice in marketing today is to identify and articulate a brand’s purpose - i.e. the reason
why a brand exists and the inspirational human impact it seeks to make in the world. The Why (thanks Simon Sinek).

7. Talk track: Here’s
a video that
explains the
power of brand
purpose.
https://youtu.be/
elVPqCUuhvI

8. Proclaim brave pov
Talk track: Powerful stories can be told of the shared values between companies/brands and people. Brands can also align themselves
with universal human desires - they can align themselves and what they sell with what people really want.

9. Talk track: Airbnb
taps into our
desire to be ok
just the way we
are. They help us
to connect with
others.
https://youtu.be/
Qz7ZRUhw9sY

10. Talk track: The
North Face taps
into our desire to
escape the routine
of life. They help
us go in search of
new and exciting
adventures.
https://youtu.be/-
m7XSE_l1OU

11. Talk track: P&G
taps into our
desire to care for
others.
https://youtu.be/
pMHj3OGFJcI

12. Talk track: Even Dropbox is selling something bigger than file storage. They are tapping into a deep-seated human desire for self-
expression…they help people do creative, imaginative things.

13. inevitable / vital
Talk track: Even brands that have defined their reasons for being and tell those stories are the walking dead if they stop there. It is not
enough to simply tell people why they should care. Marketing as we know it needs to evolve or brands will face extinction. This is
inevitable.

14. Prove it.
Talk track: Actions speak louder than words. Brands need to prove that they are committed to a higher brand purpose.

15. Bold brand actions

16. Purpose in action
Talk track: Two types of bold brand actions that I have observed - ACTIVATIONS and MARKETING AS A SERVICE

17. Activations

18. Talk track: REI exists go get people outside. They believe that a life outside is a life well lived. https://youtu.be/TZCrtdCXQbA

19. Talk track: Red Bull exists to energize the world. https://youtu.be/G2yJ2IkdFDU

20. Talk track: Nike exists to help you achieve victory — even if that means going from the couch to running your first 5K. #breaking2 was a
pure demonstration of their purpose. https://youtu.be/XzBH4PBZ2D0

21. Talk track:
Rosetta Stone’s
Food Truck
Challenge
https://youtu.be/
CvMEXm_4hwU

23. Talk track: Goodby Silverstein & Partners created an emoji to tackle cyber-bullying https://youtu.be/ET_oV9a4KHo

25. Marketing as a service

27. Talk track: Boost
Mobile ‘Boost Your
Vote’
https://youtu.be/
vNQA2ZNEu0s

28. Talk track:
Patagonia “How
‘Worn Work’
Works”
https://youtu.be/
nQ5IUOGnGNE

29. Talk track: Dodge
Dart “Car
Registry”
https://youtu.be/
Ax9HYEKXWlc

31. Bold Not necessarily
big Or expensive

32. generate an unfair
share of attention

33. traverse fragmented
media landscape

34. provide real
value to people

35. Hold companies
accountable

36. Talk track: Bold Brand Actions are by design meant to generate FAME (excess share of voice, buzz, momentum) and attention.
Fearless Girl a statue on Wall Street that represents female empowerment from State Street Capital was called out for not living up to
their purpose (http://money.cnn.com/2017/10/06/news/state-street-settlement-fearless-girl/index.html)

37. ?