Jan 27 2012: To everyone who has taken the time to comment on this conversation - thank you! I love being part of the TED community and have sincerely enjoyed reading your comments over the past two weeks. I appreciate all of your thought-provoking responses and hope this is just the beginning of a meaningful discussion about the purpose of advertising.
Jan 27 2012: I wholeheartedly agree that "being a force of good" needs to be embedded in a company's culture and long term vision. The Nike Foundation is a good example. As I referenced in a previous comment, there was a great article recently in the Harvard Business Review titled "How Great Companies Think Differently". It talks about how successful companies balance short term financial goals and long term societal benefits.
Jan 25 2012: I love watching how data and technology is transforming our industry. The more advancements advertising makes toward behavioral and hyper-local targeting, the more relevant it becomes. It's an exciting time and I love being part of an industry that is on the cutting edge of change.
Jan 25 2012: Those are great examples. You could hold both of those up as the gold standard for all corporations and marketers with a desire to do good. Thanks for sharing.
You raise one of the all time great debates for our industry - do great products even need advertising? I think of it this way - If I did something good for the world, but nobody saw me do it, did I really do something good? Many people will still answer yes to that question, so I'll take it a step farther. How much greater of an impact would I have had if the good I did was seen by one other person? What about millions of people? When you consider the ripple effect, I think advertising is worth it.
Jan 25 2012: Thanks for posting, Liam. I'm always interested in hearing from students. Two things come to mind that I'd like to share with you. I posted a video as a companion to this TED Conversation: http://www.youtube.com/tedaws?x=us_showcasephase2_8498_27
In the video I talk about an assignment given when I was a student. Our professor asked "Is advertising a force for good?" and I was the only student that answered yes. I'd be curious to know how a current class of undergraduates might answer the same question.
Another thing I'll share with you is some recent research about public opinions on corporate responsibility:
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/23/4208371/global-executives-say-companies.html
It's an interesting look at how the Millennial generation feels about the obligation of companies to give back to society.
Jan 25 2012: You raise an interesting point - what is the definition of "good"? Many of the comments on this thread point to cause marketing as examples of advertising as a force for good. I think we can broaden that if we take it to a more personal level and think about things are sources of "good" in our own lives. For me, "good" can be range from something that makes me laugh to something that teaches me to something that inspires me to think differently. By those standards, there is a lot of potential for advertising to "grow the good", whether that be measured by societal change, or the spreading of new ideas or simply by good humor and laughter.
Jan 25 2012: Thanks for sharing. Good stuff. I love that there is a corresponding grant program; it shows their commitment to real action in the community. It reminds me a bit of the home farming movement that Triscuit launched in the U.S. Check it out:
Jan 25 2012: I believe the stigma of "advertising as misinformation" is lessening over time - and credit goes to consumers who, as you say, are "less malleable to manipulation". Technology gives individual consumers more power and stronger voice, which they are using to demand greater authenticity from advertisers. That's a great trend and one that I hope will continue.
Jan 25 2012: Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Vamsi. Here is an article you might be interested in. It echoes your sentiments about CSR and has some interesting stats about how the younger generation views it as a mandate, not a "nice to have". It makes me hopeful that advertising as a force for good is an achievable goal.
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A comment on Conversation: Can advertising be both a force for commerce AND a force for good?
A reply on Conversation: Can advertising be both a force for commerce AND a force for good?
A reply on Conversation: Can advertising be both a force for commerce AND a force for good?
http://hbr.org/2011/11/how-great-companies-think-differently/ar/1
A reply on Conversation: Can advertising be both a force for commerce AND a force for good?
A reply on Conversation: Can advertising be both a force for commerce AND a force for good?
You raise one of the all time great debates for our industry - do great products even need advertising? I think of it this way - If I did something good for the world, but nobody saw me do it, did I really do something good? Many people will still answer yes to that question, so I'll take it a step farther. How much greater of an impact would I have had if the good I did was seen by one other person? What about millions of people? When you consider the ripple effect, I think advertising is worth it.
A reply on Conversation: Can advertising be both a force for commerce AND a force for good?
In the video I talk about an assignment given when I was a student. Our professor asked "Is advertising a force for good?" and I was the only student that answered yes. I'd be curious to know how a current class of undergraduates might answer the same question.
Another thing I'll share with you is some recent research about public opinions on corporate responsibility:
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/23/4208371/global-executives-say-companies.html
It's an interesting look at how the Millennial generation feels about the obligation of companies to give back to society.
A reply on Conversation: Can advertising be both a force for commerce AND a force for good?
A reply on Conversation: Can advertising be both a force for commerce AND a force for good?
http://www.homefarming.com/
A reply on Conversation: Can advertising be both a force for commerce AND a force for good?
A reply on Conversation: Can advertising be both a force for commerce AND a force for good?
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/23/4208371/global-executives-say-companies.html