Thought Leadership

Be smarter about your partnerships with insights from Social Capital. Join Social Impact and Blackbaud on August 1st at 2 pm ET to learn more about this shift toward corporate activism, and uncover what kinds of partnerships you should be exploring.

Once upon a time, the concept of “purpose” was de rigueur at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. It was threaded through just about every conversation, panel and presentation. Increasingly, that required conversation has shifted to gender equality, diversity and inclusion. That doesn’t mean that purpose has taken a back seat, but the discussion around purpose has been modified and when it’s discussed, the examples appear more meaningful, transparent, and true to an organization’s DNA.

Speaking on the 'Business Purpose: the paradox and the potential' panel about this trend, Melissa Waggener Zorkin, chief executive of WE Communications and Michelle Oliver, global head of purpose, diversity and inclusion at Mars discussed how brands should both walk the walk and talk the talk, when it comes to their core values.

Mars global CMO and chief customer officer Andrew Clarke stopped by Adweek’s Cannes HQ at the JW Marriott for another installment of our Terrace Talk series in collaboration with Mars.

While in London recently, Erb Institute Managing Director, Terry Nelidov sat down with Ian Welsh at Innovation Forum to discuss trends in how companies approach their social license to operate, and why it is increasingly regarded as essential.

We’ve seen a massive shift towards values-based leadership over the last several years, particularly within the ranks of established corporate leadership teams. But what role do values and operationalizing the creation of shared value play for the emerging entrepreneur, for whom it can be a matter of business life-or-death if funds aren’t quickly raised and partners don’t come alongside to support their urgent growth? Is there a role for social impact as an entrepreneur or ICO leader?

As investors, employees, customers and other key stakeholders demand that companies weigh in on vexing social and environmental issues, 3BL Forum has built its agenda around the “Brands Taking Stands” movement, Oct. 23-25, at MGM National Harbor in Washington, D.C.

With their outsize influence on culture as trendsetters, and their large ecosystems, from raw materials sourcing to finished products, luxury fashion and beauty brands are well positioned to drive social progress through corporate responsibility.

In an interview with James Wright for CNBC, Andrew Clarke, Chief Marketing and Customer Officer at Mars discusses the work being done by marketers to boost diversity and protect endangered animals.

Sandy Nessing, Managing Director of Sustainability at American Electric Power, describes how sustainability has transformed how the Ohio-based utility does business.