BOLD Members Learn About Brand Purpose From Edelman New York Account Executive Brian Edsall
BOLD is back this Spring semester with its first guest speaker, Edelman New York Account Executive, Brian Edsall, who joined the members on Tuesday, January 26th to talk about brand purpose. Brian is part of the Unilever, Dove Men+Care account, a brand not only centered on men’s products but also focused on breaking down barriers that hold men back from being their most authentic selves. This past year proved to be a difficult time for many people. Between various social issues and a dangerous pandemic, many consumers began to question the practices behind the brands they support. Brian brought light to this topic and explained to the members the importance and meaning behind brand purpose.
“Now consumers are a lot more keen on not just the words that a brand puts out but also backing up those words with action,” said Brian. In previous years, brands were able to fly under the radar with a simple statement in regards to important issues. Whether it be because of social media or the current political and social climate of the United States, people are no longer satisfied with words, they want to see brands take action towards the topics they speak on. When sharing statistical information about consumer behavior, Brian pointed out to members that one of the biggest attributes that affect consumers buying decisions is knowing that they can trust a brand to do what is right.
In 2019 Dove Men+Care launched the Pledge for Paternity Leave, to tackle a problem that has been affecting dads all over the US. The brand partnered with Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit and husband to Serena Williams, as well as organizations, such as Gays With Kids, to lead the initiative for federally mandated paternity leave policies. “It was really important to get these groups involved because it allows us to lead with the stories and voices from real men and fathers rather than with our own PR initiatives,” said Brian.
The Dove Men+Care brand also partnered with advocacy organization, PLUS, to push for legislative change for paid paternity leave. The group was able to fund many fathers and successfully lobbied for the passage of legislation that provides federal workers with 12 weeks of paid leave. Brian concluded his presentation by emphasizing the importance of following words with action and urged students to stay vocal about societal issues. “This initiative is on-going until federally mandated paternity leave is a reality for all fathers,” concluded Brian.
Click here to connect with Brian and here to take the pledge for paternity leave!
BOLD is a student-run strategic communications agency at Florida International University. Click here to learn more.
Written by: Alejandra Chahine, Director of Public Relations