Create ideas using: ESG
Should my brand take a stance on social or environmental issues?
Only if your brand actually lives that stance. Consumers can tell the difference between genuine commitment and marketing theater instantly. If you're fighting for a cause that contradicts how your brand actually operates, people will call it out. But if your brand genuinely believes in something and operates that way, taking a stand becomes your differentiator. It attracts people who share your values. It repels people who don't. That's not bad; that's honest.
How do I avoid looking like I'm exploiting a cause?
Show the actual work, not just the emotion. Don't talk about your commitment; show what you've done, what it costs, what's hard about it. The campaign should feature the cause itself—the people, the problem, the progress—not your brand as hero. You're a supporter of something bigger than yourself. That humility is what makes it feel genuine instead of exploitative. Support the cause; don't use the cause to support yourself.
Example: How it could look
An outdoor brand genuinely committed to conservation could document actual conservation work: show the land being protected, the organizations doing it, the people dedicating their lives to it. Don't position the brand as savior; position the brand as supporter of people doing the real work. Maybe the campaign literally funds the conservation and shows that money going to work. It's about the cause; the brand is just the vehicle supporting it.
Or like this:
Why is ESG a great technique?
ESG campaigns work because they align brand purpose with cause—creating meaning beyond profit and attracting aligned audiences.
Attracts people who share your values
Creates meaning beyond commercial interest
Builds loyalty through shared purpose
Differentiates through genuine commitment
The strongest ESG campaigns don't talk about what the brand believes; they show what the brand is actually doing about it. That action is what builds credibility.
! When not to use the ESG Technique
When your brand commitment doesn't match your brand behavior. If you claim to value the environment but operate destructively, the campaign backfires into a credibility destruction. Also skip it if you're only supporting the cause with marketing budget, not actual resources—people can tell the difference between genuine investment and empty virtue signaling.
Technique first described by www.deckofbrilliance.com