The annual Brandweek summit last week gathered powerhouse brands and business leaders to explore what’s shaping marketing in 2021 and beyond. Coming off of another transformative year, the virtual sessions were packed with insights, case studies, trends, and strategies straight from some of the world’s leading brands. Throughout the week, a few clear themes emerged as critical foundations for the future of reaching consumers and shaping culture:

• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion – There was a reckoning in 2020 for absolutely everyone to consider and celebrate underrepresented voices, and brands that don’t prioritize DEI are sure to fall behind. In fashion, Jeanne Yang and Ireland Baldwin spoke about how it means casting a wider net to celebrate individuality. Sports and active lifestyle labels are reaching previously overlooked communities, like Vans through its campaign to involve and celebrate AAPI communities with its “We Will Be Louder” initiative. Gabrielle Union keynoted a session about centering on the needs of marginalized communities and highlighted how she’s celebrating them through the product categories she’s chosen to invest in (snacks, healthcare, baby care, and more). But it’s more than just the product, she noted. There needs to be transparency in making sure the people in decision-making roles are diverse and reflect the vast audiences they are targeting.
  (Licensing International has taken a look at progress on Diversity & Inclusion within the licensing industry since we released initial survey results a year ago. Here’s information on our efforts, as well as additional resources.)
• The Power of Purpose – Purpose-driven marketing has been another standout as consumers demand more from the brands they support, and the pandemic accelerated companies’ desires to live up to new responsibilities as corporate citizens. Purpose shouldn’t be for the sake of looking good; instead, the purpose a brand rallies around must align to and amplify its core values. A standout brand in this arena? Ben & Jerry’s, which has woven purpose into its DNA since the company’s inception and has managed to keep its identity even as a subset of Unilever. As brands have the ability to shape consumer perception, CEO Matthew McCarthy mentioned “linked prosperity” —  that business growth improves a brand’s ability to impact others. Athleta, a brand that built itself around a core value of women supporting women, had the unique opportunity to demonstrate its corporate view in action and stand with and support brand ambassador Simone Biles as she withdrew from the Olympics.
• Crafting Consumer Connection – Whether it’s an unexpected, innovative brand collaboration such as L.F. and Chipotle teaming to reach a shared demographic, or the gaming industry finding new ways to reach both passionate and casual fans, brands are finding innovative ways to deepen connections with the consumer. Riot Games CMO James Bunge noted IP-centric marketing is broader than the product; it’s about the experiences and emotion a brand can bring to fans. Consumer insights are one way to discover what products and experiences will resonate best. Amazon’s Neil Lindsay noted the best ideas will be found at the intersection of data science, business insight, creativity and technology.
• The Time to Evolve as a Brand is Now – As Raja Rajamannar of Mastercard noted succinctly, when the world is changing, you have to move with it. This has never been more apparent than the accelerated change and rapid transformation that came globally amidst the pandemic. Today, evolution is happening everywhere in business. For IKEA, Target, and so many more, it started with the supply chain disruptions amidst Covid-19, and  the imperative to adjust the consumer retail experience —  first when stores closed and later as they began reopening. Now, there is an opportunity to modernize the shopping experience and adapt retail experiences to suit the hybrid, virtual and physical world in which we live, shop, and play.