Giving a damn is just the start

After an extensive career in marketing on the client side at brands such as P&G, Nokia, Heineken and Absolut Vodka, Afdhel Aziz turned his attention to the world of purpose, aiming to replace tired notions of advertising-first marketing and business with a purpose driven one where brands think of people as citizens, not consumers, and try to fix everyday problems. Co-author of Good is the New Cool: market like you give a damn with Bobby Jones, he’s now an international keynote speaker and founder and ‘chief purpose officer’ at his consultancy Conspiracy of Love. There he works with big brands and start-ups alike to help them make money and do good. Marketing spoke with Aziz prior to his appearance at IAB and UnLtd’s Positive Change series event, where we discussed trust, good, cool and how, just like digital, it’s a space where brands can’t afford to ever stop innovating.

Marketing: Trust for businesses among consumers and the general public – particularly in younger generations – is on the decline. Why do you think this is?

Afdhel Aziz: People have seen companies do horrible things for a long time! When people are treated as consumers by a company, and treated as commodities, it breeds a certain disrespect. People have had a long history of not believing what companies say, especially through advertising. We are growing up with a generation of people who’ve been exposed to advertising since they were kids and can smell bulls**t from a mile has a great quote: “Young people have amazing bulls**t detectors, and the only way to reach them is to not bulls**t.”