Episode 3: Marketing can change the world - Presenting the big ideas

In episode two, the teams regrouped to refine and pin down their core insights before brainstorming solutions to help to shape their creative strategy and idea.

For episode three, the teams from the US, UK and Singapore came together for the first time in one virtual session to present their big ideas and gain advice and feedback from Fischer, who said: “The number one feeling I’m walking away with is of optimism and hope because when you have great people going after important challenges in our communities, we can really make a huge difference in our industry.”

Team US: Feeding an invisible enemy of self-doubt

For Team US, the focus has been to inspire and ignite a generation of female entrepreneurs in a way that “truly changes the world”. With their campaign, they sought to go beyond just a moment and create a movement, addressing the disconnect between the cultural narrative of uplifting stories of women in business and the reality of how that is translating into numbers.

The biggest hurdle for women, discovered through research and workshops, is being unable to recognize their own successes. This tension is what inspired their new narrative: “Feeding an invisible enemy/monster: the inevitable bouts of self-doubt”.

STRATEGY

GET female entrepreneurs who constantly question themselves

TO reclaim their fearlessness

BY tapping into the power of community to reignite the spark that started it all.

IDEA

Introducing ‘SheSuite’ - the platform women didn’t know they needed; bridging the power of technology and the collective spirit to help a generation of entrepreneurs reignite their spark. They would do this by empowering them through shared stories and successes; elevating their voices and their businesses; and educating with access to exclusive resources.

SOLUTION

Realizing the power of community could help women tap into things they need as entrepreneurs (expertise, tools and knowledge), the team have decided to focus their campaign on Facebook, in line with its Pitch, Play, Plunge approach:

Pitch: Raise awareness and inspire with HerStory - short-form video content that builds awareness for the movement by highlighting uplifting success stories and inviting others to share their own.

Play: Become an ally through CoCreating - interactive content that builds community by inviting women to engage with other female entrepreneurs and introduce a ‘pay it forward’ program.

Plunge: Arm and empower with wisdom through Hack(Her) - a workshop series with long-form video content that educates women on how they can hack the Facebook Suite with marketing to drive visibility and growth.

Team Singapore: It’s never too late to collaborate

For Team Singapore, the focus turned to the over-65s where a growing number of silver startups is living proof that it’s never too late to start something new. Tasked with addressing the business challenges unique to this minority, the team pinned their insights on silver entrepreneurs’ passion and need to keep their businesses afloat at least for the next decade.

After homing in on three food & beverage businesses, each with very different goals, their research highlighted three things pulling them all together: Partnerships/Successors (passing on the legacy); Networking/Word of Mouth; and Collaboration. They have decided to create a platform where senior-run businesses can collaborate with like-minded younger Singaporeans to help expand their business needs.

STRATEGY

GET senior Singapore entrepreneurs

TO grow / support their businesses

BY creating a flourishing, safe space for collaboration, partnership and learning.

IDEA

Introducing ‘Singapore Towkey (Boss) Collab’ - a self-sustaining Facebook group for senior entrepreneurs to share their stories and introduce their business to request collaborations with public members of the group who can help.

SOLUTION

The team would bring this to life through a suite of creative video assets and recruitment ads, using the three businesses they chose to help, to drive users to the group and keep them engaged with tutorials and how-to videos. The Facebook group would be set up with a clear statement of purpose and rules of engagement (to matchmake businesses) and provide a platform where young and old can collaborate and partner, with a goal to eventually become self-sustaining. Furthermore, the team has already engaged in discussions with the Singapore Government to help widen the scope of this initiative.

Team UK: ‘Not just’ a stereotype

With a brief to help address the challenges for immigrant-led businesses, Team UK decided that rather than focusing on one minority group, after conversations with business owners in this space, they wanted to tackle a core barrier that they all face: achieving business growth.

STRATEGY

GET ethnic minority led UK small business owners affected by Covid-19

TO unlock access to the ‘unknown’ people and resources critical for future business growth

BY connecting with peers and industry professionals to deliver partnership campaigns through a platform enabling access to funds, information and tools to accelerate business growth.

They want to highlight that UK small business owners from minority backgrounds are ‘not just’ a stereotype but dynamic individuals and key pillars of the wider community; backed by key insights that suggest not only are they more innovative and perform better in terms of growth and export, but they are more than a stereotype. The team would set out to create a shift to help amplify the voice of ethnic minority-led SME owners using strategic partnerships.

IDEA

Introducing ‘NOTJUST’ - People are ‘not just’ what they say they do: not just a footballer, a restaurant, a rapper or a business. Not just a campaign! They want to symbolize the idea of breaking free from the stigma by tapping into the human connection.

SOLUTION

To create buzz around the launch of the campaign and raise awareness of the project, the team proposed an Instagram takeover day using reel filters and social advertising to promote a competition, taking users to a landing page to share SME stories, hurdles and hopes for partnerships, tapping into influencers (both celebrities and business owners). Using Facebook Business and Groups, it aims to become the go-to resource for SMEs by profiling business associations, featuring links to business/funding information from the government. Team UK’s mentor Arjoon Bose, marketing head-culture and brand experience at General Mills, has also provided access to a General Mills masterclass to help take this campaign to the next level.

“When you bring a room full of marketers together with dreams in our eyes and with vision, the commitment, passion and determination has been felt across all regions in wanting to make a difference and affect positive change in the world,” said Bose.

The next steps

All three of the campaigns have been entered in The Drum Social Purpose Awards, for which the winners will be revealed on Tuesday 1 December.

Check out the inspiring and educational four-episode documentary series ‘Marketing can change the world’ following the journey of the three teams as they collaborate and compete to change the world.