How can marketing change the world for the better?

77% of brands could disappear tomorrow and no one would care, according to the latest Havas Meaningful Brands research.

Worse, marketing is often depicted as the villain responsible from some of society’s biggest problems. Some point the finger at marketers for online privacy issues, childhood obesity, alcohol misuse, financial debt and for promoting unsustainable behaviours.

How can brands be so out of kilter with the customers they are there to serve? At WFA, we're tired of being the scapegoat.

The Better Marketing session on 27 March will explore how marketing can be a force for positive change in society.

Belinda Smith, Global Head of Media, Electronic Arts, will make the case for marketing as a catalyst for promoting gender and ethnic diversity. Adrian Lovett, President and CEO of the Worldwide Web Foundation, will advocate for marketing's role in delivering a better worldwide web. Paul Kemp-Robertson, Co-founder, Contagious, will share his views on how marketing can deliver positive social and political change. Jon Wilkins, Chairman, Karmarama, will explain how marketing can create meaningful human experiences.

The four cases will be put to a panel of senior marketers for their views. The panel will feature Geoff Seeley, Global Marketing Director, Airbnb, Valérie Hernando-Presse, Global Chief Marketing Officer, Danone, and Taide Guajardo, Marketing Director, Brand Master Society, Procter & Gamble. The audience will then get a chance to vote on what they think will make the biggest difference.

Together with our partner Karmarama, we will also celebrate a decade of leading Project Reconnect and unveil a new guide which captures what we've learned.

Better Marketing is part of WFA Global Marketer Week 2019. For more about the week, go to www.wfanet.org/lisbon