Purposing Given Agency

The idea of brand purpose is pretty contested within marketing. Critics are claiming that we’ve reached ‘peak purpose’ and are calling for people in advertising to stop trying to save the world and get back to selling stuff. But is this true, or have we actually reached another level of maturity when it comes to purpose? 
With consumers more switched on to social change than ever, marketers have a responsibility to create meaningful impact as well as driving sales. But how do you measure meaningful brand impact? 
Today, Becky Willan is joined by Mitch Oliver, Global VP of Brand and Purpose at Mars Inc - a multinational manufacturer of confectionery, pet food, and other food products and the fourth-largest privately held company in the United States. In this conversation, we’ll be discussing how to translate a business’s purpose into meaningful and measurable brand impact - across different markets, categories and products.
Do you want to learn how to build a purpose-driven business from Given, the consultancy that’s helped some of the world's largest organisations become purposeful? Download the Insiders’ Guide to Purpose HERE.
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This year, many businesses are finding it tougher than ever. So wouldn’t it be easier to put purpose and sustainability on the back burner? At least until it feels like there’s less of a trade off with profit…
What if I told you that despite the current economic climate, some of the world’s leading organisations are taking an entirely different approach, prioritising purpose as a fundamental driver of organisational performance? And they are thriving. 
I’m Becky Willan, CEO of Given, back with a 3rd season of Purposing, the podcast that lifts the lid on how to run a truly purpose-driven business.
With more leaders worried about ESG backlash, and purpose being seen as a distraction from commercial priorities, we’re bringing you brilliant guests who are committed to doing purpose properly - and are reaping the rewards. 
They’re leaders in organisations like Mars, Kimberly Clark, Centrica and many more. Together we demystify this often misunderstood topic, as they share their successes, learnings and actionable advice to help you to put purpose at the heart of your business.
Do you want to learn how to build a purpose-driven business from Given, the consultancy that’s helped some of the world's largest organisations become purposeful? Download the Insiders’ Guide to Purpose HERE.  

The science on climate change is clear: the planet is heating at an alarming rate. We’re already at risk of breaching the limits set in the 2015 Paris Agreement. Rapid action is needed to ensure net zero pledges are kept and sustainable practices are implemented across business. 
No amount of disclosure or engagement will correct the course we’re on if businesses and business leaders don’t fix the fundamental market failures that are driving climate change.
Today, Becky Willan is joined by Steve Waygood, Chief Responsible Investment Officer at Aviva Investors to discuss the financial and economic arguments for tough, fast action on the climate emergency. Steve’s been at the heart of sustainable finance since the 1990s, witnessing its growth in ambition, scale and influence every year. Working with the World Wide Fund for Nature straight out of university, Steve established their ethical investment policy, and has been with Aviva Investors for almost two decades.
Do you want to learn how to build a purpose-driven business from Given, the consultancy that’s helped some of the world's largest organisations become purposeful? Download the Insiders’ Guide to Purpose HERE. 

The power to drive real change comes when every single person in the business feels that they are extended members of the advocacy team - but what are the principles that underpin a credible and impactful advocacy strategy?
Today, Becky Willan is joined by Char Love, Global Director of Advocacy at Natura&Co, whose subsidiary brands include Avon and The Body Shop. Char has a track record of working with sustainable business - co-founding corporate sustainability thinktank VOLANS and later launching B Lab UK, to help businesses on the journey to becoming certified B Corps. Char’s new role in advocacy with Natura&Co has seen her developing and embedding the principles of  Authentic, Ambitious, Agency, Allyship, Activism into their advocacy strategy. 
Do you want to learn how to build a purpose-driven business from Given, the consultancy that’s helped some of the world's largest organisations become purposeful? Download the Insiders’ Guide to Purpose HERE.  

If businesses want to achieve anything more than incremental change which reinforces that system, we need a new way of operating. It’s true that the world is messy and complicated, but if we’re serious about delivering purpose and driving environmental and social change, we need to rewire the system around us so that we can all thrive in the future.
When components of a system synchronize on shared aims, purpose can be better achieved. So how can systems thinking benefit people and the planet?
In this episode, Becky Willan talks to Sally Uren, CEO of Forum for the Future. Forum was founded in 1996 with the aim of advancing the goals of sustainability. As non-profit organisation, Forum works with with business, governments and civil society to accelerate the shift towards a just and regenerative future. Sally received an OBE in the 2017 for her efforts in making business more sustainable. 
Do you want to learn how to build a purpose-driven business from Given, the consultancy that’s helped some of the world's largest organisations become purposeful? Download the Insiders’ Guide to Purpose HERE.  

We need businesses and brands to have a tangible, positive impact on the world. Employees, customers and consumers expect it; they want to see the companies they work for and shop from take a stand on the issues they care about. But when those issues are complex and at times polarising, how does a business take action credibly and consistently, whether playing the role of advocates or activists?
To mark World Refugee Day, Becky Willan talks to Jessie Macneil-Brown, Head of Social Mission Europe at Ben & Jerry’s. It’s not only an iconic global ice cream brand, it’s vocal on the the rights of refugees and asylum seekers - one of the biggest issues of our time. It’s a political battleground and fraught with tension in the media. But for Ben & Jerry’s, they’ve not been afraid to stand firm. Jessie tells us exactly how the brand has advocated for safe routes, and helped entrepreneurial refugees resettle and thrive in their new homes. 
In this episode you’ll learn how to maintain your stance in the face of criticism, create safe spaces for open dialogue, and educate your staff on the right language to use. 
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Do you want to learn how to build a purpose-driven business from Given, the consultancy that’s helped some of the world's largest organisations become purposeful? Download the Insiders’ Guide to Purpose HERE.