Ugly conversations,
Episodes 1-3

As we stare into the relentless uncertainty of 2024, brand and business leaders are faced with an undeniable need for creative problem solving to tackle their biggest and most important challenges

In an effort to offer perspective, insights and help to those struggling with daunting challenges, Born Ugly hosted this discussion with C-suite leader who know ‘how?’ and ‘what?’ it takes to invite creative problem-solving into a business, and more importantly what the results are that follow.

Meet our panel of creative problem solvers:

• Penny Brook, Chief Marketing and Experience Officer, Canada Goose
• John Marshall, CMO at innovative healthtech brand, MitoQ
• Vivienne Heffernan, Founder, Plan V Communications, currently freelance Director of Internal Communications at Mambu
• Wander Bruijel, Senior Partner & Head of Provocation at Born Ugly

Key takeouts from our Webinar
In today’s competitive business landscape, business leaders are embroiled in battling challenge ater challenge, struggling to stay relevant and have a clear focus. Our ‘Battling tides of change’ webinar brought together global industry leaders to share their insights on how businesses can best navigate the state of perma-crisis to win big in 2024 and turn crisis into a great opportunity for growth.

The discussion, facilitated by our CEO, Sarah Dear, provided valuable insights for businesses seeking to win in 2024.

1. Consumer attitudes have changed forever
Brands must understand the new normal and accept that things will never go back to how they were. Consumers are more and more discerning about the brands they want to spend time and money on, looking for products that help them, their community and add value to the planet. Brands need to do more than simply create a product or they risk being let in a purely transactional position, when consumers want more.

2. Nurture your brand as the valuable asset it truly is
Marketing budgets are too oten seen as a cost rather than a growth driver. Too much emphasis is placed on performance marketing, neglecting your brand in the process. While performance marketing may generate short-term results, it’s your brand that will stand strong over time. To succeed, both performance marketing and brand marketing must work together.

3. The fundamental importance of embracing creative problem solving internally for future success
Hampered by siloed thinking and internal politics, businesses are struggling to nd a sense of agility, being seduced into focusing on the short term. Businesses need to navigate through their internal challenges in order to face their external ones. By adopting creative problem-solving, organisations can promote collaboration and introduce real long-term change. 

In today’s competitive business landscape, business leaders are embroiled in battling challenge ater challenge, struggling to stay relevant and have a clear focus. Our ‘Battling tides of change’ webinar brought together global industry leaders to share their insights on how businesses can best navigate the state of perma-crisis to win big in 2024 and turn crisis into a great opportunity for growth.

4. Simplify your purpose
Too often, businesses overcomplicate their purpose, with a significant gap existing between how they see their brand compared to how their consumers see it. Businesses need to have a simplified reason for being that is understood throughout their organisations, not just in the boardroom. Your proposition needs to be relevant and easy to understand wherever and whoever you are.

5. Use data to test and learn to bring creativity into your business
Data allows you to be agile and exible to see where your business can improve. Where there’s no data, there’s a lack of creativity. Things won’t instantly transform overnight so your business needs to take things one step at a time. Adopt a test and learn approach to nd what works best for you. Introduce something new, look at the data, think creatively to make tweaks and build condence in the fact that your business is improving every day.

Battling the tides of change is not without its’ challenges but by accepting consumer attitudes have changed, looking ater your brand, embracing creative problem solving internally, simplifying your purpose, and taking things one step at a time, your business can win big in 2024.

At Born Ugly we are creators of change, powered by truly open minds and diferent perspectives. We get to the heart of a challenge to help clients unlock the opportunities of tomorrow and create real growth so that they and their business can transcend today. We’d love to uncover your ugly truth so you can keep ahead of change.

The need for agility and innovation is more critical than ever.

Instead of weathering the storm, successful organisations are harnessing the power of creativity to not only navigate change but thrive amidst it.

In this second instalment of our Ugly Conversations Series, we dove deeper into the success stories of brands that have defied convention, embraced creative thinking, and achieved tangible transformations in their businesses, leading the way for entire categories and markets.

Watch as we sit down with another panel of international marketing leaders:

• Gemma Smith - Chief Executive, Strata
• Clive Grinyer - Former Service Design Director at Barclays, Cisco & Royal College of Arts
• Marielle Harsveldt - Head of Global Internal Communications, Aegon

DUring the webinar we covered the following game-changing topics:

• Unveiling the Change Journey: Learn the step-by-step process of initiating change, starting with defining your business’s core values, achieving internal alignment, and executing transformative actions for your team and customers.
• Unleashing the Power of Creative Problem-Solving: Explore real-world examples showcasing how creative problem-solving can drive innovative solutions, revolutionising your approach to challenges.
• Embracing Positive Outcomes: Shift your perspective on change from fear to opportunity as we showcase the incredible positive impacts of integrating change and creativity across all aspects of your business.

Gain invaluable insights into what it truly takes to cultivate a creative organisation and discover how to not only drive change but embed a culture of innovation at every level.
 

Battling the tides of change is not without its’ challenges but by accepting consumer attitudes have changed, looking ater your brand, embracing creative problem solving internally, simplifying your purpose, and taking things one step at a time, your business can win big in 2024.

At Born Ugly we are creators of change, powered by truly open minds and different perspectives. We get to the heart of a challenge to help clients unlock the opportunities of tomorrow and create real growth so that they and their business can transcend today. We’d love to uncover your ugly truth so you can keep ahead of change.

Back in 2023, Unilever’s Hein Schumacher took aim at purpose, labelling it as an ‘unwelcome distraction’ for some brands and ‘irrelevant’ for others.

With it being one of the most overused marketing buzzwords of the past 10 years, the third webinar in our Ugly Conversations series brought together industry leaders to discuss if the era of purpose is dead.

Our expert panel included:

• Charlotte Dewhurst, CMO at Matalan
• Visha Kudhail, ex-marketing leader at Google and Pinterest
• Ynzo van Zanten, ex-marketing leader at Tony’s Chocolonely and Innocent Drinks

The discussion, led by Wander Bruijel, Chief Strategy Officer at Born Ugly, provided insights into how – in a world awash with purpose – brands can avoid becoming sustainable wallpaper, even if they are making significant contributions to the world.

Key outtakes from the session included:

Don’t force fit purpose for purpose’s sake

Don’t force a purpose just to appear purposeful. Instead, authentically integrate your mission into your brand story. Strong brands consistently reflect their purpose through leadership, culture, innovation and marketing.

Businesses exist to solve real problems, but they can often lose sight of their original mission by reacting to trends and community initiatives. While supporting specific causes is important, brands must stay true to their core purpose and authentically deliver on their promise to their audience, or they risk being accused of ‘purpose-washing’.

Don’t be afraid to adopt purpose rather than Purpose

As businesses you’re not expected to solve all the world’s problems. So why does a common misconception exist that purpose has to be lofty?

Purpose doesn’t just have to be limited to grand gestures, it can also be small, meaningful actions. It’s not necessary to have a big, overarching objective; even simple acts, like making people smile, matter.

Purpose isn’t all about you

As hard as this may be to hear, your consumer doesn’t care about your brand as much as you do. They don’t care about businesses boasting environmental efforts. They predominantly care about improving their own lives – making them easier and more enjoyable. Brands need to focus on enhancing consumers’ lives rather than seeking attention for their campaigns.

Purpose isn’t just a concept for your customers

Purpose goes beyond customer relations – it involves the entire company. It’s about maintaining strong, ethical relationships with the full supply chain, whether that be suppliers, consumers or staff and having a long-term perspective on the value chain.

A strong purpose that is ingrained within the company’s culture is crucial. Employees are motivated by a shared sense of meaning and collaboration, not just by hitting sales targets. A convincing, unified purpose fosters team dynamics and adapts to diverse needs, driving the business forward.

As your business grows don’t lose sight of yourself

A unique reason for existing can be a distinctive asset and offer a point of differentiation from other brands. However, we’ve recently seen a form of “brand amnesia” emerge, especially as businesses grow from challengers to large corporations.

Staying true to a core mission makes a brand authentic. Maintaining a clear brand over time allows you to tell a unique story that truly connects with your audience. Businesses that consistently align with their core objectives are often far more successful and financially profitable, avoiding the pitfall of retrofitting a purpose later on.

At Born Ugly we are creators of change, powered by truly open minds and different perspectives. This, combined with our bespoke agile process, ensures we think unthought ideas that get to the heart of a challenge to help clients unlock the opportunities of tomorrow so that they and their business can transcend today.

Contact us today and take the next step in your journey to finding the purpose of your brand.

For more insights, get your copy of our report ‘Ugly ideas, beautiful outcomes: Why C-suite challenges need creative thinking’ 

Get your copy of the report here.