Thought Leadership: Can brands really have integrity?

In the agency world, we’re good at coming up with things. It’s in our nature to create and deliver. But behind the designs, the campaigns, the artwork and the ads, there’s the language we use. It’s a language that’s been slowly crafted through the history of creative agencies. I’m talking about phrases like “brainstorming and ideation”, “user touchpoints”, and “audience personas”.

Some of these phrases could, of course, be simplified into everyday language, but I think the same could be said for any industry. Other phrases, often the more commonplace ones, are more of a “Ronseal”. IE: They do exactly what they say on the tin. Like “brand integrity”. In our world, brand integrity is all about demonstrating the power that brands have to create economic and social good.

Is integrity tangible?

Or “brands WITH integrity”. Is it possible? Is it necessary? Do we need to perceive brands in the same way we would perceive great people? Are a brand’s characteristics tangible? Or is this just another agency term?

I believe that brand integrity is one of the most important parts of what we do. It’s not a nice add-on or a fun little extra. Neither is it fluff nor marketing buzzwords. It’s a set of core values, behaviours, actions, and principles that demonstrate that a brand can have heart and soul rather than just a logo and shareholders.

Transparency

Companies are beginning to operate with an open door – not only sharing deeper insights into how their product is delivered but how they are funded, the social issues they support and even the finer details of their financials. Ben & Jerry’s is a strong example of an organisation engaged in activism, firmly standing up for what they believe in.

Consistency

Companies must stick to their values, which arguably is more complicated than ever in a world where the press, people and media can throw curveballs into the mix. Sony is a good example of a business that has upheld quality and service at a time when many tech companies are cheapening their offering to compete with rising competition.

Social responsibility

Companies are pouring blood, sweat and tears into movements like B Corp and even producing impact reports demonstrating everything from gender pay gaps to energy usage. In agency world, we see this from like-minded agencies and their clients. It’s becoming the norm to demonstrate integrity by shifting to a greener and cleaner existence.

Ethical marketing

Despite the efforts of advertising authorities, deceptive marketing is all around us, and it’s easy to build a premium brand around a poor-quality product. Ethical marketing adds integrity not only at a product level but also through every sales and brand activity, ensuring products and services are represented in an honest and fair way. Better still, it’s done so using above-board marketing practices. No black hat UX or dark pattern design here!

Accountability

Not all companies get it right. Businesses make mistakes. Integrity means owning those failures and putting them right. It also means showing accountability for the actions of employees and even shareholders. Tesla might be a good example here. Your view may differ, as it’s a subjective and contentious topic. But should they hold their CEO accountable for his behaviour elsewhere in his professional life? Many brands would.

Tangible, real-word examples:

Dove – Ethical soap? Or whitewashing?

When we think of the soft and gentle Dove brand, we see an emphasis on body positivity, diversity and natural beauty. On the surface, the brand is doing and saying all the right things – amplified by some impressive ad campaigns over the years.

But when we zoom a little further out, there’s the thorny issue of parent company Unilever, known not least for criticism of its environmental and labour practices elsewhere in its product portfolio. This sets up an interesting example of how M&A can very quickly dilute any integrity an independent brand once had.

We should question any house of brands (of which Unilever is the perfect example) that cannot deliver integrity through their entire portfolio of products and services. Brand integrity cannot be unilateral.

Volkswagen – Driving customers away

Dieselgate. We all heard about it, and we all remember it. But is it a faux-pas of the past, or is the customer still wary of one of the world’s most iconic car makers? While the 2015 emissions scandal has been long concluded, the aftershock was substantial – a vast 40% stock plummet and $25 billion in fines, which is no small change even for VW.

However, many customers and critics say that the build quality of the average Volkswagen just hasn’t been the same since. Interior materials feel noticeably cheaper, and innovation has somewhat slowed. Audi, part of the Volkswagen Auto Group, happily filled this space which some say was a clever marketing “trick of the hand” to retain some feel of premium offering within VAG.

This is an example of how a severe lack of integrity can bring long-term ramifications for consumer trust and brand loyalty – enough to trigger broader decisions around product, service and offering.

Facebook – Unsociable networking

Forgive me if this sounds dramatic, but Facebook (and associated products at the time) is a lifeline to many: keeping friends, family and relatives in touch and so much more. And with such market dominance then and today, it’s easy to forget that you’re using a Meta-derived service.

The Cambridge Analytica scandal rocked Facebook to its core, sending users into a spiral of mistrust and even exodus. And rightly so. A platform that so many had come to know and love was suddenly headline news for data harvesting, privacy breaches and even misinformation.

Congressional hearings and several sizable fines later, Facebook (and now Meta, too) is still a dirty word for many – a great example of how trust is hard-earned but quickly lost. For some, that brand integrity was quickly washed away despite the Facebook platform’s stronghold on social media.

What can we learn here?

As I said before, trust is hard won but quickly lost. Brands, however ethical and fair on the surface, must ensure institutional integrity through and through. That said, people, teams and organisations make mistakes, and they are judged not only on the mistake, but the PR, crisis management and marketing that follows. And many brands get that so very wrong. So, while it is easy to point the finger at the VWs and FBs of this world, we must acknowledge the steps they take to reclaim their place in their sector and the hearts and minds of customers.

Integrity, is, well, integral

To conclude, there are arguments for and against integrity, believe it or not. Traditionalists may prefer to see brands just as brands, with a sole focus on the product or the service. With a light dusting of marketing and sales to keep things moving.

Ultimately, audiences are changing fast, and the world needs to do better. Customers are no longer buying into the product. Employees are no longer buying into perks. They’re buying into the company. For transparency, consistency, social responsibility, ethical marketing and accountability.

And I think that’s a seismic shift in the brand landscape. Companies large and small have the opportunity to shape their marketing, purpose and proposition to deliver economic and social good — during a time when we need it the most.

This article was originally featured as a ‘Thought Leadership’ piece in the Marketor Magazine 2024-2025, published by The Worshipful Company of Marketors.