Creativity and Marketing, an analysis of new potential interactions

Keywords: brand purpose, advertising, insight, sustainable development goals.

Current project status: paper submitted

The landscape of corporate branding is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by an emerging consensus on the importance of embedding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into brand meaning and brand narratives (Calder 2022; Deutsch and Mouton 2022). This shift extends beyond mere profit orientation to embrace sustainability and ethical responsibility, redefining competitive strategies across a variety of sectors (Anastasiadou et al. 2023; Santos and Silva Bastos 2020). The convergence of SDGs-informed branding strategies within the advertising domain presents a transformative approach for brands to convey their core values, ethos, and dedication to societal and environmental stewardship. In an age where consumer expectations are increasingly influenced by a company’s ethical practices and social contributions (Edelman 2023; Euromonitor 2024), advertising emerges as a pivotal force in shaping consumers’ perceptions, highlighting the vital role of effective communication in articulating a brand’s commitment to these overarching ideals. This connection of branding and advertising strategies, aimed at addressing global challenges and promoting positive social impacts, aligns with the growing body of research advocating for the deep integration of sustainability and responsibility into the heart of brand narratives (Calder 2022; Schmidt et al. 2021; Williams et al. 2022).

In this context, where a brand’s ethical stance impacts profoundly consumer choices, the need for a strategic approach to advertising that strengthens consumer recall and memory retention becomes crucial (Baack, Wilson, and Till 2008; Koslow 2015; Lehnert, Till, and Carlson 2013; Wilson et al. 2015). By moving beyond traditional CSR initiatives, which have often been criticized for their superficial engagement with social issues, to a model where SDG-driven brand purposes are intricately woven into brand narratives, companies can forge stronger and long-lasting connections with their audience (Iglesias and Ind 2020; Ind and Payton 2021). 

The study adopts a nuanced approach to advertising by investigating the impact of strategically communicated SDG-aligned brand purposes on consumers’ brand recall, memory enhancement, and reward responsiveness. By integrating cognitive science experimental methodologies, we empirically explore causal dynamics within brand-consumer interactions. 

Specifically, we investigated whether this advantage applies to brand claims aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and explored the role of reward responsiveness. 

Participants were exposed to incidental SDG-aligned brand purposes right after problem solving, and in a second time they were asked to submit the solution and report whether they solved each problem via insight or step-by-step. 

Results showed enhanced recall for incidental SDG-related information after insight compared to non-insight solutions. This effect was mediated by reward responsiveness. These findings suggest that the insight memory advantage is linked to the reward responsiveness, where higher reward responsiveness leads to a stronger memory of SDG-related brand purposes when encountered near insight moments.

These results suggest advertising strategies leveraging insight, reward responsiveness, and memory to enhance brand recall and promote sustainable practices.

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