Why Values-Based Media Buying Is Set to Be the Next Trend

Today’s consumers—but especially the younger generations: Millennials and Gen Z—are increasingly concerned about purchasing products with social and environmental implications. This has led brands to rethink their core values and has “forced” them to prioritize these values over others. This shift has extended to the realm of brand communication; however, there’s one aspect of all communication that isn’t yet properly aligned with this new, more socially conscious strategy, and that’s deciding which media channels to use for these social campaigns—ensuring they align with the brand’s message. Interesting, isn’t it? Let’s dive in.

A British study conducted by the Data & Marketing Associationhas shown that consumers want to be able to choose brands based on their values, and they want to be able to pre-screen and filter out the brands that align with their interests and the causes they support.

These younger consumers are already a reality in the consumer market, forcing brands to take their demands into account. That is why major brands have begun to convey that They, too, have values—and they stand up for them.

Some pioneering brands have been working on this for some time, and—incredibly, and apparently without many people seeing it coming— the relationships formed between these consumers and brands that have values and stand up for them are much stronger than those formed in other ways in the past.

Now that brands are aware of this, and given the rise of Millennials and Gen Z to a wider range of products on the market, more and more brands across various industries are embracing this values-based marketing.

Brands and their important role in shaping and redefining cultural norms and values.

Anyone familiar with this industry knows that advertising, communication, and therefore marketing, play a fundamental role in shaping society.

As Jean Kilbourne (writer, filmmaker, and activist known for her work on the portrayal of women in advertising): “Ads sell products, but they also sell much more than just products. They sell values, images, and concepts of love and sexuality, romance, success, popularity, and perhaps most importantly, normality. To a large extent, they tell us who we are and who we should be.” And as was said in the an adage from the 1st century B.C., related to the Sword of Damocles and which would be referenced much later in Spider-Man: “With great power comes great responsibility“. That is the responsibility that the younger generations are demanding.”

One of the best examples of purpose-driven marketing—one that we all remember, and I’m sure you do too—is the Dove’s “Real Beauty” campaign.

This campaign helped women to appreciate their beauty regardless of their shape or size, calling out the fashion world for glorifying an unrealistic standard of beauty.

During the pandemic, for example, there was an explosion of marketing and advertising centered on social values, with the goal of connecting with a much more socially conscious audience. However, brands that started out doing this very well quickly abandoned that approach once the “new normal” set in.

Other brands have been working on this for years, carving out a place for themselves in consumers’ minds in this regard. One of the best-known examples might be the famous Christmas campaigns by Campofrío.

Other companies have extended their commitment to their values directly to society by helping disadvantaged groups and committing to net-zero carbon emissions—as in the cases of Coca-Cola and General Motors. These brands have publicized their progress in this area through news coverage in various media outlets.

However, sometimes these values do not align with the values promoted by those media outlets, creating a disconnect that consumers notice. Let’s take a closer look at this issue, which is precisely what prompted me to write this post.

Value-Based Media Planning.

As with everything, some media outlets are more socially and environmentally conscious than others. Some focus on supporting the LGBTIQ+ community (Lesbian, Gay, Trans, Bisexual, Intersex, Queer, and Others), while others focus on reforestation and respect for the environment…

The trend will be for brands that align with the values of certain media outlets to support them in their role of spreading the message and assisting in their active struggle. But above all, the The trend will be to align investment in media for brand campaigns that promote certain values with media outlets that share those same values—or, at the very least, with media that are not at odds with them.

In addition to traditional metrics in media planning—such as audience, price, data, and technological solutions—values will also be taken into account. Thus, if we are working on a brand that promotes values related to cultural and racial diversity, we will not run our campaigns in a media outlet that has supremacist leanings or is known to have no interest whatsoever in those values.

The media plays such an important role in society that brands will begin to make “value-based purchases” and hold media companies accountable for the values they promote.

Ads and commercials , as we have seen, can be powerful tools to rethink and initiate social and cultural discussions on various topics. However, If a brand runs an excellent campaign but doesn’t pay attention to which media outlets it uses to advertise it, it can confuse the market and thus frustrate consumers.

Imagine that a brand creates an ad that promotes a positive message about racial equity, but that ad is aired on a media network that actively promotes misinformation. Consumers might ask themselves: ” Was the ad just a cynical marketing ploy?“.

However, it is difficult to select the most relevant media the values that brand conveys, at a time when companies are constantly fighting for market share and seeking steady growth. However, Brands do have the power to steer the media toward cultural, social, and environmental values that align with what brands are conveying today.

If this is achieved, consumers will recognize it, appreciate it, and reward the brand with their loyalty.

According to a report by McKinsey conducted in the U.S. in December 2021, 42% of consumers who belonged to the Millennials and Gen Zmentioned the purpose as the main factor for switching brands.

Value-based purchasing can not only have a cultural impact by holding media companies accountable for their content and socially responsible practices, but it can also build trust with consumers and position companies for a market where Millennials and Gen Zers are the primary consumers.

Consumers will remember which brands played a positive role in shaping a future where diversity is valued, wages are fair, misinformation is on the decline, and our planet is safe for future generations.