#19: Changing the World Through Brands (with Chris Baker, Author, Founder and Keynote Speaker)
Jan 8, 2025
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In a thought-provoking discussion, Chris Baker, an award-winning strategist and CEO of Serious Tissues, unveils the transformative power of 'change brands' like Change Please, which address homelessness through job creation. He emphasizes how consumer spending can drive social change and the need for brands to prioritize sustainability. Baker also shares insights on innovative marketing strategies that resonate emotionally and showcase how even small shifts in spending can influence corporate behavior. Tune in for a captivating exploration of conscious consumerism!
Change brands focus on creating positive societal impact, encouraging consumers to realign their spending habits towards socially responsible options.
Change Please exemplifies how a business can empower marginalized individuals, transforming lives through employment while fostering community connections.
Serious Tissues illustrates the potential for sustainable business practices to contribute to environmental restoration, planting a tree for each product sold.
Deep dives
The Power of Change Brands
Change brands focus on making a positive impact in society through their business models. Unlike traditional challenger brands, change brands explicitly aim to address social issues, sustainability, and health-related problems. They seek to improve the status quo by creating value not just for themselves but for society as a whole. This transformative approach allows consumers to engage with brands that align with their values and contribute to positive change simply by choosing to spend their money differently.
The Birth of Change Please
Change Please is a unique coffee business that empowers homeless individuals by training them as baristas. The concept emerged during a moment of realization when observing the vast disconnect between consumers spending money on coffee while ignoring the struggles of homeless people. By choosing to buy coffee from Change Please instead of well-known chains, customers help fund job training and provide employment for those in need. This model not only creates pathways to financial stability for homeless individuals but also fosters a sense of community among customers.
Serious Tissues: A Solution for Climate Change
Serious Tissues was founded to tackle the environmental impact of toilet paper production by using 100% recycled paper and planting a tree for every product sold. The brand emerged from a growing concern about climate change and aims to replace the conventional toilet roll made from virgin pulp. Its mission resonates with environmentally conscious consumers who want to make sustainable choices. Since its launch, Serious Tissues has successfully planted nearly 1.5 million trees, demonstrating how businesses can encourage responsible consumerism and contribute to ecological restoration.
Innovative Brand Examples
Numerous brands exemplify the change brand ethos by addressing various social and environmental issues. For instance, Tony’s Chocolonely actively combats child slavery in the cocoa industry, creating a transparent supply chain and an inspiring brand narrative. Additionally, companies like Liquid Death revolutionize traditional markets by offering innovative, sustainable alternatives, such as canned water in place of plastic bottles. These brands not only provide better products but also engage consumers through unique marketing strategies that emphasize their mission and values.
Consumer Spending as a Catalyst for Change
Consumer spending represents a significant portion of global GDP, meaning that individuals have the power to influence market trends and drive change by their purchasing decisions. Shifting just a small percentage of spending towards change brands can yield enormous impacts, exemplified by brands such as Who Gives a Crap and Cheeky Panda gaining traction in reusable and sustainable household products. As grassroots movements encourage consumers to choose brands with a social or environmental mission, new market dynamics emerge, pressuring larger corporations to adapt or risk obsolescence. Thus, individual consumer choices become powerful tools for systemic change and sustainability.
Today I’m joined by Chris Baker, author of ‘Obsolete: How Change Brands are Changing the World’ and Founder and CEO of Serious Tissues, for a fascinating discussion on how changing the way we spend our money has the potential to change the world.
Use the code obsolete25 on the Bloomsbury website to buy a discounted copy of the book.