Tag: Impact

Should brands take political positions?

Posted on by Knom

‘Brand love’ is achieved by taking risks.

After the assault on the Capitol, some social networks have silenced Trump and many other brands, such as FedEx, Hilton, Mastercard and Microsoft, have broken ties with the speech of the still president.

Faced with a more active and aware public, and aware of their power and influence, the so-called ‘activist brands’ are emerging which, committed to their principles and values as a company, dedicate time and effort to fight for the causes they consider just.

While there are issues where there is a certain global consensus and where it is easier to take a stand, such as the fight against climate change or equality, the matter becomes more complicated when we take the debate to political leanings.

Growing ideological polarisation increases consumers’ desire to know whether the brands we buy are aligned with our way of thinking and our values. The idea of ‘voting with your wallet’ is expanding, but how far should brands’ political engagement go?

What can design do for the climate?

Posted on by Knom

Everything is designed, from a toy to a bomb.

Climate change is one of the great challenges for the design sector, which holds, in its different versions, the key to a more creative, more sustainable, more aware and informed world. Although we are late, there are already brands that are making a difference. This is the case of Estrella Damm, which last year eliminated plastic from its packaging, but also of countless start-ups that are emerging with a more sustainable consumption approach (second-hand platforms, ecological menstruation, …).

Every decision during the design process is decisive, but it is perhaps in the dissemination of the problem and its solutions that the design community should focus. We have a very powerful tool to convince but above all to help people to wake up.
Shall we start now?

Can design save your life?

Posted on by Knom

Good design can make a difference.

In a world hypersaturated with impacts where we only process a small percentage of the messages we receive, good design can make the difference. A few days ago we saw how the interactive infographics of an article, explaining how COVID is spread in different spaces and situations, went viral. And more and more media are betting on infographics to capture the attention of their audience and make their content transcend.

The reality is that we are more permeable to what we see than to what we read; the visual connects with our emotional level and is better fixed. Making the most of the tools that design gives us is key to meeting the challenge of exposing complex realities and providing credibility. A vital aspect when we deal with such crucial issues as health, security or education.

Has the pandemic been the last push brands needed to join the green revolution?

Posted on by Knom

A pause to review priorities.

The pandemic has forced us to stop and take stock of what is really important in our lives. And brands have not escaped this phenomenon: they have also had to take a break and reflect. The fashion sector, for example, has seen its business slow down just at the moment when relevant voices in the sector questioned the need to have such a demanding rotation and so many collections in a single year. Other brands are asking us not to buy on Black Friday, or urging us to reuse, even repair, what we already have in order to extend its useful life.

There is already a collective feeling that we need to rethink the way we consume. We need to make our way of life and our values consistent with each other. Brands that make it easy for us and align with our new priorities will come out stronger.