From Dove to Guinness to Heinz, what did the marketing teams behind the biggest brand-building success stories celebrated at this year’s Cannes festival have in common? Whole business alignment.
Securing stakeholder alignment is not just a nice-to-have—it’s an essential tool for marketers to be able to drive long-term profitable growth. In this article, we’ll delve into how aligning stakeholders across your organisation can unlock key commercial benefits, from optimising your marketing investments and executing bold campaigns, to maintaining consistent brand messaging that drives sustained growth
1. Flexible Portfolio Management = Maximise Returns
Successful brands know that a flexible approach to portfolio management will bring significant commercial benefits. This strategy involves adjusting investments across a portfolio of brands or products based on their market potential and strategic importance. By reallocating resources to prioritise high-potential areas, companies can optimise their marketing spend for greater returns.
I worked on Diageo’s launch of Captain Morgan into new markets, which is a great example of this. To secure stakeholder approval, the business case included a reinvestment rate of at least 80% to fund both short- and long-term activities. This required a shift in resources from less attractive areas of the portfolio, demonstrating the importance of presenting a compelling business case that aligns with overall business strategy. This flexible approach allowed Diageo to maximise returns and drive growth in new markets.
2. Brave Executions = Significant Sales
In today’s fast-paced market, brands that can swiftly execute bold ideas while maintaining stakeholder alignment often see the most significant gains. Moving quickly requires not just agility but also having the full support of all relevant stakeholders to ensure seamless execution. This is where whole business buy-in becomes crucial, as it empowers marketing teams to act decisively and creatively.
Dove serves as a powerful example of this strategy in action. Dove is a billion-dollar brand that has consistently driven growth by maintaining whole business alignment on its brand campaigns. Their “Real Beauty” campaign, which champions real beauty and fights against toxic beauty standards, would not have achieved such monumental success without the backing of all stakeholders. Dove’s marketing team secured this alignment by demonstrating the campaign’s potential to resonate deeply with consumers and drive long-term brand value. This alignment allowed Dove to roll out brave executions, tackle tough topics provocatively, and remain responsive to cultural moments, thereby fostering a strong connection with consumers and driving significant sales growth.
3. Consistent Brand Messaging = Drive Long-Term Growth
Marketers who are able to influence stakeholders across the business have a better chance of rolling out ideas and brand assets consistently over the long-term. When stakeholders across the organisation are aligned on the brand’s vision and messaging, it allows for a unified and coherent strategy that resonates with consumers over time. This consistency builds brand equity, increases consumer trust, and ultimately drives sustained growth.
A compelling example of this is Cadbury Dairy Milk. Since 2018, Cadbury has focused on the theme of innate generosity through its award-winning campaigns like “There’s a Glass and a Half in Everyone.” This consistent messaging across all touchpoints was made possible by ensuring that all stakeholders were on board with the brand’s long-term vision. The alignment allowed Cadbury to commit fully to its brand narrative, fostering emotional connections with consumers that translated into commercial success. The “Secret Santa” campaign, a part of this broader strategy, generated £230 million in festive revenue and contributed to a 47.6% increase in brand value between 2022 and 2023, making Cadbury one of the top 20 most valuable food brands globally.
Conclusion
Achieving stakeholder alignment is about more than just getting approval for individual campaigns; it’s about fostering a culture of consistent, strategic brand management that drives long-term success. Whether it’s flexibly managing your portfolio, moving quickly on bold ideas, or ensuring consistent messaging, strong stakeholder management is the difference between amazing strategy and amazing execution.
To learn more about how to achieve this alignment within your own business, be sure to download The Key to Unlocking Brand Building—our comprehensive two-part guide that equips marketers with all the evidence needed to build a compelling case for brand-building investments, as well as offering practical advice on how to win over the stakeholders who control the sign-off process.
Have you successfully build a business case for brand building in your business – but now you need help to deliver on that promise? LockSmith can help you raise the floor on marketing capability to ensure your team has the knowledge & skills needed to drive long-term profitable growth. Contact us at chris@locksmith.works or alex@locksmith.works – we’d love to hear from you.
