• by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, September 8, 2020

"The Download" from Microsoft Advertising premiered on Tuesday with the first episode featuring insights from the company's research around business recovery from COVID-19, and how companies are using human-centric design.

The entire first segment is centered on Marketing with Purpose, the research from the company's marketing lab.

The segment features interviews with “Good is the New Cool” author Afdhel Aziz, and a sit-down with Crocs head of global marketing Heidi Cooley to find out how the company has been walking the talk for social good during the pandemic.

Aziz said the “amount of scrutiny these companies are under now to not just talk the talk, but walk the walk is massive, and that’s why we’re really seeing companies step up to the plate.”

The video also features a roundtable with top thinkers in a variety of agencies for a segment Microsoft produces named “The Noodle.” The show rounds out with a product pop-up segment around Responsive Search Ads.

Jennifer Solomon-Baum, head of marketing for the Americas, hosts the first show from Microsoft’s Los Angeles offices. The monthly program is filled with insights, trends and thought-provoking ideas with exclusive interviews, in less than 30 minutes.  

Marketers and advertisers have been called upon to answer an essential question: What does your brand stand for?

Some of the trends being amplified as a result of COVID-19 have been around for a long time, but have moved to the center of the campaigns as the pandemic acts as a fast-forward button.

One of the biggest takeaways from the debut video is that marketers and advertisers must deal with too much change in too little time. Suggestions include the business purpose to drive change and make a genuine impact that matters most, that businesses must heed the demands of employees and customers to act ethically, and that purpose must be embedded into the DNA of the business.

If you’ve wondered as I have what the head of multicultural and inclusive marketing at Microsoft, MJ DePalma, has been up to lately, she has been entrenched in something called Marketing with Purpose.

DePalma describes it as building a brand welcome in people’s lives by earning their trust and upholding their values -- a shift from product to human centric, she says.

Microsoft Research data found that 48% of consumer participating in the survey — The Psychology of Inclusion and the Effects in Advertising — said they stopped purchasing from a brand because it did not represent their values.

“When you convey inclusion in your advertising, our research shows two main feelings are conjured up in people, joy and trust,” she said.

No matter what gender or ethnicity, people are more likely to purchase a product after seeing an inclusive ad. For women, inclusive ads drove a 26% lift, while for men it resulted in an 18% lift.

Inclusive advertising drives trust, according to the study. When brands are more authentic, it builds loyalty and connection and drives purchase intent with a 23-point lift.