The following is part of our LinkedIn article series, the Leadership Lens.  

In today’s politicized and performance-driven environment, brands are rethinking when, how and whether to take visible stands on broader societal issues and how to more credibly express what they stand for. 

Not long ago, many brands leaned into defining themselves through mission-driven messaging, ESG commitments and public positions on social topics. Today, that landscape looks very different. Rising skepticism, shifting expectations and increased scrutiny have made that approach harder to sustain and, in some cases, less effective. 

In response, many organizations are moving toward a more grounded, values-based approach, focusing less on broad, declarative positioning and more on connecting with audiences through shared priorities, credible action and measurable impact. For communications leaders, that shift requires guiding the C-suite in evolving how organizations express what they stand for in ways that are both relevant and realistic. 

Aaron Pickering is a brand strategist and communications executive with more than 20 years of experience helping businesses and nonprofits navigate complex environments and drive measurable results. As Executive Managing Director at RF|Binder, he advises senior leaders on how to tell their stories in ways that connect to audiences while achieving concrete business objectives. 

Prior to joining RF|Binder, Aaron served as Chief Marketing & Communications Officer at Jobs for the Future (JFF), where he was part of the C-suite team shaping organizational strategy and leading the transformation of the marketing and communications function. Earlier in his career, he held senior roles at Allison Worldwide and Porter Novelli, advising Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits on brand strategy, stakeholder engagement and integrated communications. While at Allison Worldwide, he founded the Purpose Center of Excellence, which helped clients like Aflac, Fiserv, Petco, LEGO Education and Stonyfield build values-based connections with key audiences. 

We spoke with Aaron about how the shift away from overtly purpose-focused messaging is reshaping marketing and communications strategy. What follows is an edited version of that conversation for our Leadership Lens series. 

Given that environment, how are brands thinking about positioning themselves today? 

Aaron Pickering: Brands are still looking for ways to differentiate themselves, but there’s a greater emphasis now on credibility and focus. Instead of trying to take broad, highly visible positions on a wide range of issues, many are being more selective, focusing on areas where they have a clear connection and can demonstrate real progress. 

Part of that shift is driven by what we saw over the past several years. Taking public positions, often tied to ESG commitments, became a way to signal that companies stood for more than just making money. There was a real appetite to connect with consumers on something beyond product quality or price, and it created a kind of race, with brands trying to outdo one another. 

But that dynamic started to break down. There was backlash, some political, but also growing consumer fatigue. Even highly engaged audiences began to question what was real. Expectations had been set very high, and in many cases, brands weren’t able to meet them. As a result, skepticism increased, and the bar for credibility got much higher. 

 In this environment, how should leaders balance communicating what their organizations stand for with the need to stay grounded in business realities? 

Aaron Pickering: Removing statements about what a company stands for is misguided. For many organizations, clearly defining their priorities and commitments provides direction and carries real meaning for stakeholders. 

When a brand has a vested interest in an outcome, like protecting water supplies in communities where they operate, absolutely, they should act and not shy away from talking about it. They have both a business interest and a moral responsibility to be good stewards, so those cases are the easy ones. 

In other cases, though, leaders must balance broader expectations with the realities of running a business. The goal is to do the right thing while staying grounded in what is achievable, given your supply chain, your customer expectations and your business model. Rather than positioning the organization as a hero, it’s about being transparent: here’s what we are doing, here’s why we’re doing it and here’s how we’re improving. Just as important is sharing that message with the right stakeholders, at the right time. 

So I’m counseling C-suite leaders that when your business is being called on to take action, whether it’s government pressure, consumer pressure or internal expectations, you have to balance brand values, shareholder responsibility and business realities. 

Don’t try to build a campaign that overstates your role or suggests a silver bullet. Just have a meaningful, authentic impact for the people and communities that are central to your business. 

And I think that reflects a broader shift we’re seeing. People are scaling down expectations a little bit, maybe because of information overload. People are focusing more on their immediate circle: their families and their communities. What can I do to make the world a little better for myself and the people around me? 

People can’t engage with everything, so they focus on what’s closest to them. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It can actually be more effective. 

Which brings us to values-based marketing. Can you explain the term? 

Aaron Pickering: Values-based marketing means identifying one or more corporate values that already exist and then finding ways to connect with audiences around those values. You try to do it through things that bring people together. Sports, entertainment, nostalgia – these are all great examples. So instead of leading with divisive or abstract positioning, you focus on shared experiences. 

Next you layer in data, audience segmentation and product attributes, so you’re not forcing everything to align with one idea. You’re building from multiple inputs, telling your brand story across a range of shared values-based experiences that people are going to be receptive to. Then it becomes a game of, how good are you at using data to evaluate outcomes? I don’t mean simple outputs like media placements or share of voice. Instead, the measuring stick is desired business outcomes. 

What makes RF|Binder well-suited to this is that we approach everything from a business strategy perspective. We start with, “what is the business challenge?” Then we ask, how can communications and marketing help solve that challenge? And that’s different from a lot of agencies. We’re focused on outcomes. Whether it’s increasing sales, entering a new market or improving retention, everything ladders up to that. What we’re doing is helping clients connect every action – whether it’s a byline or press release, GEO optimization project or a digital out-of-home campaign – to a measurable outcome that ultimately ties back to ROI. 

If you lead with research, you’re not chasing vanity goals. You’re working from real insights. And you’re building in a way that’s efficient, measurable and undeniably defensible when directors are reviewing annual marketing spend.  

So, what is the standard that today’s businesses need to uphold? 

Aaron Pickering: Consumers, business leaders and even policymakers still expect companies to earn and continuously validate their license to operate and to be responsible actors. But the standard has shifted. Executives are now asking: What are we legally required to do? What do we need to do to maintain our license to operate? And what does it mean to go beyond that in a way that is credible and sustainable? 

You’re seeing fewer large-scale, cross-industry initiatives trying to “solve everything.” Instead, companies are asking: What can we realistically contribute? 

And instead of trying to connect with stakeholders across a full, complex value set, there’s more focus on shared human values. For example, a Gallup study showed that the majority of Americans prioritize family as their number one value. That’s not surprising, but it’s useful. Because it means, with the right approach to audience segmentation, brands can connect around that idea without getting pulled into polarizing territory. 

Clients are dealing with more complexity than ever before. But, in a way, the answers are getting simpler in finding shared values for their customers, and in their communications partners, finding teams they can trust to be focused on the end business goal in a way that is thoughtful, steady and supported by evidence. 

At RF|Binder, we help leaders define what their organizations stand for and ensure it shows up in ways that are credible, relevant and measurable. Our approach is grounded in business strategy, guided by data and focused on delivering outcomes that matter.