- What is the Good Report? How was it created?
The Good Report is a unique ranking of the world's best use of creative communications to promote sustainability and social responsibility, in order to raise awareness on major social and environmental issues. It is produced by ACT Responsible, international non-profit association and largest global source of the world's best ads on social and environmental issues, in collaboration with WARC, the worldwide authority on marketing effectiveness and publisher of the WARC Creative 100 Rankings, a global benchmark of creative excellence in advertising. It was created in 2013 by ACT responsible in collaboration with Donald Gunn, following the observation that every year, creative people around the world lend their talents to the task of addressing social and environmental issues: some help NGOs devise communications strategies; others use their skills to develop creative solutions for building a better world, and yet no specific recognition existed then. Today, many awards have opened these types of categories, and that makes it even more interesting.
- How has the pandemic (and the subsequent cancellation or delay of some awards) impacted the creation of this year's Good Report?
The fact that some awards have not taken place this year made it a little harder to compile. On ACT Responsible’s side, even though the awards haven't gone ahead, we have continued to identify and enter the good work in the database, and this year a total of 1,266 campaigns produced by 748 agencies for 1,012 brands (non-profit, public sector, and commercial brands) across 78 markets were evaluated for this latest Good Report. The methodology to select the work and the companies behind the work, published in The Good Report, is based on a combination of statistical analysis, judging panels, public vote and editorial judgement. There are various stages to get to the final list:
The ACT Responsible editorial team identifies social and environmental campaigns from around the world.
ACT Responsible tracks the participation and performance of these campaigns across various of our initiatives: Exhibitions, the Care Awards, "One minute of Responsibility" - a TV Programme by Euronews, public votes, The Good Ads Gallery.
These campaigns are then cross-referenced with highly awarded work of 2020 as tracked by WARC and showcased in the 'Marketing Through Volatility' series released in March. The campaigns featured in this content are selected using the WARC Rankings methodology (to be noted: since WARC's full suite of tracked shows have not yet taken place, WARC will not be assigning ranks to these campaigns until November.)
- Is there a creative trend this year?
The trend that I've seen appearing this year is better and wiser collaboration between commercial brands and nonprofits. I truly believe there is much more that could be done in that area. To make sure that some fundamental messages, traditionally carried by charities, get the attention of a majority, NGOs need the marketing and communication power of brands. This is how the message will be heard and things will start changing for the better. Brands need to stand for responsible and meaningful causes, but don't have the expertise and field network to address these causes efficiently. This is why they need to work hand in hand with NGOs.
- How did this ranking differ from others, what makes it special?
What I find interesting with The Good Report is the diversity of ideas used either in case studies or in print and films. Most of the time, it is their simplicity combined with the quality of the execution that make for the most impactful campaigns. But we are also looking at how the public receives these ideas, and sometimes it is surprising to see that the most awarded campaigns by the industry are not the most positively received by the target audience. I think that what makes this ranking unique is the diversity of points of view.
- Where can we see ACT Responsible next? What are your next projects?
We are preparing the 2021 collection, that will be showcased online this year again during Cannes Lions Live, from 18-22 June.
We are currently reaching out to all creative agencies around the globe to gather their work for Good and a selection of that work will be included in our digital exhibition. We are lucky enough to have the help of a team of students and their teachers from e-artsup in Paris to create this new creative experience. This will be online and open for voting at the end of June on greatadsforgood.org.
The Good Report and all the results can be found here: https://act-responsible.org/act-the-good-report/