Brands
“The research that we conducted is really all about brand purpose”: BBDO’s Hans Lopez Vito
Mumbai: BBDO, the global marketing and communications agency synonymous for its work on many of the world’s most famous brands, hosted an exclusive client event at the Glocal Junction in Worli on 26 September 2023.
The event marked the unveiling of key insights from the latest study on brand purpose in Asia, which was carried out under the agency’s BBDO Voices insights program by BBDO Asia. The study explores the relevance and impact of using brand purpose as an approach to brand positioning and uncovers important by-country nuances that marketers in the region need to navigate to build their brands successfully across markets in the region.
BBDO Voices, now celebrating its 13th year, has provided valuable insights and thought leadership to brand marketers, planners, and creatives in China. This latest study marks the expansion of the program’s coverage to also include other key Asian markets such as South Korea, Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, and India.
Indiantelevision.com on the sidelines of the launch of BBDO Voices, caught up with BBDO Asia COO Hans Lopez Vito, where he gave some vital information about the survey, the need to conduct it and more…
Edited excerpts
On giving an overall brief of the survey and the reason to conduct
The research that we conducted is really all about brand purpose and trying to explore purpose from a purely Asian standpoint, because a lot of the research that’s been done on the topic of brand purpose has been carried out mostly in the context of Europe, UK, North America. Not a lot has been done talking to consumers across Asia about what their attitudes are towards purpose. What we’ve seen here, number one purpose is quite compelling in Asia, more compelling in other markets than in some, especially in the developing parts of Asia where consumers feel they can only look to brands to help on many issues in life, where governments at times are falling short. The only source of allyship that they have, whether it’s about women empowerment, or democratising access to products or environmental sustainability, they look to brands.
On the roadmap of conducting surveys like this
We’ve decided, as an agency early on, that we need to understand consumers and we need to provide a new perspective of understanding our clients. So we decided early on to invest a significant amount of our own resources to research consumers and to get data. A lot of it is wonderful quantitative research, going out there with research partners, suppliers, to survey consumers on online studies, which would supplement of course with a lot of in depth interviews in the different markets.
On expecting any changes of the issues mentioned in the survey
I expect more national brand nationalism in certain countries in Asia. I expect that to grow because we’re living in interesting times where the world order is being revisited. There are emerging economies and emerging countries and cultures that are vying for influence and brands are also therefore an instrument of writing that’s expressed. People become more proud of their national identity and their culture.
Brands
Lululemon picks former Nike executive to be its next chief
Heidi O’Neill, who helped grow Nike into a $45 billion giant, will take the top job in September
CANADA: Lululemon has found its next chief executive, and she comes with serious credentials. The athleisure giant named Heidi O’Neill as its new CEO on Wednesday, ending a search that has left the company running on interim leadership since earlier this year. O’Neill will take charge on September 8, 2026, based out of Vancouver, and will join the board on the same day.
O’Neill brings more than three decades of experience across performance apparel, footwear and sport. The bulk of that time was spent at Nike, where she was a central figure in one of corporate sport’s great growth stories, helping take the company from a $9 billion business to a $45 billion global powerhouse. She oversaw product pipelines, brand strategy and consumer connections, and played a significant role in shaping how Nike spoke to athletes around the world. Earlier in her career, she worked in marketing for the Dockers brand at Levi Strauss. She also brings boardroom experience from Spotify Technology, Hyatt Hotels and Lithia and Driveway.
The board was unequivocal in its enthusiasm. “We selected Heidi because of the breadth of her experience, her demonstrated success delivering breakthrough ideas and initiatives at scale, and her ability to be a knowledgeable change and growth agent,” said Marti Morfitt, executive chair of Lululemon’s board.
O’Neill, for her part, was bullish. “Lululemon is an iconic brand with something rare: genuine guest love, a product ethos rooted in innovation, and a global platform still in the early stages of its potential,” she said. “My job will be to accelerate product breakthroughs, deepen the brand’s cultural relevance, and unlock growth in markets around the world.”
Until she arrives, Meghan Frank and André Maestrini will continue as interim co-CEOs, before returning to their previous senior leadership roles once O’Neill steps in.
Lululemon is betting that a Nike veteran who helped build one of the world’s most powerful sports brands can do something similar for an athleisure label that has genuine love from its customers but is still chasing its full global potential. O’Neill has done it before at scale. The question now is whether she can do it again.
