Marketing Acts as a Social Translator for Corporate Impact

In a conversation with Bruno Gimenes on Marketing - The Podcast, Dihego Pansini analyzed how corporate communications strategies must position themselves regarding social and sustainability initiatives. The discussion builds on a 2024 Cone Communications data point showing that 87% of consumers say they buy from companies based on their values, while 76% say they distrust purpose-driven campaigns when there is a disconnect between rhetoric and practice.

According to Pansini, society views corporations as having significant institutional capacity to integrate innovations and drive meaningful change. However, that expectation holds up only when marketing efforts stem from concrete evidence. As he puts it, communication should not attempt to fabricate artificial relevance: "obviously, it won't create the impact, but it will help translate that impact to society, right?" Pansini emphasizes that attempting to gloss over results erodes reputation: "marketing communication without empirical evidence of transformation—when it tries to substitute real impact—risks losing credibility."

The role of communication in the viability of local projects

Beyond safeguarding institutional reputation, structuring a clear message is critical to the operational reach of social programs. In the video above, Pansini details the practical mechanisms of regional development discussed in the episode, which also explores governance, impact metrics, and the evolution of the ESG ecosystem.

Pansini highlights that even robust social investments lose effectiveness if the recipient community fails to understand the value of the proposed initiatives: "if you launch a series of local initiatives without a structured communication process for that audience, the project itself loses momentum." Local engagement directly influences the ultimate outcome of any initiative.