Recognizing the power and impact of creative influence to drive broad global change, influencer marketing agency Whalar has launched The Change Collective, a creator marketplace that connects brands with creators dedicated to using their influence and creative skills to affect positive change on issues including sustainability, equality, health, and safety.
In development for over a year, Whalar’s Change Collective is designed to help brands more quickly, effectively and authentically create and communicate their purpose by partnering with dedicated and credible creators who share their values and can connect with their engaged audiences to drive social change at scale.
No longer can companies grow simply by providing a great product that satisfies a customer need; they must also do so ethically and sustainably, putting this at the heart of their business strategy moving forward. This “third dimension” of business will take on even greater importance as research shows consumer definitions of “value” are changing, particularly for consumers under 40:
- 90% believe brands have a responsibility to detail their beliefs on social and environmental issues (Source: DNA, Seattle report, August 2019)
- 87% will spend more on socially compliant products (Source: Deloitte, 2018)
- 75% will alter their buying habits to reduce environmental impact (Source: Nielsen, 2018)
- 80% of companies and brands linked to purpose outperformed the market, vs. 32% non-purpose brands (Source: Kantar Millward Brown 2018)
Accessible through Whalar’s existing Creator platform, The Change Collective community at launch includes more than 60 purpose-driven micro-influencers and content creators from around the world, who have a combined digital footprint of 6.5 million+ followers. Founding members of The Change Collective include:
- Aditi Mayer @aditimayer, US-based journalist and fashion sustainability advocate
- Neel Wanders @flunkingmonkey, UK-based biologist and eco-consultant
- Caroline South @caroline_south, UK-based beach cleaner and artist of beach finds
- Dom & Dom @allthatisshe, UK-based creative duo and conscious creators
- Dan Magatti @danmagatti, Brazil-based photographer and environmental activist
- Natalia Seth @escapingyouth, US-based artist
The Change Collective will work with brands in two ways: consult with brands in the early stages to co-create products, provide feedback on planned projects, and ensure authenticity and connectedness to their target audiences; as well as create and promote content and purpose-led messaging for campaigns.
To mark the launch of The Change Collective for Earth Day on April 22, Whalar and The Change Collective have launched a pro bono campaign featuring the Collective’s 60+ creators posting throughout the week to raise awareness of climate change, as well as what individual actions people can take to reduce their own impact.
Said Neil Waller, co-founder of Whalar: “The Change Collective marks a step-change in how we as an influencer community can use our platforms and creative skills to partner with brands and organizations for positive advocacy and global change on the issues that impact us all – health, safety, equality and equity, and sustainability. In the last year, more than 90 percent of Whalar clients have actively worked with creators to promote at least one purpose-led product or brand message. While we’ve seen great success on one-off campaigns focused on specific issues, through The Change Collective, we aim to make it quicker and easier for brands and creators to partner for campaigns at scale.”
Added Sir John Hegarty, Chairman, Whalar, “When we emerge from the lockdown we will all be looking at a changed business environment. The brands that will be valued are those that show they contribute to society, not just make money. We like to call this the Third Dimension. The old duopoly of product and profit will be replaced by a triumvirate of needs. What is your purpose? What value can you generate? And how do you contribute to a better world?”
Added Jessica Van Wyk, Client Manager, Whalar and founder/lead for The Change Collective: “We started The Change Collective because we saw the potential digital creators have to accelerate positive change. We recognize the collective impact that we as individuals have when we work together, and the digital world provides us unprecedented connectivity to do so. Whalar’s community consists of thousands of creators whose work and voices have lasting influence, as a result of the deep relationships they have with their audiences – we want to empower them to use this influence for good. Ultimately, we recognize that, via our platform, we have the ability to play a pivotal role in shaping the conscious change the world needs.”
Members of The Change Collective have previously worked on purpose- and issues-driven campaigns for organizations including the United Nations. For more information about Whalar’s Change Collective, please visit https://whalar.com/change-collective