Brands and the Need for Community

The U.S. might be known for its consumerism, but the major challenges facing brands today tend to be universal. Case in point: At the SXSW festival, which officially ends Sunday, an international audience crammed into the Australia House for a packed session on how brands can tap into or create community. And, the speakers said, what inspires community around a brand — particularly among the Millennial and Gen Z set — is a sense of purpose. “In 15 years, we’ve raised a billion dollars, and we’ve done that because we’ve taken a disruptive approach to the world of charity,” said Simon Traynor, non-executive director of The Movember Foundation, an organization best known for inspiring millions of men to grow facial hair every November to raise awareness for men’s health issues. Traynor, who’s worked at Nike and Quiksilver, is no stranger to cultivating compelling brands. Now, he and his group have created a global movement of five million people. “Movember is 15 years old, so think back to pre-hipster life, think back to a different world,” Traynor said. “When you were in downtown Melbourne 13 or 14 years ago, and you walked down the street Nov. 13, 14 and 15th, and you saw a guy

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