Talk: Humanising the Brand

Review

On 15th April Dean Aragon, CEO of Shell Brands International and Global VP Brand, joined us at the Museum of Brands to share his experiences of what it takes to humanise a brand.

Humanising a brand begins by humanising customers and humanising yourself.

Aragon says purpose is key. Shell’s purpose is to provide cleaner energy. This idea materialises in #makethefuture, a campaign that aims to change the way the world produces and uses energy. One example is The Great Travel Hack, the cleanest way to travel across America.

Another initiative to #makethefuture is by closing the gender gap. Dean discussed how Shell is committed to helping women reach senior roles in engineering and technology through initiatives including partnerships with universities, flexible working schedules and a growing number of women in senior positions in the company.

A full house included attendees from the British Council, Lucozade Ribena Suntory, Edelman and Coca-Cola.

The talk was followed by a lively dialogue with the audience where Aragon reminded us that humanising is about connection, about stimulating conversations, and about the ability to pivot. Whatever the context, we must have an anchor in our unique essence, both in business and in life.

About Dean

For 30 years, Dean has worked on developing, activating and commercialising market-leading, global brands. After two decades of consumer marketing at Unilever, Dean joined Shell in 2014 as Global Vice-President – Brand. He leads the development of Shell’s overall brand strategy, brand policies and brand standards. This includes thought-leadership in corporate brand advertising, digital-social media, and creative solutions for the entire Shell group. He is also the CEO of Shell Brands International AG – a Shell subsidiary that develops and protects the Shell trademarks for licencing to Shell companies and third parties. Dean is married to Jane; they have five children.

The Museum’s professional development programme is generously supported by The Marketors’ Trust @marketors