Consumers Demand Action: How Mars UK is Backing Purpose with Accountability
Mars UK is pioneering a new era of purpose-driven business practices, becoming the first major consumer company in the UK to adopt the ‘Social Value TOM System’. This independent, government-endorsed framework measures the social, environmental, and economic impact of businesses and is available for all brands to use. By adopting this system, Mars UK has set a new standard for accountability and collaboration, encouraging others to embrace more holistic approaches to value creation.
In 2023, Mars UK contributed over £88 million in social value across its snacking, food and nutrition, and pet nutrition businesses – equivalent to £23,000 per employee. This effort complements Mars UK’s broader economic contributions, which include $7.7 billion annually in gross value add (GVA).
Through its partnership with Social Value Portal and its involvement in the National Social Value Taskforce, Mars UK is driving initiatives that deliver tangible benefits, such as local upskilling, employment for underrepresented groups, and environmental stewardship. These efforts align with the company’s ‘Sustainable in a Generation Plan’, which focuses on a healthy planet, nourishing wellbeing, and thriving people.
As Naomi Jones, Mars UK’s corporate affairs director, shares in this interview with LBB’s Alex Reeves, this commitment isn’t just about tracking impact – it’s about inspiring systemic change across industries, fostering collaboration, and creating a more equitable and sustainable future for all.
LBB> Mars has a lot of incredible household-name brands. How far back do the brands in Mars go when it comes to making a difference in the world beyond just their bottom line?
Naomi> To be honest, right from the start, Mars is unusual in that it's family-owned. We're now in the sixth generation of the Mars family. The other thing about that is it means it's a company that thinks in generations, not in quarters, which is what I'm more used to from other companies. You really feel that long-term approach working here.
Although it's an American family and an American-owned business, the company has strong roots in the UK. In 1932, Forrest Mars Sr. came to the UK with the recipe for the Mars bar which he started to produce in Slough. Right from the start, he wanted a company with the purpose of mutual benefits for all. He instilled that from the beginning, and the values and principles the company was founded on in the ‘30s are still, by and large, the same today. You really feel that.
At other companies, you can ask an employee what the values or principles of the company are, and no one will be able to tell you. But at Mars, they are threaded through everything – every single discussion. That absolutely carries through to all of the brand work and brand purpose work. Every decision we make is aligned with the brand purpose, the purpose of the company, and the company’s values. It’s so instilled.
To answer your question about the brands themselves, most of our brands started having a strong brand purpose and doing purpose-led work in the late ‘90s and early 2000s. For example, Sheba is deeply involved in the restoration of coral reefs. That thinking started around 2001, and by 2006, coral restoration work was underway. Twenty million pounds of coral restoration work has been done.
Maltesers, more famous now for supporting maternal mental health, began that work back in the late ‘90s with Comic Relief and related projects. So, I would say that purpose has been part of Mars from its formation, but for the brands, it became more focused in the late ‘90s, especially on the confectionery side, and has carried through to the rest of the brands today.
We think of this work over the long term. We don’t just commit a budget for two or three years. We recognise it’s going to take decades.
LBB> We can talk about the comms side of it, but how is Mars UK ensuring that all of the advertising and messaging is really backed up by what the company is doing?
Naomi> We think it’s absolutely critical that the brands each have a strong but differentiated purpose, and they really all do. Each of our brands, by and large, has something it focuses on. If that’s not echoed throughout the company by science-based targets and a thorough approach, that’s where it falls down. That’s why there have been accusations of greenwashing in brand work – if you’re doing it in the brands but not laddering it up, it doesn’t work. And vice versa if you’ve got everything at the top, but the brands are not in line.
At a global level, we have science-based targets and our Sustainable in a Generation Plan, and that’s threaded throughout all the work we do. In the UK, we saw a unique opportunity to do external benchmarking and to get our homework marked by someone else, if you like.
Social value is something the UK government has championed for a long time. The Treasury uses it for all public procurement processes. But the private sector hasn’t been involved for a long time because, why would it? The public sector really evolved because it’s winning bids. The private sector hasn’t, but in order to create social value as an economy, the private sector has to get involved.
That’s why we did it. We already measure our targets globally, but in the UK, we wanted to get involved in this social value movement to measure our own targets. But it’s more about creating a movement. What we really want is to get others in the FMCG industry to do the same. The more good we create as an industry, the more we contribute back to the economy. The FMCG industry contributes £134 billion to the economy each year and employs 450,000 people. How amazing would it be if more of us got involved?
LBB> It’ll be very interesting to watch and see who’s the first to make use of it outside of Mars. Has anyone else made public use of it yet?
Naomi> Not yet. To be fair, we haven’t gone out with it yet. The next thing we want to do is create a task group that will partner with the National Social Value Taskforce. Together, we aim to use the system and, over the next year, assemble some thoughts to help the government. We’re having initial conversations – watch this space. We’re hopeful that across the wider industry – not just Mars competitors, but others in food and beverage, retailers, and so on – will get involved as well.
LBB> The rise of brand purpose has been one of the big narratives in marketing over the last decade or two. What do you think will be the lasting legacy of that movement, and what do you hope we’ve left behind?
Naomi> As you identified at the start, this isn’t a one-year project or a trend. It’s about creating real, meaningful change – either making meaningful social value contributions or helping with long-term issues. That’s what we want to achieve: long-term change and meaning for people.
Even though purpose within brands and marketing can go through trendy times and quieter periods, for us, we stick with it. Our customers and consumers consistently tell us that’s what they want. When we interview people for roles at Mars, they mention our purpose and purpose-led brands as a reason for joining. Our customers regularly encourage us to stay involved in this area. We also see research coming through all the time, showing that’s what gen z, in particular, wants to see.
LBB> People are more savvy about this now. They know what purpose-washing looks like. The internet has allowed them to dig into supply chains and business practices to make sure that if a company says something, they’re really doing it. How does that lens affect how Mars acts around social and environmental contributions and the promises you’re making?
Naomi> That’s why setting science-based targets and holding ourselves to account publicly is so important. When making decisions about marketing campaigns, it’s critical to consistently come back to your brand’s meaning and purpose, asking, ‘Is this in line with what this brand stands for?’. Maltesers, for example, has become synonymous with supporting mothers and mental health in a fun, lighthearted way. That’s been its focus for years. Having that longevity and regularly checking in with consumers to ensure it still resonates is key.
LBB> Mars has a lot of snack brands and friendly treats, which can take the edge off the seriousness of purpose-led marketing. Is that something you have to think about in your role?
Naomi> Definitely. Confectionery is fun and should be fun. It’s about creating small moments of happiness for people, and we’re proud of that. We don’t shy away from trying to provide those small moments of joy responsibly.
With Maltesers, for instance, while addressing a serious issue like maternal mental health, we hold events in Parliament, conduct serious studies, and take our work to MPs. But the red thread of all that is about mums supporting other mums, having a laugh, and finding fun even in tough times. That’s been at the heart of what we do.
Another example is M&M’s. It’s such a fun brand, and we launched ‘The M&M’s FUNd’ to reflect that. M&M’s are often shared while watching movies or TV. The FUNd acknowledges the brand’s fun side, but also supports up-and-coming filmmakers from marginalised communities, recognising the lack of diversity in film.
While the FUNd has a serious mission, many of the films it supports are fun, lighthearted stories. For us, fun and seriousness aren’t at odds. Our brands can be fun and serious, and can bring fun into serious work.
LBB> Everyone, hopefully, has some sense of humour or joy in life, even if they’re buying something serious like life insurance. And you’re mostly selling fun things. Is that a good reason to make your purpose-led work lighthearted?
Naomi> We hear that, and the feedback we get supports it. The research shows people like lightheartedness and that sense of relief, especially during tough times like the cost-of-living crisis. What they don’t like is when a company isn’t living by its values, isn’t serious about doing the right thing, or isn’t looking after its people, consumers, and customers. If you’re a brand with heart, and people believe you’re doing the right thing, then being fun is something they welcome. It all has to come together.
LBB> With things like supply chains and production processes under more scrutiny than ever, do you have processes to ensure what you’re saying and doing are completely in sync?
Naomi> Yes, 100%. Our ‘Sustainable in a Generation Plan’, which we have at a global level, is the foundation for everything we do. We have huge teams working in these areas. If you’re talking about sustainability, government, social value, and purpose, but people aren’t seeing that holistic view, then it won’t resonate or mean anything to them.
We have to consistently show that these aren’t just marketing campaigns or one-off projects. That’s what the social value work has been about – showing that there’s a plan and a long-term commitment behind everything we do.
LBB> You mentioned one of the agencies you work with, AMV BBDO. Of course, there are dozens of them. With all these creative partners, what’s the key to making sure they’re all on the same page as the Mars brands?
Naomi> Two things, I think. First, we believe in agencies being fully threaded throughout everything we do. The more an agency can understand the Mars culture, the importance of our principles, and our ethos – particularly toward our associates and employees – the better. It’s really important for our brand partners, media partners, and others, to become embedded in the business and truly understand who we are.
Second, it’s about who they are as agencies. We’re very careful about who we partner with, making sure their values align with ours. We ensure they’re doing a lot in areas like sustainability and social value themselves. So, it’s about embedding agencies in the business and ensuring we’re aligned in terms of values and goals.
I’d also say that, more than ever, agencies challenge you now. They want to know about your credentials and your plans, because most agencies have excellent sustainability and people plans of their own. Agencies are very good at holding us to account as well.
LBB> This new social value TOMS system you’ve had built externally – you’ve mentioned how you hope other companies will start using it. How do you hope it will change things moving forward?
Naomi> I think the potential is massive, not just within FMCG, but beyond. It’s testament to Mars that the company hires people based on values and culture, and not just industry experience. I saw this happen in my previous industry. It started with one company championing the idea, and eventually, the four big players came together to create a set of proposed policies for the government to take forward.
I’m excited about the possibilities here. The potential in FMCG is huge, and I think we’d be the first private sector group to really embrace this. It aligns with the government’s mission to focus on social value and partner with businesses. If we can bring this through to our brands and how we engage with consumers, it could be incredibly powerful. I’m very excited about what’s ahead.
