Purpose beyond profit

It’s 2022 and about time forward-thinking businesses value purpose just as much as profit. 

Having an authentic brand purpose anchored in sustainable living is an important vehicle for all brand communication. Today’s consumers are more ethically and socially conscious than ever before. 

A recent global survey of nearly 30,000 consumers by Accenture found that 62% of customers want companies to take a stand on current and broadly relevant issues like sustainability, transparency or fair employment practices. The closer a company’s purpose aligns to their own beliefs, the better, but what if the two don’t match up?

Brands have jumped on these social shifts and tried to mirror changes in consumer attitude and behaviour, however, consumers are growing weary. Shoppers increasingly faced with purpose-related campaigns have started to question whether brands are really being genuine with their sentiments or not: Do they really want to help change the world?

The ‘purpose fatigue’ era

Whilst we see the topic of “purpose” being discussed widely, it is not always resonating with consumers. We are now in the era of ‘purpose fatigue’ – and a lot of purpose-driven advertising is failing to cut through the noise. This is often because brands are talking about the environment but then failing to link anything to the issues that really matter to consumers. 

A brand might say: “We have pledged to be Carbon Neutral by 2035” but what does that actually mean? Where is the plan or the evidence? For a purpose to be successful, it needs to be at the heart of your brand and educate consumers with the task at hand.

What makes an authentic brand purpose?

A true brand purpose shouldn’t be another messaging mechanic that can be slipped over the existing brand architecture or campaign – it’s an action-oriented strategy that can only be achieved and have true credibility when it creates real change that people value and trust.

It’s through action and impact that brand purpose moves from an idea and strategy to something that lives in the real world and can create a measurable and meaningful effect in people’s lives. Consumers need to witness the end result, not just the sentiment.