Brand Purpose at a Crossroad: Evolve or Self-Implode
New research from GfK and Goodvertising hints at new approach needed for purpose
Purpose. It's like a misunderstood Halloween — just because you put on that hero's cape, you are not a hero. For most brands purpose is either viewed as a lifebuoy or as a crusade toward growth.
But it's no longer the differentiator, the love magnet, or business driver it used to be back in the days when Dove's "Real Beauty" was an outlier. Today, you can barely watch a commercial break or go to the supermarket without every brand pitching its saint-like gospel: "For a better world," "Ridding our oceans of plastic," or "We believe in healthier communities"! Who to believe? Who's authentic? Seems like purpose is up for sales like indulgences in the Middle Ages.
Whose Purpose?
I began losing my belief in purpose, but all these years, I realize I had been asking the wrong questions. How many truly purposeful individuals do you know? Mandela? Gandhi? How many purposeful brands can you mention? We're approaching a post-purpose market, where people aren't buying your values, your big why, or your actions, but who you can help them become.
Everybody can claim to have values, but it's the brand who have helped you become healthier, greener, or fight biases, that's going to win people's trust and appear authentic. What brand has created real positive change in your life?
There are no room for more preachers in the marketplace, but we can all need a coach toward building a better version of ourselves. Successful brands are transformative, because they put you and I as the agent of change, whereas classic purposeful brands put themselves as the agent of change. It's coach versus preacher – and it's two fundamentally different ways of looking at brand leadership.
To better understand the difference, I collaborated with research experts GfK on The Purpose Impact Monitor comparing 10 transformative commercials, 10 classic purposeful commercials, and a baseline of regular commercials.
The Purpose Impact Monitor Unlocking Brands That Inspire Action
One important contrast can be illustrated by a transformative commercial from Dove ("Reverse Selfie") and a classic purpose commercial from Chipotle ("Can a Burrito Change the World?"). Have a look at the commercials yourself.
Chipotle: Can a burrito change the world?
Dove: Reverse selfie
The former takes a transformational approach, showing what it takes to push back on the pressure girls feel to look perfect on social media, while Chipotle's is a classic purpose commercial focusing on the brand itself.
While diagnostics for the two were similar in some ways, Dove scored significantly higher (+10 percent) on the action part such as "inspires me to be part of the change." Or triggers such as "I want to learn more about the brand or the product" (+5 percent). This is an important and much-needed distinction.
Transformative brands are better at inspiring action:
Building Long-Living Brands
Our dreams, fears, and aspirations are the building blocks of great, long-living brands that matter to people. The brands that get this are touching the very core of people's being, the very top of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs – people's urge to fulfill themselves through sports, arts, work, or whatever rocks their boat.
Think of the sense of safety you feel when driving a Volvo: You are a responsible mom or dad. Or think about the unhindered creativity when working on an Apple MacBook: You are truly a creative. It's not about the product, it's about who you become.
Believe in People, and They'll Believe in Themselves
Unless you create a brand focus and plan your efforts on enabling people's transformation, you can't be surprised if their intentions don't convert to sales or positive change. We have very little time to act on the climate emergency; at the same time, a lot of the negative impact from companies are in the hands of people (such as using washing detergent using water and energy). And lastly, if we're to understand the business case behind purpose, we need to understand how we can help people cross the intent to action gap – and inspire them to choose better.
A New Transformative Leadership
When you as a brand is on a mission to transform people's lives at every step, your resources, thinking, and activity bring you closer to enabling people and ultimately changing behaviors and driving sales. Take the mindful running company District Vision: Their transformative promise is to get more runners to become mindful.
Part of the customer journey is to join classes, get inspired in the store, which eventually leads to buying District's products, which leads to profit. District Vision has a strong growth case to suggest so. It's a win–win for company and people.
On a Journey Together Toward Better
People's expectations are getting higher every day. Reports, certificates, and glossy marketing campaigns won't cut it anymore. The idea of a consumer defined only by buying is giving way to a new role where it's all about better living or self-actualization.
From having worked on behavior change campaigns targeting people with alcohol addictions, I know that the only thing they need is someone who believes in them. Someone who believes that they can change when they often have given up hope themselves. It's worth helping people help themselves. Your brand is no greater than what you can make people achieve. As the research hints, the rewards are plentiful for both brand and people. It's time to evolve purpose.
The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the contributor and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the ANA or imply endorsement from the ANA.
Thomas Kolster is a marketing activist on a mission to make business put people and planet first. As a seasoned branding and sustainability professional counting more than 18 years he's advised Fortune 500 companies, small start-ups, governments, agencies to nonprofits. He's the founder of the global Goodvertising movement that's inspired a shift in advertising for the better. He's also the author of two books "Goodvertising" (2012) and "The Hero Trap" (2020).
As a globally recognized keynote speaker he's inspired audiences in more than 70 countries at events like TEDx, SXSW, D&AD & Sustainable Brands. He's a columnist for the Guardian, Adweek, The Drum and several other publications and a regular judge at international award shows. As a passionate entrepreneur and change-agent he's launched several impact platforms like Cph:Change and WhereGoodGrows. Thomas' belief is simple: Change begins with you.