Brand Purpose: The term has a variety of meanings. Put in the most facetious and crude manner, the purpose behind the existence of any brand is to make money. In its refined and higher manifestations, the same purpose finds nobler expressions, as in contributing to the well-being of stakeholders, customers, the general public and the planet at large. The technical definition of the term, however, begins with defining the problem it solves or the need gap fulfilled by the brand. These needs could be physical/ material, emotional or even ideological, depending on the type of brand and who it talks to.
In today’s time when ideological fervour is at an all-time high, brands are pulling out all the stops to hop onto the ‘Purpose’ bandwagon. Hence, the ambit of purpose is expanding in a somewhat exaggerated way, sometimes to the detriment of the business itself. Purpose leads to accolades on global stages. We are closing in on the Cannes Lions edition of 2024, and as always, purpose-led campaigns are all set to get awards or a big thumbs up at the very least. But the force-fitting of purpose is becoming a bit of a drag. It is the ready-made formula of success, whose only ‘purpose’ is to win awards and relish praises. In a near-perfect world, purpose should be embedded in the brand DNA. Take Ola Cabs as an example. As I write this, OLA CEO, Bhavish Aggarwal, is facing criticism for his comments on social media regarding pronouns.
Aggarwal termed pronouns a ‘Western illness,’ a comment that can deeply hurt the brand. The interesting thing here is that the brand has LGBTQ+ advertisements in their repertoire, and went to the extent of hiring India’s first transgender taxi driver. But clearly, Aggarwal’s comment goes to show that the topic is not a pertinent subject for the brand, the ads were merely ‘purpose-led’.
In October last year, Hein Schumacher, CEO, Unilever declared that the company would stop ‘force fitting’ purpose to all its products. The statement came after the MNC’s ninth biggest shareholder, Terry Smith, pointed out, “Unilever seems to be labouring under the weight of a management which is obsessed with publicly displaying sustainability credentials at the expense of focusing on the fundamentals of the business.”
The snide remark was a follow-up to Ben & Jerry’s refusal to sell its ice cream in Israel’s settlements in occupied Palestinian territory, and Unilever’s decision to define a brand purpose for Hellmann’s mayonnaise. Without mincing his words, Smith wrote, “A company which feels it has to define the purpose of Hellmann’s mayonnaise has in our view lost the plot. The Hellmann’s brand has existed since 1913, so we would guess that by now consumers have figured out its purpose (spoiler alert — salads and sandwiches).”
This emphatic need to pose as a purpose-led brand often seems hollow. The practical ramifications of this obsession may vary from overtly and dramatically impacting the business’s health as in the case of Unilever, to more inconspicuous, but insidious outcomes that derail the brand’s perception and thereby its performance in the longer run. So, does one stick to purpose as defined in textbooks and be content with that? Is there no bigger, altruistic and abstract purpose that brands must have if they are successfully and ethically fulfilling customer needs?
We asked this question to Mayank Shah, Senior Category Head, Parle Products who is at the helm of one of the country’s most successful and long-running businesses. Parle’s ad campaigns, he tells us, have always been on the lighter side. Fulfilling the business and brand objectives successfully for decades, the brand has not harped upon a contrived purpose in its communication.
“There are two things. First, not every brand needs a purpose. Second, when brands have a purpose, they must walk the talk, because that’s what consumers expect. Parle has always stood for being the people’s biscuit - ‘Bharat Ka Apna Biscuit’ - and we have lived up to that promise to our customers by being the most affordable and accessible biscuit brand in the country for decades.”
So, does this mean there’s no ‘larger purpose’ for brand Parle? Shah clarifies, “Even though we are fulfilling the primary purpose of affordability and accessibility for everyone, we don’t stop there. Parle has always been the first to help people in times of calamity, even in the remote parts of the country. When the pandemic struck, we distributed three crore packets of Parle-G with the help and involvement of the government and NGOs. We didn’t have to talk about it, yet everyone knew. The media and people did all the talking for us. Ensuring that people don’t go hungry is ingrained in our DNA, and that comes across without us having to communicate it through advertisements or PR. The right way to fulfil your higher purpose as a brand and business is to have a relevant purpose and live it without being pompous. The intent has to be genuine, or else people will see through it.”
NO PURPOSE IS BETTER THAN A SUPERFICIAL ONE
Neeraj Bassi, Chief Growth Officer, Cheil India believes that a superficial purpose is worse than not having one. While brands and purpose are intrinsically connected in theory, to make this theory a practice, relevant execution is critical. “In general, meaningful brands have a deeper connection with consumers and purpose helps them to become meaningful. The purpose must resonate with the core of the brand and it must be relevant to the audience. The best brands identify a palpable cultural tension where they can have a role and adopt that as a long-term purpose, investing in multiple initiatives beyond communication. Dove is a great example of this approach. But when brands force-fit purpose at a superficial level without any real backing or support, the whole exercise fails.”
Bassi recalls a biscuit brand that came up with a great purpose around the role of curiosity in learning. “They did a lovely piece of communication too. But nothing beyond that! And soon, they were back to product advertising, abandoning the larger purpose. Purpose cannot be built by communication alone. Brands need to find a cultural tension and do their bit to support it.”
MVS Murthy - Chief Marketing Officer, Federal Bank adds, “If FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) is the starting point, there will never be an authentic purpose. An alignment can’t happen with herd mentality. Audiences are sharp and discerning to spot a chasm between advertising smarts and what the business is doing. They will walk away much before deciding to partronise. The collateral impact is that they will call the bluff, which will get socially amplified and cause the brand to slide down the pipe.”
“Purpose-driven marketing should not be a one-size-fits-all approach,” says Sukhleen Aneja, CEO, Good Brands Co., Good Glamm Group. She continues, “Brands need to carefully assess whether a purpose aligns with their values and whether it resonates with their audience. Successful purpose-led campaigns often involve an active engagement with consumers, encouraging them to participate in the cause and fostering a sense of community. Additionally, authenticity is crucial. Consumers can discern when a brand is genuinely committed to a purpose, and this authenticity builds trust.”
Commenting on when purpose becomes superfluous or ‘force-fit’ for a brand, Pragya Bijalwan, CMO, Crompton Greaves, Consumer Electricals Ltd., adds “Purpose becomes superfluous or force-fit for a brand when it lacks authenticity, relevance, and alignment with its core values. When a brand adopts a purpose merely to capitalise on a popular trend without a genuine commitment to the cause, it may be perceived as opportunistic and insincere. Brands that impose a purpose without considering the perspectives and values of their stakeholders (including employees, customers, and communities) may face backlash. To avoid these pitfalls, successful brands ensure their purpose is deeply rooted in their identity, values, and actions.”
According to Piali Dasgupta, ex-Senior Vice President – Marketing, Columbia Pacific Communities, “Purely from a business point of view, many studies have shown that purpose-led brands grow 2x faster than those without one. Many brands within Unilever have seen this, and more investors and shareholders are looking at a business’s ESG impact when making investment decisions. So, there’s a strong business case for brands to cultivate a purpose today.”
She tells us that the brand purpose of Columbia Pacific Communities is to enable seniors to live better, healthier, happier and more connected lives for longer. “We call this positive ageing – our philosophy is to help seniors age positively, and help them lead the best phase of their lives in their senior years. Positive ageing also means fighting age-related stereotypes and ageism in society and turning the spotlight on the most neglected and forgotten demographic in the world – senior citizens. It’s about giving them a voice, a platform and empowering them to express themselves freely. All our campaigns in the past five years have centred around this brand purpose, and everything that we do as an organisation must tie back to it.”
LET’S GET REAL
When brands confuse purpose with ‘causevertising’, such issues are bound to arise. No one knows it better than the admen. While ‘Humour’, ‘slice-of-life’ etc. have proven to be great devices in crafting memorable campaigns, awards and ideologies seem to have taken purpose in marketing and advertising too far. But that may be changing now.
Iraj Fraz, Creative Head, DDB Tribal says, “The marketing trend of Causevertising took off in the last decade with mass campaigns like Dove’s Real Beauty and Always’ #LikeAGirl. As purpose-driven campaigns translated into sales for the brands, it became a formula for nearly every brand. It got overused. For me, Gillette is only a steel blade that gives me a rash-free shave, and not necessarily something that makes me a more aware human. Now as it seems, that trend is coming to an end, marked by Cannes Lions introducing the humour category to awards, so that we can, as they put it, - ‘celebrate the art of humour in branded communications.’”
He says, “Advertising is rarely lucky to bring societal change. Its usual strength lies in feeding off cultural sentiments. And as a global society, in the post-COVID war-stricken era, sometimes all we need from an ad is a relief. As audiences, we just need more of that old-school delight and wit. So, I do agree with Mr. Schumacher. All brands need not carry the burden of saving the world. One of our brands at DDB Tribal, Snickers, engages with people with its ‘You’re Not Yourself When You’re Hungry’ humour. In parallel, we have Dhara, a family-oriented cooking oil that fosters healthy and meaningful relationships with #KhaanePeKehna. Let’s space out the tickles and the tears.”
Ramanuj Shastry, Managing Partner and Creative Chairman- Infectious Advertising says “Not every brand needs a purpose larger than improved products and profits. People would rather have their water purifier brand tell them ‘exactly how’ they have made a better water purifier than take them on a three-minute tear-jerker ride about ‘safe drinking water for everyone’. People have only so much empathy and if everyone is out ‘doing good’, they are left wondering if anyone is doing any actual work. The thing is that ‘purpose ads’ have been doing well at award shows for a decade. So, agencies love them. It’s a lot harder to write well about functional benefits than it is to write an emotional ‘Here to save the world’ anthem.”
As a marketer Sukhleen Aneja, CEO, Good Brands Co., Good Glamm Group., has a different perspective in this regard. “Purpose-led themes can indeed be powerful drivers of creativity in advertising. When a brand associates itself with a meaningful cause, it provides a compelling narrative that goes beyond product features. Creativity in purpose-driven advertising involves storytelling that emotionally engages consumers and aligns with the values they hold. However, the effectiveness of different themes depends on the brand, its target audience, and the specific message it wants to convey.”
Summing it up, brand purpose cannot operate in isolation or contradiction of the real and tangible purpose for which the business exists. The need for alignment between the two is therefore paramount, lest the absence of such harmony reduce the brand purpose to a quixotic proposition.
