The true meaning of brand purpose: Why the most effective campaigns are inclusive, not divisive

Looks at effective ads from the US and UK for signs of brand purpose and analyses the kind of purposes and causes they supported.

Like most terms which inspire heated discussion, ‘brand purpose’ is a slippery thing to pin down. Is it something similar to the old ‘mission statement’? Is it a way for CEOs of huge corporations to assert their right to a say in world affairs? Is it a marketing tactic? A string of talked-about campaigns? A way of appeasing millennials? An essential component of 21st century brand strategy? Is it ‘virtue signalling’? Is it all of them at once?

Brand purpose may not be easily definable, but it doesn’t seem to be a fad either. In September, The Financial Times –...

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