3 Purpose-Driven Brands Making a Positive Impact + Examples

Over recent years, ‘purpose’ related buzzwords have been thrown around like no-one’s business, and brands are eager to claim their higher purpose beyond profit-making. But what does it all mean? And are these brands truly purpose driven?In this article, we'll highlight three purpose driven brands that are leading the way in creating genuine positive impact and look at some purpose driven marketing examples. But first, we’ll get into the basics of purpose driven marketing and its importance. Let’s go!

What is purpose-driven marketing?

Purpose driven marketing uses communications to demonstrate a brand's reason for being, beyond making profit. Purpose-driven campaigns will therefore talk about a business’s values, beliefs, mission and why they exist. Marketing with a purpose focuses on connecting with customers on a deeper level by aligning with their own values and demonstrating a commitment to social responsibility, sustainability, and ethical business practices.

How important is a brand’s purpose?

Well, purpose driven marketing can actually create a meaningful and authentic connection with customers, build trust and loyalty, and differentiate your brand from its competitors. Not only this, but your brand purpose adds value to the lives of society as a whole - we’ll get more into this when we look at some purpose led brands examples below. Today’s consumers have a keen interest in supporting businesses that care about more than just their bottom line. Studies have shown that consumers are willing to pay more for products or services from companies that demonstrate a commitment to making a positive impact. So by communicating your brand purpose and showcasing the real life impacts you have made, a purpose led brand can reap the rewards of increased brand loyalty and advocacy from their customers. If your business is not consumer focused, have a read of this handy article all about brand purpose for B2B companies here.

Examples of purpose-driven brands making a positive impact

According to Google Trends, the search interest for the term 'purpose' has more than doubled since 2016, indicating its rise in popularity. This poses the question: are brands truly purpose-led or are they jumping on a bandwagon to maximise profits? As they say, the proof is in the pudding, so let’s take a look at some purpose driven brands examples who are genuinely making a positive impact on society and the world around us. 

Co-op

Co-op's brand purpose is to "Champion a better way of doing business for you and your communities". This purpose reflects the company's commitment to making a positive impact on society and the environment, while also providing high-quality products and services to its customers. The "better way of doing business" that Co-op champions is centred around three key areas: sustainability, community, and ethics. In more detail: 

• Co-op strives to be a responsible and sustainable business, reducing its environmental impact and working towards a zero-waste future.

• Co-op seeks to build stronger, more connected communities by supporting local initiatives and investing in community projects.

• Co-op is committed to ethical practices throughout its supply chain, ensuring that all its products are produced in a responsible and humane manner.

Ahead of the COP26 Climate Change conference in 2021, Co-op sparked climate change conversations with their ‘Co-op26’ marketing campaign. The purpose led campaign effectively got people asking questions about how they can impact climate change at a community level. The campaign centred around the message "Together we can" and included a range of initiatives and activities designed to engage and inspire customers. One of the campaign elements was in-store activations - Co-op stores across the UK were transformed into immersive experiences, featuring interactive displays, educational materials, and staff members dressed in sustainable-themed clothing to engage customers and encourage them to learn more about climate change. Co-op also partnered with a range of environmental organisations, including Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, to amplify the campaign's message and drive real-world impact. By using purpose based marketing and partnering with like-minded organisations, Co-op was able to engage customers in a meaningful way and drive positive change towards a more sustainable future.

Divine Chocolate

Divine Chocolate's purpose led marketing is centred around its mission to empower cocoa farmers and promote fair trade practices in the chocolate industry. Divine Chocolate is a social enterprise, owned by a co-operative of cocoa farmers in Ghana, and the company's purpose is to ensure that cocoa farmers receive a fair price for their crops and are able to build sustainable livelihoods for themselves and their families. To promote this mission, Divine Chocolate uses purpose marketing to engage customers and raise awareness about the importance of fair trade practices in the chocolate industry. Divine Chocolate uses storytelling to share the stories of the cocoa farmers who own the company, highlighting their struggles and triumphs and demonstrating the impact that fair trade practices can have on their lives. Divine Chocolate also partners with a range of organisations, including Fairtrade International and the Rainforest Alliance, to amplify its message and drive real-world impact. Divine Chocolate’s purpose marketing is designed to communicate its commitment to fair trade practices and empower customers to make more conscious choices when purchasing chocolate products. By using purpose driven advertising, they are able to engage customers in a meaningful way and drive positive change in the chocolate industry.

Toast Ale

Toast Ale’s brand purpose is to tackle food waste by turning leftover bread into delicious beer. The company uses unsold loaves from bakeries and sandwich makers to brew its beer, giving new life to bread that would otherwise be thrown away. To promote its mission, Toast Ale uses purpose marketing to engage customers and raise awareness about the importance of sustainability in the beer industry. A key element of Toast Ale’s purpose marketing is product labelling - their beer cans are labelled with information about the amount of bread used in each brew, highlighting the company's commitment to reducing food waste. They also use social media to amplify their message through storytelling. Their content shares the story behind each brew, highlighting the issue of food waste and the impact that Toast Ale is having in reducing it. The brand has also partnered with a range of organisations, including Soil Heroes, Feedback Global and The Real Junk Food Project, to amplify its message and drive real-world impact. Their latest purpose campaign was a partnership with Soil Heroes which aimed to promote regenerative agriculture and highlight the connection between sustainable farming practices and a healthy environment. As part of the campaign, Toast Ale created a limited edition beer brewed with regeneratively grown barley and hops. The beer was labelled with information about the regenerative farming practices used to grow the ingredients and encouraged customers to learn more about regenerative agriculture. By partnering with organisations like Soil Heroes, Toast Ale is able to drive real-world impact and work towards their mission.

To Conclude

A brand purpose is not a path to greater profits and growth - the best purpose driven brands deliver it because they believe in it. A brand purpose needs to demonstrate a genuine desire for positive social impact, with the evidence to back it up. Purpose marketing should therefore speak to all of those things. Consumers have a genuine interest in purpose led brands and will support companies that align with their values and beliefs.

How to Unlock Your Own Brand Purpose

At Don’t Panic, brand purpose campaigns are our calling. If you’re looking for help in articulating your brand purpose, don’t hesitate to get in touch. Email us at newbusiness@dontpaniclondon.com