Demand for purpose-driven marketing is at an all-time high, but the integration of purpose into the growth strategies and plans of brands can be hindered by unclear business logic and challenging management practices. The Practice of Purpose project is the result of a research partnership between Sustainable Brands and the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business at Georgia Tech's Scheller College of Business. It is a multi-phased study seeking to identify the strategies and practices that fuel the ability of marketing managers to "Compete on Purpose". This is not a study of companies, this is a study of brand leaders and their teams. It is a study of the practices being followed or invented by pioneers of purpose.
With the support of Sustainable Brands, the team conducted in-depth interviews with 39 pioneers of purpose - both sustainability or marketing professionals leading the charge for purpose-based growth in their firms. The interviews produced over 1,500 data points that were categorized as part of the identification process for the practices. Finally, a database of 70 different purpose-based programs was created and studied as part of the analysis.
Our findings will help you to uncover:
What Competing on Social Purpose is, and why it matters
Important barriers and unique challenges you will face when seeking to compete on purpose
A series of practices that are particularly important when managing purpose-driven brands and programs
