Recorded at the Battle of Ideas festival 2025 on Sunday 19 October at Church House, Westminster.
ORIGINAL INTRODUCTION
Marketing with purpose, rather than solely for profit, hit the mainstream 20 years ago with the launch by Unilever of the ‘Campaign for Real Beauty’ for Dove. This was a well-meaning attempt to link selling soap with a broader social theme: female body positivity.
With the rise of CSR (corporate social responsibility) and EDI in business, more brands dived into so-called ‘purpose-led’ marketing in their communications, advertising and logo design. The rush was on, not just to flog stuff to consumers, but also to take a stance on social issues and portray the brand as an actor on the societal stage. It didn’t always go to plan.
People have an affection and loyalty for their favourite brands. So, for some marketing directors’ moves to align the car, beer or food they sell with the social cause du jour, there is a backlash waiting to happen. A quiet but loyal user base who were happy with the brand’s previous non-politicised approach may object to a new direction and make their feelings known – with social media pile-ons and boycotts, sometimes to devastating effect.
The solution is for the brand to only make moves that are well-researched, authentic and heartfelt, where the external marketing supports the reality of the product and realistic consumer tolerance.
It’s the quick-win superficial attempts to get down with the kids (for example, Bud Light beer’s financially disastrous ‘partnership’ with a transgender influencer in 2023) that can turn to a quick loss. And even removing a familiar symbol can be as infuriating to the base as creating a diverse new campaign. The Cracker Barrel restaurant chain in the US found this recently when they announced the removal of the (apparently) much-loved ‘Uncle Herschel’ character from their logo and tried to go all plain and bland. And when Donald Trump weighed in, sensing an attack on the traditional values of his MAGA base, the company was caught in the headlights.
This session will ask if we are past ‘peak purpose’. Should brands with big marketing, advertising and design budgets persist in using their leverage to become political or social evangelists and risk the backlash from those who disagree… or just dodge the issue and stick to selling stuff? What is the purpose of ‘marketing with purpose’?
SPEAKERS
Suzanne Evans
director, Political Insight
Martin Loat
communications expert, business mentor, social campaigner
Kevin McCullagh
founder, Plan; innovation strategist and writer
CHAIR
Dr Michael Owens
urban planning researcher and lecturer; author, Play the Game
