Brands that invest in social causes – expending precious time, energy, and money – often genuinely feel that they want to make a difference. But, like...
Brands that invest in social causes – expending precious time, energy, and money – often genuinely feel that they want to make a difference. But, like all businesses, brands cannot afford to stop thinking about the bottom line; in exchange for their good works, they also need some kind of credit – in the form of brand love and equity, if not straight up sales.
The trouble starts when brands imagine that this love will happen automatically when they take on worthy causes – supporting the environment, promoting social justice, and more. Without even knowing it, marketers can take their eyes off the ball and act with a casualness they would never think of adopting otherwise. And new research by GfK shows that this lack of rigor may be costing brands millions in awareness and equity.
The latest wave of GfK’s Purpose Impact Monitor research – developed in conjunction with Thomas Kolster and Goodvertising Agency – shows that over half of US consumers cannot name a single brand that is supporting the environment, or promoting diversity and inclusion, or giving back to the community. (See Table 1.)
Despite all the billions of dollars spent on purpose-driven campaigns, brands have not achieved top-of-mind awareness for this crucial work. In some cases, purpose marketing has become a kind of “green noise” – a constant hum about virtuous brand behavior in which few messages or actions stand out, and million-dollar campaigns fail to catch consumers’ attention.
Total sample (ages 18 to 64)
39%
57%
54%
These findings are consistent with GfK’s 2022 Purpose Impact Monitor research comparing 20 purpose-focused ads from different brands. Our study showed that brand purpose ads generally underperform mainstream ads when it comes to grabbing and holding viewers’ attention. While three-quarters of generic ads were able to capture attention, the proportion dropped to two-thirds for purpose ads. And while more than half of mainstream ads kept viewers engaged, the figure was 11 points lower for purpose creatives.