SB'19 Detroit Program Detail
Grappling with the ‘War on Purpose’: An Exploration of Efforts to Undermine Brand Purpose
Positive brand purpose has been trending for a few years now, but it’s reaching qualitatively new highs and tipping points lately. With a majority of business leaders agreeing that purpose is an essential factor for business success going forward, Millennials and Gen Z overwhelmingly naming it as a must-have for a meaningful job and life, and some of the biggest investors demanding it, it is no longer seen as a rebellious act, a privilege or an isolated phenomenon for a select few ‘Unilever types.’
All is not well and good for brand purpose, however, seeing as there are certain persistent challenges and misconceptions about it. At the center of that ‘storm’ are questions around the suspected conflict between purpose and profit, ‘gotcha’ attitudes using past or current company missteps as a predictor for future behavior, as well as guilty-until-proven-innocent views based on historical lack of trust.
Whether due to misunderstanding, or poor brand execution, or intentional hostility by entrenched interests, these challenges are critically important. Join this session for an open and honest discussion of this ‘war on purpose.’
