‘Purpose-driven marketing is not a nicety anymore, it is a necessity’

At e4m Pitch Brand Talk 2024, the ‘Purpose Driven’ panel highlighted the necessity of purpose-driven initiatives and their influence on consumer relationships, particularly among younger demographics.

The discussion was moderated by Ashish Khazanchi, Managing Partner at Enormous Brands, and featured insights from industry leaders including Abhinav Narula, Vice President – Marketing, MakeMyTrip; Avi Kumar, Chief Marketing Officer, FNP; Harmeet Singh, Chief Brand Officer – South Asia, The Body Shop; Minal Kasturia, National Sales Head, Sakal Media Group; Neha Rao, Vice President – Marketing, Bikaji and Nikhil Gulati, Marketing Director – Mobikwik.

Khazanchi opened the discussion by asking Kasturia about the role of purpose in driving relevance for legacy media brands like Sakal. He questioned whether purpose-driven marketing unifies internal and external audiences, and how it contributes to business growth.

Kasturia responded with the importance of purpose for a brand like Sakal, which has been in existence for over 90 years. “Purpose-driven marketing is not a nicety anymore, it is a necessity,” he said, emphasising that to stay relevant, Sakal regularly engages with its readers through various initiatives.

He explained how Sakal engages with its readers regularly through various initiatives, saying, “We run a club called Tanishka, which is for women, where we try to empower them through workshops. We also have a Young Inspirators Network where we teach the youth how to become entrepreneurs and start small-scale businesses, which is very relevant in today’s times.”

He highlighted the importance of balancing social initiatives with business goals, stating, “You can’t work in isolation by just doing good social work. We partner with both NGOs and brands to extend these activities across Maharashtra.”

Khazanchi then turned to Narula with a question about the role of purpose at an organisational level. “Does having a purpose serve as a unifying fuel that brings different departments together, beyond just marketing? How does MakeMyTrip implement this?”

Narula responded with a broader perspective on purpose-led marketing, saying, “For me, the way MakeMyTrip looks at it, it’s actually not purpose-led marketing. It’s purpose-led organisational growth.” He explained how a unified purpose can serve as a long-term compass for all departments, guiding both short-term and long-term goals. “You can have short-term milestones for the brand or product team, but they are all guided by that one long-term purpose.”

He shared that the broader societal impact of travel informs MakeMyTrip’s purpose, “We realised that the world would be a better place if we all experienced travel more. But we also acknowledged the challenges – there are so many things that can go wrong, and that’s where our purpose comes in: to make travel fun and convenient for everyone.”

The conversation then shifted to Rao. “How do the forces of being a ‘force for good’ and a ‘force for growth’ coexist,” asked Khazanchi.

In her response, Rao shared the importance of understanding the historical context of purpose-driven initiatives within family-owned businesses. “What’s interesting is that a lot of homegrown brands, which I would classify as family-owned businesses, have been engaging in purpose-driven work long before it was even called that. Now, many are starting to label these efforts and categorise them under the umbrella of purpose-driven branding.”

Turning to branding and advertising, Rao noted a trend that concerns her, “In today’s landscape, a lot of brand communication feels formulaic, with many brands simply trying to go viral by calling an agency and briefing them for a campaign.”

Many campaigns seem to adopt a copied narrative around empowerment, gender issues, and social causes, which dilutes the impact. “It feels as if multiple brands are retrofitting their messages to fit these popular themes, and I don’t think that approach resonates deeply with consumers”, she discussed further.

She went on to acknowledge the challenge of aligning purpose with consumer behaviour in the snacking industry: “In our category, especially when it comes to impulse purchases, it’s tough to merge purpose with brand communication. Sweets and snacks are often associated with joyful moments. Most of our advertising reflects that reality. While we have purpose-driven projects, it remains a category-specific conversation. What works at the organisational level doesn’t always translate to the branding side.”

The session moved forward with Kumar responding to the question about how brands can ensure their purpose-driven initiatives come across as authentic rather than being seen as “purpose washing” or “greenwashing.”

He drew a parallel between individual purpose and brand purpose, emphasising that just as people become more driven and passionate when they find their own purpose, brands also excel when they are truly driven by a purpose. “When brands are driven by purpose, they are able to not just go the extra mile, but do a lot more consistently,” he said.

Kumar suggests evaluating purpose through three critical criteria, which he referred to as the “three R’s”: relevance, resonance, and results. He elaborated, “First, we need to assess relevance. Does the purpose hold significance for your brand? Is there alignment between your brand’s objectives and its purpose? For us, our brand objective is to spread joy by making celebrations and moments special. This becomes our guiding purpose, woven throughout the organisation’s DNA.”

The second criterion, he mentioned, was resonance. Once the brand’s purpose is established, does it resonate with the audience? Do consumers feel a connection to this purpose? It’s also essential to consider internal stakeholders, including employees—do they relate to the brand’s purpose as well.

“The third R is ‘results’. Can you consistently measure the outcomes of initiatives tied to your brand’s purpose? It’s crucial to demonstrate that your actions align with the purpose you’ve set. If these three elements—relevance, resonance, and results—are in place, then the brand can present a more authentic identity to consumers and stakeholders alike,” Kumar continued.

From the consumer perspective, he noted that today’s buyers are seeking more than just products; they are looking for stories that resonate with them. “Consumers want to engage with brands that have a larger purpose, something that fits into their lives. If a brand only showcases its purpose once a year—like an initiative for Women’s Day or during Pride Month—without ongoing commitment, that’s merely lip service.”

Consumers are quick to cancel brands that fail to deliver authenticity. They can see through insincerity. Therefore, the purpose must be real and consistent.

Singh, answering Khazanhi’s question about The Body Shop’s approach to sustainability, shared the brand’s long-standing commitment to ethical practices: “The brand DNA is actually sustainability. Nothing new for us. Our founder didn’t just want to create beautiful, organic products; she wanted to support marginalised communities around the world. That’s why almost 30 ingredients of The Body Shop are sourced globally—India, Africa, the UK, Australia—everywhere.”

She also highlighted The Body Shop’s role in pioneering cruelty-free beauty practices, stating, “We were the first beauty brand to campaign against animal testing, and we’ve been successful globally—even in countries like China, where we refuse to sell our products because of mandatory animal testing.” She shared how this campaign extended to India as well, where they collected “almost 8 million signatures to present to the UN to end animal testing worldwide. We’re proud that we could contribute to this effort.”

Singh also explained that for The Body Shop, “business is not just about making money, but it’s a force for good. We want to be the brand that’s making a difference—not just through certifications like being 100% vegan but through real actions that support communities and protect the planet.”

Gulati was the last to address the audience. Talking about younger consumers, he pointed out the importance of purpose-driven brands for Gen Z. “Gen Z is more aware. They don’t just buy products for the value, they buy for the story behind them. They buy brands that resonate with their identity. They care deeply about a brand’s purpose, its sustainability, and ethical practices.”

He noted how Gen Z is especially conscious of “where ingredients are sourced from, a brand’s carbon footprint, and how ethical its labour practices are,” mentioning how “brands can be cancelled by this generation if their practices don’t align with these values.”

Gulati emphasised that to engage with Gen Z, brands must be “digitally native,” as this is how younger consumers find and interact with brands.

“For Gen Z, digital is the go-to place for everything. Brands need to have a long-term digital engagement strategy that goes beyond just providing information—it’s about building a community and making them feel like they’re part of the story. The more they buy into the brand’s purpose, the more they will advocate for it.”

He concluded by stating that Gen Z is becoming an increasingly powerful consumer group, making up “30-40% of Indian consumers, and their consumption and awareness of sustainability are only going to grow.”

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