The end of purpose-washing.

I love big conversations in the agency office. It’s what I love about being around creative people and those with experience from all walks of life. Today’s chat was about how some of us felt creative in advertising has become very executional and very much focused on the production, without a core concept that presents the benefit or sparks demand. It led to a further debate around examples of brands that jump on an awareness day for the sake of it, when in reality it says nothing about the brand, and more importantly doesn’t align with its positioning. It’s almost virtue signalling with a brand hat on, so-to-speak, and can be perceived as disingenuous.

It’s fair to say that (in particular) Gen Z is the consumer generation that’s demanding brands take a stance on the things that matter to them such as societal and environmental issues. BUT… they’re also the generation increasingly cynical about purpose-washing. Authenticity counts and the fundamental principle of branding hasn’t really changed – it’s about being appropriate to who you are as a business, not simply just lip service.

There are two principles that need to be considered to ensure brand perception is an authentic one:

1. Start with the proposition. This should include your internal values but also how those values translate into an external proposition. It’s not a good idea to force a purpose or principle onto the brand visual in isolation of this, it should be part of your DNA.

2. Consider what the purpose means in practical terms. For instance, it’s no use stating you’re the biggest innovator saving the planet if you’re competing with Tesla and don’t offer anything different. Branding should give a customer a reason to choose you over the competition. Read that again. Branding should give your customer a reason to choose you, not the competition. So if you say something or align to something you can’t deliver in practical terms, rethink your purpose.

The conventional wisdom that ‘Gen Z is disloyal’ is a myth – their loyalty is simply conditional and values-driven. Gen Z will soon be the dominant consumer demographic, making the relationships built now critical for long-term growth and market share. 64% are willing to pay extra for products from companies they feel loyal towards.

Sustainability and social responsibility are deal-breakers, not bonuses. Brands (and their agencies) must integrate ESG principles into the business, not just the marketing copy. What’s more, it can’t just be an off-the-shelf policy. It should be tailored to you. It needs to sit as part of the brand proposition, but only if your product and service is relevant to Gen Z, and you want them as your customer (brands need to be appropriate to who they are and who they’re talking to).

There’s a shift from transactional to transformational loyalty. For previous generations (Boomers, Gen X), loyalty was built on product quality, price, and convenience. For Gen Z, those are the minimum requirements, and now they want alignment, transparency and a sense of community too. However, they’re also digital savvy sleuths and will easily spot a brand that’s pretending to be something it’s not.

It’s about acting as you preach. The mandate for brand agencies is no longer just telling a story but helping clients become the story by embedding purpose into operations.