PPB December 2020

A Commitment, C hoosing purpose as a business practice is fraught with danger. For the latter part of the 2010s, social media became the land of “the Woke”—those willing to point out apparent hypocrisies, gender and racial biases, and other unacceptable behavior from the comfort of their smartphones. While statistical evidence supports the existence of an opportunity to connect with emerging buyer demographics using purpose as a strategy, there is considerable evidence to suggest that consumers are not only wary of insincere efforts, they’ve actually weaponized the court of public opinion to work against the perpetrator, often to the peril of sales results, dividend performance, and ultimately, the reputation of those brands seeking to connect using purpose. See Figure 1. As referenced in the graphic at right, courtesy of Richard Edelman, author of the Edelman Trust Barometer, you can see consumer behavior and trust have shifted away from a top-down approach, where people were seen to trust or distrust directly as the result of belief (or the absence of belief) in authority figures and toward a more local version of trust, where people choose to trust or distrust based on input from friends, family and others who “are like me.” Also of note are the foundational elements that comprise trust: competence (delivering on promises) and character (doing the right thing and working to improve society). As these elements of trust emerge in importance, it’s paramount for businesses to be able to communicate how they are walking their talk. That being said, if you’re still up for the challenge, there are ways to navigate these perilous, trust- barren seas. The size of your organization will often dictate how best to begin the process of aligning on purpose. Working in tandem with employees creates the best Not A Campaign How promotional products leverage purpose to increase impact. The following is an excerpt from Red Goldfish, Promo Edition. by Roger Burnett and Stan Phelps Pressmaster / Shutterstock.com. 16 | DECEMBER 2020 | INNOVATE