For me, 2014 was definitely the year of purpose. As a film company who do a lot of work with brands, purpose or meaning are the two things we hope our films convey to our audience, so this wave of more audience focussed campaigns was a very positive thing and 2015 promises a continued growth of brands tapping into the desire in audience to see positive shifts in society.

2014 saw some great campaigns that ‘stood up for something worthwhile’ and that meant something to their audience. Great examples include:

In an increasingly competitive world, where information is readily available and transparency on corporate behaviour is becoming easier and easier to expose, a brand which stands for something and walks the walk is very compelling. While I don’t think anyone expects (or wants!) brands to provide them with the majority of the meaning or purpose in their lives, brands having a sensitivity to the humanity of their audience, and some values of their own, can’t be a bad thing. Can it?

Well… it could if all this talk of meaning and purpose becomes merely a creative strategy. If ‘what’s the purpose’ becomes a 5 minute chat at the end of a meeting which roughly tallies with something that sounds vaguely believable (enough to tick that agenda point off for another week) then we may actually create something new. Something incredible (in its futile hopelessness). Meaningless purpose.

Meaningless purpose is a very special thing. Superficially it feels worthwhile, wholesome and like it cares deeply about the world. But it mostly just hangs around the marketing department attempting to make a dull campaign feel like its offering something of value.

Meaningful purpose runs as the lifeblood through an organisations circulatory system, whereas meaningless purpose stays as close to the front of the billboard as possible, ideally without permeating into any of the surrounding wood (certainly not up to the boardroom), and then loiters around for a bit on YouTube and Facebook, only to be seen again at awards season.

On the upside, meaningless purpose, as a strategy, is far cheaper, easier and faster to implement. Finding the meaning or purpose of your brand, and then living by the associated values, can take a few years to identify and articulate (unless like some great brands like Patagonia, Hiut Denim or Taylors of Harrogate, you’ve always held it dear). It also means keeping on top of difficult decisions. Whereas meaningless purpose can be implemented within a few weeks (even within a single meeting if you really go for it) and to all intents it can look very similar.

The difference, I fear, will be that the audience we’re talking to may soon tire of all of this meaning and purpose if it’s not backed up by anything apart from some 48 sheet glue. And that, given the potential it has to shift not only brands bottom lines, but the world we live in, would be a huge shame.

Brands standing up for something and putting difficult conversations on the agenda will only be a viable creative strategy in the long term if it’s backed up by committed action elsewhere.

My team and I are very excited by the possibly of this new movement, but equally have amber warning lights flashing about the potential for it all to turn into a “like me” YouTube video strategy if we’re not all careful.

So on second thoughts let’s not do Meaningless Purpose. Maybe it’s not such a good idea. Here’s to brands who have the understanding that the future is made by those who walk a meaningful walk, not just talk a meaningful talk.

 

By Matt Golding, Co-Founder of Rubber Republic and director of Bodyform Responds: The Truth. 

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