New research released by the World Federation of Advertisers shows that marketers around the world overwhelmingly believe purpose needs to be part of a successful brand building strategy.

1. Global Brand Purpose Research
March 2014

2. About the survey
• Conducted between Aug 2013 and Feb 2014
• Respondents: WFA corporate members and members
of WFA’s National Advertiser Associations (below)
• 828 respondents from 33 countries

3. Respondents representing over US$170b in
marketing spend

4. Brand purpose is important to building brands
88%
87%
83%
74%
71%
67%
66%
63%
59%
51%
'Purpose' will be increasingly important to building brands.
It is important for brands to have a sense of 'purpose'.
'Purpose' is a business opportunity.
A sense of 'purpose' is critical to employing the best talent.
Brands I've worked for have generally had a sense of
'purpose'.
Not every brand is suited to having a sense of 'purpose'
(without it feeling contrived).
It is relatively new for brands to communicate 'purpose' in
brand marketing communications.
Brands I have worked for have been successful in
effectively communicating 'purpose' through brand…
It is possible to measure the impact of 'purpose' on sales.
It is easy to measure the impact 'purpose' has added to a
brand.
Most feel their brands have a sense of purpose but are less successful in communicating it;
and that it’s difficult to measure the impact on sales

5. Purpose is important and will continue to be so
88%
87%
83%
'Purpose' will be increasingly
important to building brands.
It is important for brands to have
a sense of 'purpose'.
'Purpose' is a business
opportunity.

6. Communicating purpose isn’t easy
My brands have
successfully
communicated
purpose through brand
marketing communications
63% agree
My brands have a sense
of purpose
71% agree

7. For marketers, purpose is about CSR and ethics
55%
47%
39%
35%
35%
Creating programs to positively impact
communities
Ethical business activities
Protecting and improving the environment
Helping to address global issues, like
disease, world poverty, starvation, lack of
water, etc
Listening to and acting upon customer
needs and feedback

8. In 2013, even more a question of CSR and
sustainability
Source: WFA Brand Purpose research; Jan 2013; Base 149 respondents

9. For consumers, more about CRM than CSR
1. Listens to customer needs and feedback
2. High quality products or services
3. Treats employees well
4. Places customers ahead of profits
5. Takes actions to address issue or crisis
6. Has ethical business practices
7. Has transparent and open business
8. Communicates frequently and honestly
Most Important Attributes that Build Trust for consumers
Societal
• Purpose is not ‘CSR’. It does not have to be ‘worthy’
• It starts with the basics: good customer management and quality products
• Consumers do care about ethical business practices and treating employees
well
Operational
9. Works to protect/ improve environment
10. Addresses society's needs
11. Positively impacts the local community
12. Innovator of new products
13. Highly regarded, top leadership
14. Delivers consistent financial returns
15. Ranks on a global list
16. Partners with third parties
Edelman Global Brand Purpose Research 2012 http://purpose.edelman.com/

10. Marketers think 41% of consumers
support good causes
What proportion of global consumers say they regularly support good causes?
7%
11%
16%
17%
13%
13%
12%
7%
2%
1%
Average 41%

11. An opportunity for marketers?
What proportion of global consumers say they regularly support good causes?
Marketer
perception
41%
Consumer
says
60%
Edelman Global Brand Purpose Research 2012 http://purpose.edelman.com/

12. Marketers think 54% of consumers think is ok to do
good while doing well
Proportion of global consumers that say its ok to support good causes and
make money at the same time
3%
5%
8%
12%
12%
16%
17%
16%
9%
2%
<10%
11%-20%
21%-30%
31%-40%
41%-50%
51%-60%
61%-70%
71%-80%
81%-90%
91%-100%
Average 54%
57% 56% 53%
38%
APAC LATAM Europe MEA

13. Consumers are more positive still!
Proportion of global consumers that say its ok to support good causes and
make money at the same time
Marketer
perception
54%
Consumer
says
76%
Edelman Global Brand Purpose Research 2012 http://purpose.edelman.com/

14. Marketers sceptical about how often consumers buy
brands that supports good causes
Proportion of global consumers that say they buy a brand that supports good
causes at least once a month
12%
15%
18%
17%
14%
13%
5%
5%
2%
0%
<10%
11%-20%
21%-30%
31%-40%
41%-50%
51%-60%
61%-70%
71%-80%
81%-90%
91%-100%
Average 36%
41%
39%
35%
23%
LATAM APAC Europe MEA

15. Consumers say they buy into good causes
more than marketers believe…
Edelman Global Brand Purpose Research 2012 http://purpose.edelman.com/
Marketers’
perception
36%
Consumer
says
47%

16. Marketers think Europeans & North
Americans buy into good causes the most
Region with greatest proportion of consumers that buy brands which support
good causes
44%
39%
11%
4%
2%
1%
Europe
North America
Australia & New
Zealand
Asia
South America
Africa
Africa
Asia
Australia &
New Zealand
Europe
North America
South America
APAC Europe LATAM MEA

17. That’s not what consumers are saying!
Percentage of consumers who are willing to pay a premium for a product that
supports good causes?
Edelman Global Brand Purpose Research 2012 http://purpose.edelman.com/

18. Purpose impacts the intangibles, the feel good. But
harder to measure impact on sales
Is it possible to measure the impact of ‘purpose’ on…
1% 4% 5% 6%
12%
26%
30%
94% 91% 89%
85%
78%
51%
36%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Positive PR &
reputation
Consumer
engagement
Employee
satisfaction
Brand equity Customer
satisfaction
Sales Share price
Don't Know No Yes

19. Is it possible to measure the impact of
‘purpose’ on …(2014 vs 2013)
2014 2013
PR & positive reputation 94% 93%
Consumer engagement 91% 91%
Employee satisfaction 89% 90%
Brand equity 85% 86%
Customer satisfaction 78% 71%
Sales 51% 54%

20. Purpose needs to come from the top
Who should be involved in designing and shaping purpose?
68%
54%
54%
50%
38%
37%
29%
29%
CEO
Corporate
communications
CMO
All employees
HR
PR
Public and
government affairs
Customers
CEO
CMO
Corporate
communication
s
All employees
Public and
government
affairs
PR
Customers
HR
APAC Europe LATAM MEA NA

21. Companies should look outside the
organisation for help
89%
78%
75%
68%
65%
56%
Purpose' needs to pervade the entire
organisation and have buy-in from all business
functions.
Social media is essential to engage people with
brand 'purpose', and to help shape it as part of a
dialogue.
Purpose' needs to be shaped through the
involvement of people outside the organisation,
including customers and supply chain.
It is important to work with third parties (NGOs,
governments, etc.) to give brand 'purpose'
credibility.
The company I work for is fundamentally re-
evaluating its corporate positioning in light of a
renewed sense of 'purpose'.
I have experienced consumer scepticism and
pushback against brands with 'purpose'.

22. Purpose leaders
Who best embraces purpose?
14%
14%
11%
10%
9%
9%
7%
5%
4%
4%
3%
2%
Unilever
Procter and Gamble
Google
Apple
Coca-Cola
Nestlé
McDonald’s
Microsoft
Danone Group
Toyota
Johnson and Johnson
Volkswagen
Regional purpose leaders

23. Note: All WFA benchmarks, survey results, agendas and minutes are
reviewed by Hogan Lovells International LLP, our competition lawyers
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As a condition of membership, members of the WFA acknowledge that their
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