What is purpose-driven marketing?
Purpose-Driven Marketing is an opportunity for brands to connect with their target consumers on a moral, social, and ethical level. This is an impactful way for organizations to expand beyond the day-to-day nature of their offerings and connect with individuals in a way that may further resonate with them. Intrinsically, human beings want to feel good, and it’s no secret that feeling as if you are “doing good” will also make you “feel good.” Supporting brands who prioritize positively impacting society at large will make consumers “feel good” about their purchasing decisions, and confident in where they are prioritizing their spending and consumption.
Why should I care?
The new age of consumers is more passionate than ever about their community, environment, and social issues, and they expect the brands and companies they purchase from to also take a stance. While unable to cater to everyone, brands need to determine the most suitable approach for themselves and their audience. While expressing opinions carries the risk of losing customers, it can attract those whose beliefs align with the brand’s values.
According to Edelman, 64% of Gen Zers (age 18-26) say that they choose and buy from brands based on their beliefs. The three largest values that Gen Z wants brands to support are mental health, the environment/climate change and sustainability, and racial and gender equality (eMarketer). This allows these consumers to make purchasing decisions that they feel good about, because they are supporting companies that also do good. Allowing the next generation of consumers to make purchase decisions this way fuels positive future consumption habits.
Where does Empower fit in?
Many of Empower’s clients are involved in the community and give their time and money back to those in need. Many are also involved in sustainability initiatives, like Sprouts Farmer’s Market, which is a certified B Corporation.
B Corporations illustrate an organization’s ongoing commitment to the pursuit of ethical and morally socially responsible values. Inspired by Gandhi’s call to be the change we seek in the world; consumers can support ongoing positive ethical impact by purchasing from corporations that are B Corp Certified. As a certified B Corp, Sprouts Farmers Market embarks on numerous initiatives in the sustainability space.
Sprouts prioritizes food accessibility – offering healthy products and brands that consumers can trust. Featuring a wide array of food and product options for those prioritizing a healthy lifestyle or adhering to dietary restrictions, their stores emphasis food accessibility by ensuring individuals can get their specific needs met to feel their best.
As an agency, Empower works across Grand Opening Initiatives supporting new store openings in areas that previously may not have had access to healthier options/sustainable brands. Empower supports Sprouts in Grand Opening initiatives, helping new markets have access to healthy and quality options and brands that may have been previously lacking in the community.
Additionally, Sprouts is committed to reducing its carbon footprint. In 2023 alone, the organization reduced carbon emissions in operations by 25%. The organization has also avoided the use of over 100M single-use bags in stores.
One of Empower’s newest clients, Freshpet, is a brand that is driven to nourish pets while protecting the planet. Freshpet has not only donated over 16 million meals to shelter animals, but they have also saved 11.4K trees and 4.7M gallons of water by recycling. Along with other sustainability efforts, Freshpet is transparent with their impact on the environment and releases yearly sustainability reports so their consumers can see firsthand how their purchases give back. Empower plays a helping hand in these initiatives by promoting Freshpet’s healthy and environmentally conscious lines of pet food to our target audience.
Purpose-Driven Marketing is a way for organizations to humanize their brands and illustrate the fact that a “for-profit” company can exist while also doing good. An organization does not necessarily need to be deemed solely as a “non-profit” or a “for-profit,” but these two can co-exist, a company can be classified as a “for-profit” traditionally, while also doing good.
