Sponsor Impact report purpose objectives, but using cutting-edge questioning into the business proposition, a mere 20% consider it techniques and advanced analytics to really dig under completely integrated, resulting in a telling shortfall the skin, to understand how much consumers from the ideal. genuinely care about the societal issues we are trying The study also provides evidence that brands seem to to address. be better at benchmarking themselves against their This insight is crucial when it comes to identifying competitors, in terms of putting purpose at the heart of how we can nudge consumer behaviours to benefit our their business strategy, than they are at actually brands and society at large. To do this effectively measuring brand purpose itself. requires ongoing evaluation and measurement using a While two-thirds of respondents believe their multi-disciplinary approach, helping us test and company employees understand their organisations monitor progress, and the impact of purpose brand purpose, there is notably less bullishness around activations, to continually learn and optimise. consumer awareness. Only one in three is confident Careful use of data is essential because, when asked, that their customers can identify what their people will sometimes say they care about brand organisations brand purpose represents. purpose because thats the socially acceptable thing to Although only a third of those surveyed feels their say. Burnham notes that measurement of purpose customers are aware of their brand purpose, 50% needs to understand what people believe their customers share their actually do when confronted with organisations values. It can be argued competing factors, such as price, that this underlines some of the woolliness around brand purpose: When asked, people will convenience and availability, and how far this differs from what they say they customers often roughly or intuitively sometimes say they care care about or will do. Often, the two can get what a brand stands for without about brand purpose being able to clearly articulate it because thats the socially be very different. For example, Ipsos data from its using the phraseology agreed upon acceptable thing to say brands and consumers virtual storeby marketers. testing tool, Simstore, shows shoppers Equally, perhaps the disparity comes are three times more likely to select an down to inadequate tools, methods or environmentally friendly product when price is structures. While half of the respondents agree their equivalent to a non-eco choice, but this likelihood falls organisations set-up enables them to get best value out substantially as the price of the greener alternative of data and analytics, one in three disagrees. increases. This means that the measurement of purpose needs to encompass a range of analytical Consumer viewpoint approaches and tools that can uncover what Many brands are still finding their way around the topic people really think and do, as opposed to what they of brand purpose, and those measuring it are in the say they do. minority. Ipsos works with leading brands throughout A solid approach to measuring brand purpose may the process, helping them define their purpose and employ techniques such as implicit response testing to how best to quantify it. As Lucy Burnham, group head tease out what people really think, as well as analytical of brand research at Ipsos UK, notes: One of the tools that uncover what is genuinely important to challenges in measuring brand purpose is being clear consumers, and multiple data sources that tie up on how it manifests itself to consumers. How is the behaviour or unstructured conversation with more brands purpose tangible in what it says, does or structured survey data. Using multiple data sources in delivers? We work with our clients to define this very this way can help get to the nub of things, thereby carefully and that informs marketers in terms of how to addressing Burnhams point about the say-do gap that measure purpose and its role in brand performance. often exists between what people say they want from At consumer goods company Reckitt, each brand has brands and what they actually end up buying. a purpose aligned with one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Purpose is pivotal to Reckitt strategy, so understanding the impact our purpose A challenging process work is having on brand equity is essential to inform Arriving at the definition of a particular brands and guide brand planning, says Tim Milwood, the purpose can be a challenging and convoluted process. companys global insights lead for brand and Tim Wragg, chief executive at insights agency Hall & communications. This means not just understanding Partners, says the how of brand purpose is highly how well our brands are progressing against their variable. In some instances, its simply a set of typical 24 Impact ISSUE 39 2022_pp22-31_Report.indd 24 23/09/2022 15:01