Marketing with a larger purpose

What are your values--and are they integrated into your marketing?

Sainsbury's ad

Cilla Snowball, chair of the Advertising Association (and on the board of Comic Relief), recently told an audience of advertisers that 'purpose, values and consistency' are three key principles for showing how a brand makes a difference: 

'Consumers want to connect with brands that have a purpose and if that’s at large in your TV ads and expressed in a number of other ways you’ll do better than brands that don’t'.

Snowball, chief executive of the agency that handles Sainsbury's advertising, mentions the store's strapline 'Our values make us different' as a good example of integrating purpose into the marketing message and the organisation's operations.

Other UK retailers are also very active in purpose-led marketing. Marks & Spencer's Plan A has set ambitious goals for going green in merchandising, production, operations and almost every other function. M&S recently introduced the world's most sustainable men's suit. It's the result of a complex and sustainable supply chain created with the purpose of developing a product that satisfies customers' needs and protects the environment.

John Lewis is another retailer known for strong values that guide its decisions. From the employee ownership model to the green transportation initiatives, ethical sourcing and use of alternative fuels, John Lewis incorporates purpose into its daily operations and marketing. Long after the latest fashions fade, values will endure and remain important to customers as they make decisions in the marketplace.