From Cause Related
Marketing to Purpose
Driven Brands
Purpose driven branding goes far beyond CRM both in its ability
to build brands and its impact on society. HUL’s Priya Nair
on making it work for your brand
nthe 1890s, William Hesketh Lever, founder
of Lever Bros (the precursor to Unilever
Pic), wrote down his ideas for Sunlight Soap
- his revolutionary newproduct that helped
popularise cleanliness and hygiene in Vic­
torian England where soap was the elite’s
preserve. ‘To make cleanliness common­
place; to lessen work for women; to foster
health and contribute to personal attrac­
tiveness, that life may be more enjoyable
and rewarding for the people who use our
products'. Fundamentally, this philosophy
was centered on the fact that business must
exist beyond economic transactions for a
larger purpose to serve society.
Over hundred years later, the need for
brands to have a purpose has never been
more important. Brands exist in a digitally
powered environment, where millions of
transactions worth billions of dollars take
place every hour. Consumers gravitate to­
wards brands that they tru st and find au­
thentic. Brands are faced with a challenge
of dim inishing attention spans and everincreasing media clutter. In such a complex
environment, a brand without a larger pur­
pose stands every chance
of becoming irrelevant.
A brand Over the years, Cause Re­
lated M arketing (CRM)
without a
has addressed some of
larger purpose these challenges. But, it’s
stands every time to re-think CRM. Typ­
ically CRM cam paigns
chance of
tend to be one-off. In many
cases, they are d ista n t
becoming
from w hat th e b ra n d
irrelevant
stands for. W hile CRM
does have some impact, the
larger question is that if a cause is relevant
for a brand, why shouldn’t the brand be
about the cause itself?
Today, brands must identify a purpose that
m eaningfully im pacts the people they
serve. And this purpose must influence eve­
rything a brand does. In my view, this is a
more sustainable way for brands to impact
society
The Unilever Sustainable Living Plan
(USLP) provides a framework for brands to
identify and define a purpose to engage
with society Business models are then cre­
ated around the purpose which then impact
billions of lives. Some of HUL’s pioneering
work has been influenced by the USLP.
Lifebuoy’s Help a Child Reach Five em ­
phasises the need to adopt hand washing
hygiene. India has the highest num ber of
child deaths from diarrh ea and pneum o­
nia globally — with 609,000 children dying
each year before their 5th birthday By talk-
for the first time, three brands — Lifebuoy,
Pureit and Domex — have come together to
propagate the adoption of “Swachh Aadat"
— washing hands, us ing a toilet to defecate
and adopting safe drinking water practices.
Brought alive through the fun and engaging
film ‘Haath Mooh Bum, Bimari Hogi Kum’,
it celebrates children as agents of behav­
iour change, urging adults to change old
practices. The goal is to make India illness
free, also the objective of the Swachh
Bharat Abhiyan.
Purpose driven marketing must also go
beyond brand communication and be at the
heart of product innovation and business
models. In a country where safe drinking
water practices are yet to be adopted by mil­
lions, Pureit has provided access to safe
drinking water at an affordable cost with­
out the need for electricity or running wa­
ter. Pureit has partnered with NGOs in de­
ploying micro-credit which enables pur­
chase in affordable installments.
The need for brands to be more purpose
driven has never been bigger. The impact is
five-fold: first, being integrated into busi­
T H IN K S T O C K
ness it becomes sustainable and scalable;
ing about the need to protect our children second, purpose driven brands will be more
through the simple act of washing hands authentic and credible because of the good­
with soap at five key occasions, the rele­ will built over time; third, it brings in likevance of the brand in the lives of consum­ minded external partners into a business
ers has increased manifold. Lifebuoy’s ini­ ecosystem. For instance, Lifebuoy has part­
tiatives in th is direction — large scale nered w ith Children’s Investment Fund
han d w ashing behaviour change pro­ Foundation (CIFF) in Bihar to drive behav­
gram s and advertising campaigns (Gon- iour change programmes in schools. This
dappa, Tree of Life, Chamki) — constitute opens up new thinking and different ways
a p a rt of its business.
to connect with consumers. Fourth, by har­
For several decades, Rin has been known nessing its reach, purpose driven brands
for providing “Chamakti Safedi” givingcon- can reach millions to deliver meaningful
sumers the confidence to shine in social situ­ messages and impact society positively. Fi­
ations. Building on this-platnally, these brands foster a
form of confidence and pro­
energising internal
Purpose positive,
environment that motivates
gress, the brand has created Rin
employees; giving them a
Career Ready Academy which driven
offers overall skill development
larger sense of belonging.
for youth to enhance liveli­ brands reach
Which a sp irin g m arketer
hoods. It focuses on three valu­ millions with
wouldn’t want to change age
able skills: English Speaking,
old hygiene habits or help In­
meaningful
Office Dressing and Interview
dian youth progress?
Training. This initiative allows messages
In the years to come, bril­
Rin to connect in a deeper way
liant basics of m arketing
playing a bigger role in building confidence. (great products at the right price, relevant
Our recen t ‘Sw achh Aadat, Swachh positioning, stand out packaging etc.) will
B harat’ is an example of how brands can continue. But in an increasingly cluttered
play a role in societal progress, while re­ world, purpose driven brands can have
maining true to the core business. Swachh more m eaningful conversations and are
Bharat Abhiyan was launched in 2014 with more likely to win.
the objective of making India clean by 2019.
Lakhs of toilets are being built every day
The author is executive director - home
But this activity has to be supported by edu­ care, Hindustan Unilever Limited. Views
cating people on right behaviour. And so,
expressed are personal.