This is a research report about growth.
Specifically, the kind of growth that comes from building genuine emotional connection with the people your brand serves, and the role that causes play in making that happen.
It's also a deliberately practical piece of work. We're not here to tell brands they should have a purpose. That debate has become its own kind of noise. We're here to show which causes British consumers care about, where brands are already connecting credibly with them, and what measurable difference that connection makes to brand equity, advocacy and commercial performance. Nuance matters here. The right answer is different for every brand, every category, every context. This report is designed to help you find yours.
What this report is
An exploration of:
- Which causes Brits actually care about and how much consensus (or division) exists around them
- What British consumers genuinely expect of brands (including when they think brands should stay out of it)
- Which brands are connecting credibly with causes and what makes the difference between authentic and hollow
- Whether cause association actually moves the commercial needle and impacts factors such as advocacy, emotional connection, and price premium.
(and isn’t)
What we’re not looking to do:
- This report deliberately avoids the word ‘purpose’
- Its use tends to draw battle lines before the conversation has started, when the whole point of this research is nuance. That is, what is the right course of action for specific brands, in specific categories and in specific contexts?