Despite ESG backlash + tighter budgets, research validates brands must prove their purpose

Independent creative idea company Barkley released its annual State of Purpose Report. This year’s research includes a companion piece, Start Here: A Guide For Creating Sustainability Actions With Purpose, which serves as a step-by-step guide to help brands identify and map the material issues that can impact their business and further develop their sustainability strategy. 

Proprietary research conducted for the report found that despite tighter corporate purse strings, purpose still matters to consumers. Results show that 94% of consumers say that supporting brands that care about environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues is as important as it was 12 months ago, despite inflation. Moreover, 71% of consumers say it’s difficult to know if a brand is acting ethically and 62% say they look for proof.

Whole Brand Thinking(TM), however, is not just about marketing and consumers, it’s about everything a company does, which means it’s just as important to know how employees feel. According to Barkley’s research, 78% of employees say it’s crucial for the values of the organization to align with their personal values and 50% say that working for a values-driven company brings out their best work. Employees are a brand’s best ambassadors, and the research found that they were 10X more likely to recommend a purpose-led company. 

“After the events of the past several years, consumers want to live more sustainably and they expect brands to make this easier for them. They aren’t just looking at advertising to make their purchasing decisions, they want proof and evidence of impact,” explained Lindsey DeWitte, President of PR and EVP Purpose + Sustainability at Barkley. Remember, consumers have access to so much information today; they can quickly see how others perceive you. The good news is, developing a sustainability strategy simultaneously helps brands improve their reputation with consumers while also protecting the business from risk.

Start Here: A Guide For Creating Sustainability Actions With Purpose is designed to help business leaders identify and map the material issues that can impact their business and features nine sections of ideas that can supercharge organizations’ resiliency by crafting a purpose-led sustainability strategy. The guide focuses on materiality: the process of identifying, refining, and assessing the environmental, social, and governance topics that could impact an organization and its stakeholders. 

In addition to its annual proprietary research, Barkley has released a companion guide for brands and business leaders just beginning their sustainability journeys, with clear and actionable insights that will lead them through the process and on the path to creating impact.