We are a Rebellion Against the War of Attention: An Exploratory Case Study about Purpose Branding

Abstract

This thesis sets out to examine a novel concept within marketing studies: purpose branding. The consumption environment has drastically changed over the past few years, and consumers increasingly purchase from companies whose values match their own. This has caused firms to reconsider their branding strategies and communication tactics. As limited empirical research has previously been done to examine purpose branding, this thesis sets out to empirically unfold the theoretical concept and its practical implications by conducting an exploratory case study of the digital newspaper, Zetland. Our study seeks to explore how brand purpose expresses itself within Zetland and how it can be utilized in external communication. In order to examine this, a literature review of purpose and purpose branding has been conducted whereby three related concepts were derived as a means of supporting the main research question and structuring the thesis’ theoretical framework: brand authenticity, corporate brand identity, and sociocultural theories. Moreover, the philosophical paradigms, philosophical hermeneutics and social constructivism, were used as tools to position our role as researchers. Five individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with Zetland employees to explore how brand purpose manifests itself internally and what it means to the organization. Additionally, a focus group interview was conducted with consumers in order to assess how Zetland’s brand purpose is perceived, as well as how it should be communicated externally. Subsequently, our key findings suggest that purpose branding should first and foremost be perceived as authentic in order to be successful. Continuity was found to be an important factor of authenticity for Zetland in terms of staying true to its origin and identity, and aligning brand purpose with the brand. Another key finding is that Zetland’s brand purpose is visible in all areas of the organization; acting as a beacon that bridges internal and external elements. Our findings suggest that brand purpose should come from within as it acts as a unifying direction and manifests itself in all external communication. In the case of Zetland we found that employees were reluctant to cultural change, however, our study suggests that internal culture cannot be detained. Instead, brand purpose is the core that must remain constant while organizational culture adapts in accordance with the dynamic environment. Additionally, we found that using co-creation as a collaborative tool engages consumers in the brand purpose and creates emotional attachments which foster commitment and loyalty. Most importantly, we found that Zetland must ensure transparency across all aspects of purpose branding. Consumers today are incredibly skeptical of commercial initiatives, and any inconsistencies in communication will create mistrust and cynicism. As Zetland acts as a cultural activist, any actions that compromise the brand purpose will diminish its believability unless it is explicitly addressed. Through consistent and transparent communication and behavior, Zetland has the potential to become an iconic brand as it resolves collective desires and anxieties within national ideology. Our research contributes to a more profound theoretical understanding of the notion of purpose branding. Particularly, it contributes to understanding the utmost importance of rooting organizational culture in brand purpose, and integrating brand purpose into all aspects of corporate brand identity and external communication in ensuring authenticity.