The Future of Purpose-Driven Marketing: What we heard, what we learned, and where we go next
Over coffee, croissants and more honesty than you usually find on a Wednesday morning, we brought together a group of purpose-driven business owners and marketing leads to explore a big, sometimes uncomfortable question:
What’s broken in purpose-driven marketing, and what’s actually working?
This was part of The Social Circle, a new roundtable series we’re running at Social for Good. We kicked things off with a short presentation to spark ideas and then opened the floor for real, honest conversation. Fewer slides, more reflection (and yes, plenty of pastries). A chance to zoom out and think together about where we’re all heading.
Before we opened up the discussion, we shared some insights from our friends at Brandwatch (huge thanks to Gemma!) and other recent research we’ve been knee-deep in this year — a snapshot of the current landscape in purpose-driven marketing. Because staying on top of what’s shifting is part of how we support the brands we work with.
These sparked plenty of head-nods (and a few deep sighs) around the table. Here’s what we shared.
Framing the conversation. Nina opening The Social Circle with some thought-provoking truths about our industry.
What’s broken?
😩 Online overwhelm is very real. 66,000 Instagram posts. 16,000 TikToks. That’s just one minute. It’s no wonder audiences are tuning out, and social teams are burning out.
📣 Broadcasting fatigue. Shouting into the void no longer cuts it. The brands still trying to talk at their audience are being ignored. And rightly so.
💚 Purpose-washing is a growing risk. With more companies jumping on the “purpose-led” bandwagon, it’s becoming harder for genuinely values-driven brands to cut through. The language is getting more generic, and the signal is getting lost in the noise.
😬 Fear is blocking action. There’s a rising anxiety about saying the wrong thing, especially when it comes to sustainability. We heard reflections about teams second-guessing every post – worried that speaking up will mean being called out.
♻️ The B Corp badge isn’t enough. A surprising number of people admitted to not really understanding what B Corp status means. It’s clear that if you’re not telling the story behind it - why it matters, what it reflects - the impact is lost.
What’s working?
☺️ Mindful, lo-fi content. Relaxed, nostalgic, emotionally intelligent posts are cutting through – especially when paired with IRL moments, sensory storytelling, or behind-the-scenes snippets.
💬 Two-way comms. Brands that treat their audience as a community, not a market segment, are seeing results. Engagement is going up when conversations are happening in both directions.
😇 Radical transparency. It’s not about getting it perfect. It’s about being honest about the mess, the learning, the figuring-it-out-as-you-go. Vulnerability, it turns out, builds trust.
🤳 EGC and UGC. Employee and user-generated content are doing what branded content often can’t: telling a story with warmth, humour, and perspective. And audiences are responding to it in kind.
Nina summed it up perfectly in her presentation.
What we heard in the room
Across the discussion, some clear themes started to emerge - the kind of reflections that stick with you long after the pastries are gone.
💡 AI is here, but the human still matters. There was curiosity, experimentation, and a fair bit of discomfort in the room. Most people want to use AI well, but not at the cost of their voice. The most effective approach seemed to be using it for speed or structure, then bringing it back to a human editor to shape, sense-check, and sound like... well, you.
💡 When you can’t compete on price, compete on story. For brands being undercut by mass-market versions of their product, the answer isn’t louder sales - it’s deeper storytelling. Purpose, heritage, craft and community all became key points of difference.
💡 Strategy is what keeps you sane. There was a shared relief in saying it out loud: you don’t have to be everywhere. You don’t have to post daily. But you do need a plan. One that reflects your values, protects your energy, and helps you stay visible in a way that feels true.
💡 The personal voice matters. Whether it’s a founder post, a micro-influencer campaign or a passionate team member on LinkedIn – people trust people more than brands. Authenticity isn’t optional. It’s expected.
💡 You won’t always see direct ROI, and that’s okay. Several attendees shared stories of content that didn’t convert... but still connected. Sometimes, just showing up with consistency and intention is the point.
💡 You don’t have to do it all. A theme that came up with palpable relief. The pressure to be constantly present is exhausting. But when you start from clarity, not chaos, you can show up in a way that actually works – for you and your audience.
Smart, generous, purpose-led – couldn’t have asked for a better group to launch The Social Circle with.
Thanks for being part of our first roundtable (from left to right) - Gemma Joyce, Laura London, Kerry Watkins (me), Jesse Williams, Harriet Dean-Orange, Tonina Takova, Brad Guin, Sophie Menhennett and Callum McGranaghan (taking the photo)
The first Social Circle: thoughtful conversations, shared challenges, and plenty of ideas for what comes next - including how we can make the next one even better. From the feedback to the flow, we’re learning as we go. Huge thanks to everyone who shared so generously.
So where do we go from here?
At Social for Good, we work with purpose-led organisations to create social media strategies that are calm, clear and impactful. We help teams step away from panic-posting and towards storytelling that actually builds trust - and business.
We left this event feeling energised. Not because we solved it all. But because we saw, again, the power of thoughtful, generous conversation. And how rare and valuable it is to share that space in real life: no screens, no scroll, just humans and ideas.
If you're a founder or marketing lead in a values-driven business, B corp or impact driven brand and you want to talk through what’s working, what’s shifting, or what feels stuck — let’s talk.
Book a 15-minute call and let’s figure it out together.