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Advertising is obsessed with ‘purpose’. Not without good reason – every brand on the planet needs a reason to exist, and those that don’t…won’t – but in doing so, it has become one of the most misused and misunderstood words in the marketing lexicon. Purpose needs a rebrand.

Contrary to popular opinion, it’s not all about lofty ideals like ‘saving the planet’ or ‘curing world hunger’ (although for the right brand, it could be – just not with a 15 second social post). It’s about identifying the fundamental role your brand fulfils in people’s lives. What is its DNA? Why does it exist? That’s brand purpose, and it’s important – Havas’ Meaningful Brands research states that 75% of brands could disappear tomorrow and no-one would care.

I am all for brand purpose (and a brand with a strong moral compass, something society dictates is becoming a necessity), but it’s being misrepresented – and I don’t want it to be a fad, or for the lazy or insincere to undermine the good. Because it’s not just how you communicate as a brand, but how you act. Everything ‘purpose-driven’ must be authentic, honest, meaningful, and fundamentally rooted in how you behave. Get it wrong, in this age of cynicism and social media, and consumers – who have never had more choice, bigger platforms and better bullshit detectors – won’t be forgiving.