The 'Purpose Gap' Facing Many B2B Brands

The 'Purpose Gap' Facing Many B2B Brands

Marketing Strategy — Tue., Sep. 15, 2020

The Association of National Advertisers (ANA), Carol Cone On Purpose, and The Harris Poll recently conducted a survey of 259 B2B professionals with a job title of director or higher that revealed 86% believe it is important for a B2B business to have a clear purpose, yet only 24% have embedded a purpose into their business.

The biggest barrier to activating a purpose appears to be that it feels more like a PR exercise than an authentic commitment, with 56% of respondents agreeing with the statement. Moreover, 51% agree that purpose does not play a considerable role in their competitive set.

93% of respondents say their B2B brand is somewhere on the "purpose journey," with 42% in the early stages and 57% saying their brand is more focused on purpose than it was three years prior.

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