Purpose Through the Digital Lens

In today's market, consumers are increasingly drawn to brands that focus on sustainability and making a positive impact on society. This trend encourages companies to define their mission in terms that go beyond just profit. They're now expected to communicate their fundamental purpose and the value they bring to all their stakeholders.

Recent studies introduce a framework for understanding a brand's purpose that includes not only financial success but also benefits to customers and contributions to societal well-being, such as ethical practices and environmental protection. However, pinpointing a brand's true purpose is complex and can only be inferred from corporate communication, media portrayals, and consumer opinions.

In the digital age, consumers can access a plethora of information sources, enabling them to form well-rounded opinions about what a brand stands for. Yet, online engagement is not uniform; a small group of vocal users tends to dominate public discourse. This research leverages a well-established psychological model to explore how a brand's visibility online affects consumer perceptions of its purpose. It involves analyzing data from 100 top brands gathered by extensive internet search and surveying individuals about their views, offering insights into the critical role of online visibility in shaping consumer understanding of a brand's purpose.

Cooperation Partners:

Prof. Dr. Christian Winkler, datanizing

Prof. Dr. Stefanie Scholz, SRH Willhelm Löhe Hochschule