The Association of National Advertisers today released a series of guidelines to help companies develop and sustain authentic purpose statements.
This comes as brands over the last several years have released pledges around everything from diversity, equity and inclusion to sustainability. The concern is that many of these mission statements don’t result in action, a phenomenon known as “purpose-washing.”
ANA’s guidelines advise brands to create purpose statements that are “strategic and enduring” and rooted in “authenticity, human insights and business strategy.” The purpose statement should underscore the company’s current reason for existence, not its future goals, and live at the foundation of everything the company does, according to the ANA.