Purpose isn't dead. But the idea has gained traction recently amid high-profile rollbacks in CSR, DE&I and sustainability.

What we’re seeing now isn’t a collapse - it’s a course-correction. A reaction to years of work that often felt misguided and performative. The pendulum has swung hard in the opposite direction, but it won’t stay here. Eventually, it will settle somewhere between the brand activism of the early 2020s and today’s retreat.

That middle ground holds real potential - but only if brands, marketers and agencies know how to navigate it. We’ve put a lot of time into finding the best route forward - and identified five key shifts brands can make to get this work right in today’s world.

Because as long as people buy things based, in part, on their values, and want to work for companies that focus on more than just profit, this work will have a seat at the marketing table.

This moment is a wake-up call. A chance to learn from the past, take the temperature of the moment, and return with a sharper, smarter agenda for change. One that’s grounded in the fundamentals of a business, and the real lives of the consumers who fuel its growth. Because when done right, this work builds brands and grows businesses. It’s not charity - it’s a competitive edge - as long as you stick to the course.

Here are three shifts from our recent The Great Impact Reset report to use as signposts on the journey.

1.   From utopian visions to realistic destinations

A shift in the expectations brand set.

For years, brands have overpromised and underdelivered on impact, painting unrealistic, utopian visions of a better future. The result? Cynicism. Consumers don’t buy it.

Instead, brands need to focus on the change they are actually in a position to make, and approach it with humility, not hubris. This isn’t about abandoning bold ambition. It means grounding it in reality, getting specific about the end destination, and focusing energy where you can genuinely move the needle.

Take Pedigree. Their global mission - ending dog homelessness - is specific, ambitious and can be tackled in hundreds of ways that are unique to each market. This reached a recent peak with the Cannes Lions Grand Prix winning Adoptable campaign, which turned every Pedigree ad into an adoption driver.

The takeaway? Define a realistic end destination. Then work backwards to build a roadmap of activity and bring your audience along for the ride.

2.   From culture wars to bridge building

A shift in the issues brands prioritise.

Over the past decade, purpose work has often centred on identity issues that highlight our differences. But as crises mount on many fronts - from economic inequality to loneliness - there’s a real need for impact that cuts across divides. In 2025, brands that unite people around these shared issues, while still recognising and celebrating our differences, will resonate more widely.

Take hims & hers, whose Super Bowl spot “Sick of the System” took aim at the U.S. weight loss industry: a broken system that traps everyone in a cycle of sickness. It focused on everyone in the country coming together against this common foe, without flattening the diversity of those it featured.

This feels like the future of brand impact. Start from what your brand stands for - connection, joy, creativity, etc - and ask: What real-world issues are preventing your audience from accessing that? Then take action. Not in ways that pit groups against one another, but in ways that bridge divides between people.

3.   From virtue signals to inventive solutions

A shift in the actions brands take.

The age of moral posturing is over. People don’t want brands to just stand for something - they want them to dosomething. Yet too often, brands default to their comfort zone of comms. Changing logos. Flying flags. Erecting statues.

But real problems demand more than symbolism - they need tangible, creative solutions. There’s a common myth in our industry that social impact and sustainability work is dull, box-ticking CSR that does little to build your brand. But that’s not a flaw with the work - it’s a failure of imagination. At its best, this work uses explosive creativity to tackle problems in bold and unexpected ways. Lighting the way so others can follow.

Rivian, for instance, tackled one of the biggest barriers to EV adoption - charging time - by reimagining their charging stations as relaxing destinations, complete with beautiful lounges and play areas, transforming waiting time from a drag into a delight.

The brands that go beyond comms to deliver inventive, useful solutions to real problems and pain-points in their audience’s lives will be rewarded with their business and loyalty.