Purpose in Marketing and Advertising: Developing a Definition and Framework for Future Research

Abstract

The responsibility of businesses has changed drastically over the past 50 years. Long gone are the days when corporations only focused on stockholder value. Today, businesses are expected to engage in purpose. However, the definition of purpose is muddled, particularly within the context of marketing and advertising. Indeed, practitioners employed in purposeful agencies have yet to come to a consensus regarding what is the “purpose” of purpose. This manuscript seeks to develop a clear definition of purpose that is rooted in business theory. Further, this article extends the concept to marketing and advertising and develops a new understanding of tools available to practitioners under the umbrella of purpose. The goal in taking this step is to lay a foundation that future research in purposeful marketing and advertising may utilize, as well as outline potential paths that practitioners may take should they wish to pursue more purposeful practices. Directions for future research are outlined.