Many legacy brands have lost their way, watering down their purpose until it’s little more than a tagline. In their place, challenger brands are stepping up, embedding purpose-driven content marketing into every part of their business and daring to act on it. For marketers and content creators, this shift presents a clear challenge and a powerful opportunity: to use storytelling to make purpose real.
Few people understand this better than Thomas Kolster. A former ad man turned impact entrepreneur, he’s one of the most recognised voices at the intersection of marketing, sustainability and leadership. In 2009, he coined the term ‘goodvertising’ to describe advertising that delivers positive environmental or social benefits. Today, he continues to challenge the status quo with bold, transformative thinking.
In this conversation with Aspidistra, he shares how purpose has evolved, why many brands are falling short, and what content creators can do to drive meaningful change.
How has your definition of purpose evolved over the years?
When I wrote Goodvertising in 2010, purpose was fresh. It stood out. You had brands like Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever doing things differently, not because they had to, but because they believed in something. As a young creative, I was excited by the idea that brands could stand for more than just selling products.
But over time, purpose became a buzzword. I started getting calls from companies asking me to “create a purpose” for them, which felt completely off. That’s when I began focusing on behaviour change. Purpose isn’t a slogan, it’s a transformative promise. If a brand helps you eat healthier, live more sustainably, or feel more empowered, then it’s earned the right to talk about purpose. It’s not about being consumer-centric; it’s about being life-centric. That’s what brands were initially built to do.
Are legacy purpose-driven brands losing their way?
Many are. Ben & Jerry’s is a good example. While this is slightly simplified, the company was structured with a foundation arm focused on purpose and a marketing arm concentrated on business goals. That split created a disconnect. Over time, the marketing side took over, and the brand started putting out generic campaigns that had little to do with its original values.
Body Shop followed a similar path. They didn’t keep up with innovation or respond to the rise of challenger brands. Their purpose got diluted, and they lost the edge that made them special. Even their move from L’Oréal to Natura & Co., which looked like a values-based decision, ended up being a poor business move. When purpose isn’t embedded in the structure, it fades.
What role do challenger brands play in keeping purpose-driven marketing alive?
Challenger brands are bold in ways big companies often aren’t. I’ve sat in meetings with major corporations where people talk about doing something brave, but no one actually follows through. They have the resources, they don’t have the guts.
Challenger brands like Holie’s, a Dutch cereal company, are thriving because they build purpose into everything they do. Their promise is simple: low-sugar, good-for-you breakfast. They activate it in creative ways, like sailing around Amsterdam and shouting about their product from a boat. That kind of grassroots energy is hard to fake.
These brands succeed because they’re nimble, authentic, and not weighed down by layers of bureaucracy or shareholder pressure.
What can content creators and agencies do to push purpose-driven content marketing forward?
Stop waiting for clients to be brave. Use storytelling to make purpose real. We live in a time where people, not brands, hold the power. And people don’t talk about products for long. They talk about ideas, values, and experiences.
Think about brands that create interdependence. A monthly subscription meal box that teaches you to cook plant-based meals? That’s transformative. Spotify recommending music that expands your taste? That’s a relationship. These are the kinds of stories that stick.
Purpose-led content works when it helps people grow, not just buy. That’s where the real value lies.
What metrics should we use to measure purpose-led content?
Campaign metrics are helpful, but they don’t tell the whole story. You need life-centric KPIs, something that reflects real change. In the Nordics, we’re lucky to have access to government data that tracks things like plant-based eating habits or energy consumption. That kind of data helps you see whether your purpose is actually making a difference.
If your brand wants to promote handwashing or reduce carbon footprints, measure that. Purpose should be about what matters to people right now. Abstract ideas like “saving the planet” don’t move people. But if their daily habits shift, that’s impact.
What’s not being talked about enough in this space?
We’ve failed at climate storytelling. It’s too abstract, too perfect, and too exclusive. We’ve created a movement that feels more like a cult than a community. People get shamed for flying or eating meat, and that pushes them away.
We also ignore the hidden energy in our lives, like oil in packaging, cosmetics, and clothing. We’re still living in a fossil fuel economy, even though we have the means to change. That’s frustrating.
And then there’s freedom. It’s a word often hijacked by political narratives, but absolute freedom is being able to grow your own food, produce your own energy, and live safely. That’s the kind of story we should be telling.
What’s next for purpose-driven content marketing?
We’re in a polarised time, but that’s also a moment of opportunity. We need to move away from finger-pointing and toward inclusion. Purpose should be something people want to be part of, not something that makes them feel judged.
Start by listening. What are people genuinely concerned about? What makes them feel safe, hopeful, or empowered? That’s where storytelling can make a difference.
We’re in the driver’s seat. If we want purpose to thrive, we need to steer it toward something people can believe in and belong to.
Note: Interview edited for clarity.
By Asa Butcher
