The Purpose Trap: Why Most Brands Get It Wrong

Sometime in 2017, a group of advertising executives at Pepsi sat around a conference table, feeling rather pleased with themselves. They had just finished cutting an ad featuring Kendall Jenner, the reality TV star and model. The premise was simple: a protest, a stand for unity, a moment of connection between activists and police. At the heart of it all? A Pepsi can.

It was supposed to be uplifting. It was supposed to resonate with young people.

It backfired spectacularly.

Within hours of its release, the ad was being torn apart online. It was mocked, ridiculed, analyzed. The New York Times called it “a spectacular misfire.” Social media erupted with accusations that Pepsi had trivialized social justice movements. The ad was pulled within 48 hours.

But why did it fail?

It’s easy to say that it was tone-deaf — and it was. But the more interesting answer is that Pepsi made a fundamental mistake about how storytelling works. They assumed that having a good intention was the same as having a good narrative. They assumed that simply showing young people united under a cause, backed by an uplifting tagline, would be enough.

It wasn’t.

And in that miscalculation, Pepsi revealed something deeper: most purpose-driven brands don’t actually know how to tell stories.

Why Purpose Alone Won’t Save Your Brand

It’s become an article of faith in modern branding that people want to buy from companies that stand for something. There’s even data to back this up. In one study, the Harvard Business Review found that 64% of consumers say they form strong brand relationships based on shared values.

If you’re a brand strategist, this sounds like good news.

Except it isn’t.

Because most brands misinterpret what this data means. They assume that if people like brands with strong values, all they have to do is declare their values loudly and often:

🚫 “We believe in sustainability.”
🚫 “We champion inclusivity.”
🚫 “We want to make the world a better place.”

These are statements. And statements, no matter how noble, are not stories.

A story requires a hero. A challenge. A transformation.

And here’s where brands make their biggest mistake: they cast themselves as the hero instead of the audience.

The 4 Rules of Purpose-Driven Storytelling

If you really want to tell a compelling purpose-driven story, you need to follow a different approach.

1. Flip the Perspective: Make the Audience the Hero

Nike doesn’t just say, “We believe in athleticism.”

Instead, they tell stories about real people overcoming obstacles — Colin Kaepernick risking his career, Serena Williams breaking barriers, an everyday runner completing their first marathon.

Nike is not the hero. Nike is the mentor.

✅ Before: “We stand for inclusivity in sports.”
✅ After: “Every athlete deserves a chance to break barriers. Here’s how you can do it.”

The brand doesn’t lead the movement. The audience does.

2. Show, Don’t Tell

In the early 2000s, Patagonia was trying to solve a problem. Their customers loved the brand, but they were buying too much stuff. People would replace their jackets, not because they needed to, but because they wanted the latest model. That was bad for the environment.

So Patagonia ran a full-page ad in The New York Times on Black Friday with the headline:

“Don’t Buy This Jacket.”

It was shocking. Was Patagonia telling customers not to buy its products?

Yes.

The ad explained the environmental cost of making each jacket — 135 liters of water, 20 pounds of CO₂ emissions, and waste equivalent to 24 empty beer cans. Patagonia urged customers to repair, reuse, and only buy when necessary.

That’s how you tell a story.

✅ Before: “We believe in sustainability.”
✅ After: “For every jacket you buy, we’ll recycle 50 plastic bottles.”

The message wasn’t just spoken — it was lived.

3. Create Transformation, Not Transactions

The best brands don’t just sell products. They help people change.

Dove could have simply said:

🚫 “We believe in body positivity.”

Instead, they launched The Real Beauty campaign. They filmed real women describing themselves to a forensic sketch artist. Then, they filmed other people describing those same women.

The difference was striking. Women saw themselves as less beautiful than strangers did.

It was a revelation. It changed the way people thought about self-perception.

Dove wasn’t just talking about body positivity. It was guiding women through a transformation.

4. Make It Specific, Make It Real

Vague purpose statements don’t resonate. Real impact does.

Compare:

🚫 “We support ethical fashion.”
✅ “Every pair of sneakers you return will be upcycled into playground surfaces.”

🚫 “We believe in reducing waste.”
✅ “We will never use more than 5 liters of water per t-shirt.”

👉 The more specific, the more powerful.

The H&M Problem

Now, contrast Patagonia’s success with what happened at H&M.

In 2022, H&M’s Conscious Collection was supposed to be their big move into sustainable fashion. It was purpose-driven. It sounded good.

Then came the scandal.

A lawsuit accused H&M of greenwashing — misleading customers about the sustainability of its products. Investigations found that some “conscious” pieces had a worse environmental impact than their regular clothing line.

👉 The hero of this story was supposed to be the customer, making ethical choices. But H&M positioned itself as the hero.

That’s why it failed.

If purpose-driven storytelling doesn’t create a real transformation for the customer, it collapses.

How to Audit Your Brand’s Storytelling

Over the years, working with brands trying to define their purpose and storytelling, I’ve found that most purpose-driven brands fail because they frame their story incorrectly.

Through this work, I’ve developed a simple four-question audit that helps brands shift from self-centered messaging to audience-driven storytelling.

Ask yourself:

1️⃣ Who is the hero of our story?
If the answer is your brand, rethink. Your audience should be the one on the journey, not you.

2️⃣ What is the transformation we help create?
Be specific. What is changing in your audience’s life because of your brand?

3️⃣ Are we showing, or just telling?
Action beats words. Can you point to real behaviors, initiatives, or proof that backs up your purpose?

4️⃣ Would our audience repeat this story in their own words?
If not, it’s too abstract. Make it personal, tangible, and repeatable.

Most brands are one narrative shift away from success.

This framework has helped my clients move from corporate mission statements to stories that connect with their customers.

I’ve learned is that most brands are one narrative shift away from success.

The Long-Term Impact: Why This Matters

Purpose-driven storytelling isn’t just about marketing — it’s about long-term brand mentorship.

Brands that get this right don’t just attract customers. They build communities.

Brands like Hiut Denim Co. have built deep, loyal followings by telling hyper-specific stories of craftsmanship and sustainability.
Smaller companies like Who Gives a Crap (a sustainable toilet paper brand) thrive by turning their mission into a fun, relatable narrative.

When storytelling is done right, customers become ambassadors.

Final Thought: Purpose Needs a Story, Not a Slogan

The companies that thrive don’t position themselves as heroes.

They become mentors to their customers, guiding them toward transformation.

So next time you see a brand saying, “We stand for something,” ask yourself:

Are they telling a story I can be part of? Or are they just talking about themselves?

Because if it’s the latter, their purpose is already failing.