In the ESB Netzwerk article "Purpose Marketing: Taking a Stance, Making an Impact", Jonas Onstein, founder of zwoelfstein, shares his perspective — together with twelve experts from the sports and brand business. The article centres on when and how brands should take a stance on social issues without losing credibility.
Purpose is the promise — action is the proof
"Purpose is the promise – action is the proof." — Jonas Onstein, Founder, zwoelfstein
The article's core finding: purpose marketing only works when a stance isn't merely communicated, but anchored in the brand and made visible through day-to-day action. Brands that pick up on current issues without aligning their own practice risk becoming interchangeable — the experts explicitly warn of this "conformity spiral," where many brands communicate the same topics in the same way and differentiation is lost.
The full article brings together voices from AXA, helloyou.studio, Trade Marketing Intelligence, EBERLE & WOLLWEBER Communications, migagentur, LOBECO, JEFF Zürich, Rapid Peaks, BrinkertLück Creatives, Hirsch auf Löwe and StrategyOne.
Read the complete article with all expert voices on ESB-online:
Read the ESB Article →