Observed Signal · Jul 13, 2026 · Research Publication · Source: The Drum · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Social Purpose Drives Century-Long Brand Survival
Alex Hardiman (We. Communications) summarises 13 years of research by Professor Alex Hill showing that organisations that endure for a century embed social purpose from their founding. Hill's book Centennials studied century-old organisations including NASA, the All Blacks, Levi’s and Kellogg’s and concluded that long-lived companies did not retrofit social purpose — it was part of their original architecture. The research argues that cutting social commitments for short-term financial gains risks eroding the trust and relationships that sustain brands over generations. Examples cited include Levi’s early charitable giving, the Kellogg’s Foundation’s majority ownership, and Colgate’s community dental services. The piece frames purpose as strategic, not discretionary, and warns boards to consider what dismantling purpose would remove from their organisations.
Research-backed argument that embedded social purpose supports long-term brand resilience; relevant to marketing, brand strategy and budgeting decisions but not an industry-shifting platform or policy change.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Professor Alex Hill conducted a 13-year study of organisations that sustained high performance for over a century and published the findings in the book Centennials.
- Hill found that every single company over 100 years old in the S&P 500 had social purpose embedded from day one rather than retrofitted later.
- Examples cited: Levi’s gave away a significant share of its first-year profits to a good cause; the Kellogg’s Foundation is the majority shareholder of Kellogg’s; Colgate delivers dental care into poor communities.
- The article was written by Alex Hardiman of We. Communications and published on The Drum on 2026-07-13.
Connected Companies & Entities
2 Entities mapped“Levi’s gave away a significant share of its first-year profits to a good cause before it was fashionable to do so....”
“Colgate drives trucks into poor communities to deliver dental care....”
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Clicks and Culture: Brands Need More Courage
Maike Abel, Digital & Corporate Marketing Director at Nestlé Germany, argues that the industry should stop treating brand-building and performance marketing as mutually exclusive. Published on 2026-06-25 in absatzwirtschaft, the column warns against over-indexing on short-term performance metrics at the expense of long-term brand value. Abel emphasizes that brand strength—built through consistency, emotional relevance and real-world experiences such as live events and community activations—enables more efficient performance marketing. She cites Nestlé’s recent Nescafé Coffee Concentrate campaign as an example of prioritizing experiential proximity. The piece also notes shifting consumer expectations, especially among younger audiences who demand authenticity and cultural relevance, and concludes that brands need the courage to invest in cultural intelligence and long-term brand work.
Newman's Own CMO Rebalances Product and Purpose Strategy
Adweek profiles Newman's Own and its new CMO, Mark Anthony Edmonson, who is repositioning the brand to lead with product quality rather than charity. The article recounts the brand's 1980 founding by Paul Newman and A.E. Hotchner, its roughly $600 million in donated profits, and its second-place ranking among U.S. food brands in Time's World's Best Brands. Edmonson, a veteran of Campbell's and P&G, introduced the tagline 'Great Ingredients. Greater Purpose.' to bridge the gap between purpose-driven marketing and actual purchase behavior. The piece argues that while purpose can drive trial, product quality drives repeat purchases, and that brands such as Patagonia and Ben & Jerry's are poor templates because their social missions were foundational rather than retrofitted.
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