No Evidence That Purpose Causes Growth: Debunking the “Purpose-Driven Brands Grow Faster” Myth

By German Tirado, August 13, 2025

Introduction: The Alluring Promise and Misconception of Brand Purpose

In modern marketing circles, few ideas have gained as much momentum as the belief that purpose-driven brands grow faster. Industry conferences, thought-leader blogs, and high-profile campaigns have reinforced the notion that if your business stands for something beyond making a profit — a brand purpose tied to social change, environmental responsibility, or a cultural mission — customers will flock to you, loyalty will deepen, and sales growth will accelerate.

The argument sounds compelling: align your brand growth strategy with a higher calling, and your company will achieve both moral leadership and market dominance. Case studies frequently cite Patagonia’s environmental stance, Dove’s “Real Beauty” campaign, or Ben & Jerry’s social activism as evidence that brand purpose is a shortcut to commercial success.

But here’s the problem: the marketing science evidence does not support this claim. When researchers examine large, representative datasets across multiple categories and markets, they find no consistent, replicable link between adopting a brand purpose and achieving superior sales performance [1]. Instead, growth follows long-standing empirical laws, such as the Double Jeopardy Law, which show that market share is primarily driven by brand penetration (number of buyers) and purchase frequency — not mission statements.

This doesn’t mean brand purpose has no value. A clear mission can inspire teams, attract talent, and generate PR buzz. However, the science is clear: purpose is not a proven driver of market share growth. The brands that consistently expand are those that maximize mental availability — being easy to think of in relevant buying situations — and physical availability — being easy to buy across channels, formats, and locations [1][2]. These fundamentals apply whether you’re selling B2C consumer goods or operating in the B2B sector.

In this article, we’ll unpack why the “purpose-driven growth” narrative persists, present the data that debunks it, and show you the evidence-based growth strategies that actually work — strategies you can start applying today to increase both your reach and your relevance in the marketplace.

Introduction: The Alluring Promise — and Misconception — of Brand Purpose
Evidence Snapshot: Purpose Isn’t in the Growth Equation
Why the Purpose-Growth Myth Persists\
What Actually Drives Brand Growth
The Evidence Against Purpose as a Growth Lever
Practical Steps for Growth (With or Without Purpose)
The Internal Role of Purpose
Conclusion: Purpose-Driven Messaging is Optional — Marketing Science Fundamentals Are Essential
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Works Cited

1. Evidence Snapshot: Purpose Isn’t in the Growth Equation

Decades of research from the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute show that brands grow and decline according to predictable, empirical patterns like the Double Jeopardy Law. This law shows that big brands have:

More buyers (higher penetration)

Slightly higher purchase frequency from those buyers

These patterns appear in every category studied — and they have nothing to do with whether a brand has a lofty purpose statement. The real driver is the brand’s ability to:

Be thought of easily in buying situations (mental availability)

Be easy to purchase in multiple ways and contexts (physical availability) [1]

Put simply: high purpose visibility does not override the fundamental competitive patterns that shape brand market share.

2. Why the Purpose-Growth Myth Persists

If the evidence doesn’t support it, why does the belief endure?

There are three main reasons:

1. Survivorship Bias

We hear the success stories — Patagonia, Dove’s “Real Beauty,” Ben & Jerry’s — but we don’t hear about the hundreds of small, purpose-led brands that failed to gain meaningful market share. The winners are the exceptions, not the rule.

2. Correlation Confused with Causation

Large brands can run high-profile cause campaigns because they are already large. Their scale means their purpose messaging gets noticed — not necessarily that the purpose drove their growth.

3. Anecdotal Case Studies

Many marketing “proof points” are just well-crafted stories. A single campaign’s success does not overturn decades of replicated market data.

3. What Actually Drives Brand Growth

Evidence across categories and geographies points to three levers:

Mental Availability

Your brand must be easy to recall in as many Category Entry Points (CEPs) as possible. CEPs are the cues that trigger brand consideration:

When: “When I need last-minute supplies”

Where: “When I’m shopping online late at night”

While: “While preparing for a business trip”

With/Instead of What: “Instead of my current vendor”

With/For Whom: “When buying for my team”

How Feeling: “When feeling rushed”

Why: “To avoid operational downtime” [1]

Brands with strong purpose messages often fail here, their purpose isn’t tied to buying situations, so it doesn’t get activated when a purchase decision is being made.

Physical Availability

This is your brand’s presence and accessibility:

Are you stocked where buyers shop?

Are you in the right formats and pack sizes?

Do you have coverage across offline and online channels? [1]

Broad-Reach Marketing

Most buyers are not in-market right now. The 95-5 Rule shows that at any given time, only about 5% of B2B buyers are ready to purchase, while 95% are out-of-market [2]. To grow, you must reach everyone over time, not just the narrow segment aligned to your purpose.

4. The Evidence Against Purpose as a Growth Lever

No Replication at Scale

No large-scale, replicated study shows a consistent link between brand purpose adoption and above-average sales growth.

Double Jeopardy Holds Regardless of Purpose

Brands grow or shrink according to their penetration and buyer base overlap with competitors. Purpose does not disrupt this law [1].

Buying is Memory-Based, Not Mission-Based

In real purchase scenarios, buyers tend to choose from the brands that come to mind in context. If your purpose isn’t tied to the buying situation, it won’t be activated [1].

5. Practical Steps for Growth (With or Without Purpose)

If you already have a brand purpose, keep it for cultural or PR value — but don’t mistake it for a market growth strategy.

Step 1: Map Your Category Entry Points

Identify the moments and triggers that lead buyers to choose a brand in your category [1].

Step 2: Link CEPs to Your Brand

In advertising, present your brand alongside these buying situations. Example: If you sell office supplies, show your brand in “last-minute restock” scenarios, not just in corporate philanthropy contexts.

Step 3: Maintain Broad Reach

Target the whole category — including light buyers and non-buyers — to refresh mental availability over time [2].

Step 4: Maximize Physical Availability

Expand distribution, product formats, and purchasing convenience across every relevant channel [1].

Step 5: Track What Matters

Measure:

Penetration (%)
Mental Market Share (%)
Physical Availability Index
Distinctive Asset Salience (%)

6. The Internal Role of Purpose

While purpose doesn’t directly drive market share growth, it can:

Improve employee morale and retention
Attract talent aligned with your values
Generate PR opportunities

These benefits are valuable, but they work inside-out, not as primary levers for buyer acquisition.

Conclusion: Purpose-Driven Messaging is Optional — Marketing Science Fundamentals Are Essential

The enduring popularity of the “purpose-driven brands grow faster” belief is understandable — it’s an emotionally appealing idea that aligns with our desire to see business as a force for good. However, when tested against decades of marketing science and real-world data, this theory doesn’t hold up. There is no reliable evidence that simply adopting a brand purpose no matter how noble or well-publicized directly drives brand growth or accelerates market share gains.

What actually drives growth are the fundamentals proven by the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute’s research:

Mental Availability — ensuring your brand is easy to think of in a wide range of buying situations by linking it to diverse Category Entry Points (CEPs) [1].
Physical Availability — making it easy for buyers to purchase your products or services across as many channels, formats, and locations as possible [1].
Consistent, Broad-Reach Marketing — reaching both in-market buyers and the much larger pool of out-of-market buyers over time, as explained in the 95-5 Rule [2].
Distinctive Assets — using recognizable non-name brand cues like logos, colors, and shapes to reinforce memory structures in low-attention buying moments.

While a brand purpose can support internal culture, enhance employee engagement, and create PR opportunities, it is not a substitute for a rigorous brand growth strategy based on penetration, reach, and availability. The hard truth is that most buyers make category choices quickly, habitually, and with low engagement — they choose from brands that are top of mind and easy to buy, not those with the most inspiring mission statement.

For brands serious about growth, the path is clear:

Invest in CEP mapping to understand the buying situations that drive category sales.
Refresh and expand mental availability through broad-reach advertising linked to those CEPs.
Maximize physical availability so your brand is present wherever and whenever customers are ready to buy.
Measure what matters — brand penetration, mental market share, and distinctive asset salience — instead of relying on purpose perception scores.

In the long run, purpose-driven brands that succeed in the marketplace do so not because of their mission, but because they have mastered the same availability-based strategies that all successful brands employ. If you want sustainable growth, make your brand easier to think of and easier to buy — and treat purpose as a cultural asset, not a growth engine.

By focusing on mental and physical availability, aligning with proven category entry points, and building penetration through broad-reach marketing, you’ll not only avoid the trap of relying on unproven theories but also put your brand on the most reliable, evidence-backed path to growth.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Does having a brand purpose help my brand grow?

Not necessarily. While a brand purpose can inspire employees, improve culture, and create positive PR, marketing science shows no consistent evidence that it directly causes sales growth. Growth comes from mental availability, physical availability, and brand penetration, not mission statements [1].

2. Why do people believe purpose-driven brands grow faster?

This belief is fueled by survivorship bias, confusing correlation with causation, and over-reliance on anecdotal case studies. High-profile brands like Patagonia or Dove are often cited as proof, but their success is more tied to broad reach, strong distribution, and distinctive assets than their purpose messaging [1][2].

3. What actually drives brand growth according to marketing science?

Research from the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute shows that growth is driven by:

Mental Availability — Being easy to think of in many buying situations.

Physical Availability — Being easy to buy across channels and formats.

Broad-Reach Advertising — Consistently reaching both in-market and out-of-market buyers.

Distinctive Brand Assets — Logos, colors, and shapes that help buyers recognize your brand quickly [1][2].

4. Should I remove my brand purpose if it doesn’t cause growth?

No. If your brand purpose supports your culture, attracts talent, or aligns with your long-term vision, keep it. Just don’t rely on it as your primary brand growth strategy. Combine it with availability-building tactics to drive actual market share gains [1].

5. How can I make my brand grow without focusing on purpose?

Focus on Category Entry Points (CEPs) — the situations and triggers that lead buyers to consider your category. Link your brand to as many CEPs as possible through advertising and maximize physical distribution so buyers can easily purchase from you [1].

6. Is brand purpose more important in B2B or B2C markets?

In both B2B and B2C, the fundamentals of growth remain the same. Purpose can help with reputation and relationships, but mental availability, physical availability, and penetration drive sales growth in both sectors [1][2].

Works cited

[1] Romaniuk, J. (2022). Category Entry Points in a Business-to-Business (B2B) World. Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science.

[2] Dawes, J. (2021). Advertising Effectiveness and the 95-5 Rule: Most B2B Buyers Are Not in the Market Right Now. Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science.