Reputation Institute and StrawberryFrog announce the launch of a breakthrough study measuring how consumers really think and feel about brand purpose. Brand purpose relates to a brand’s mission in society, the higher order reason to exist beyond making a profit.

This is the largest study ever measuring perceptions of brand purpose, based on more than 17,500 individual ratings among over 7,500 U.S. consumers, and encompassing more than 200 different brands. The research was conducted online in the Fall of 2019.

For some of the major findings of the study please scroll below or download the Executive Summary here.

While the winners found in most studies of top brands are pretty predictable (e.g., Apple, Google, Amazon, etc.) the PPI identifies a different breed of brand leaders with a higher mission at their core. These leaders include brands both large and small and represent both newer disruptor brands and established incumbents. This list is noteworthy for brands associated with important and sometimes controversial social issues and movements.

Some have speculated that interest in brand purpose is limited to those drawn to left-leaning ‘woke’ brands — but our research found that isn’t true. People on both the left and right sides of the political spectrum give brands credit for having higher purpose.

They just credit different brands. For example, Chick-Fil-A and Hobby Lobby – both associated with religious freedom - are among the top 3 brands among Republicans, while eco-friendly REI and TOMS are tops among Democrats. Interestingly, demographics (e.g., gender, generation, income), don’t play too big of a role in which brands consumers consider purpose-driven.