Communicating Purpose Authentically: The Real Test For Meaningful Business

Posted on Wednesday 16 July 2025

We spoke to University of York PhD researcher Declan Jackson, whose work focuses on authenticity in purpose-led enterprises.  His insight is clear.  Communicating purpose is only the beginning.  The real challenge lies in proving it - and the consequences for getting it wrong are significant.

“It’s actually quite easy to communicate purpose,” he said. “You just say what your purpose is.  But communicating it authentically?  That’s an entirely different thing.”

Why Stating Your Purpose Isn’t Enough

“Many organisations make the mistake of thinking that stating a purpose is the same as living it.  You can have the most morally sound purpose statement in the world,” he explains, “but if you’re not following through with actions, it’s not going to land.  And it certainly won’t be perceived as authentic.”

This gap between what a business says and what it does isn’t just a reputational risk.  It undermines the very benefits that a meaningful purpose can bring, benefits like employee retention, wellbeing, productivity and brand trust.

The Power of Demonstration

One of the most compelling examples he shared is Remedy, a small but pioneering coffee shop in York. 

“They’ve said they want to lead the way in sustainable hospitality in York for environmental impact - and they are really following through,” he said.  “They import their coffee by sailboat from South America, literally to reduce their carbon emissions.  And they tell that story with little passport-style cards that include the boat’s name and docking details.  It’s creative, but much more than that, it’s providing their customers with the evidence.

“Remedy also sources produce locally, with vegetables delivered to the café by a man on a tricycle, straight from a neighbourhood garden.  These hyperlocal ingredients are used in their food and drink offerings, with the team often documenting this on social media, photographing that morning’s carrots, for instance, with a caption explaining their origin and importance.

“That’s how you communicate purpose authentically,” he said. “You show people where the stuff comes from, who’s growing it and why it matters.  It’s a full circle of transparency.”

The Three Key Components of Communicating Authentic Purpose

When asked how a business should approach this kind of communication, Declan introduced a simple but powerful framework: What, So What and How.

1. What – What is the business’s purpose?
2. So What – Why is that purpose meaningful to the business?  What motivates them to act on it?
3. How – What specific steps do they take to put that purpose into practice?

“It’s not enough to say ‘We want to be the most sustainable coffee shop in York,’” he said.  “You have to explain why that matters to you.  Is it about community values? Climate action?  Local resilience?  And then you have to show the actions you’re taking. That’s the part most often missed.”

The “how” creates an evidence base, a visible thread between the intention and the activity.  Without it, any public purpose statement risks falling flat.

The Danger of the Perceived Gap

“Perceived purpose is crucial,” he said.  “This is the extent to which people believe a company’s stated purpose aligns with its real-world behaviour.  It’s not about whether a business thinks it’s authentic.  It’s about whether stakeholders - employees, customers and the wider community - feel it’s authentic.”

This perception has very real consequences. Research shows that purposeful businesses enjoy significantly better outcomes: greater staff retention, improved morale, higher productivity and stronger customer loyalty. But those benefits are dependent on authenticity being recognised.

“If there’s a perceived gap between what you say and what you do, all of those benefits can disappear,” he said.  “It creates dissonance.  People feel let down or even misled.”

For example, a company might declare a people-first purpose whilst cultivating a toxic internal culture.  Or it might promote sustainability while engaging in environmentally questionable practices behind the scenes.  Either way, the impact is the same – a loss of trust, internally and externally.

Three Key Principles to Include in a Purpose Statement

“It’s easy to criticise purpose-washing, and yes, that happens,” he said.  “But what’s more helpful is showcasing the businesses who are doing it well.  That’s what inspires change."

According to AlSalim and Etter (2023), it's essential to consider misinterpretations and respond by taking a clear and consistent stance, avoiding bad fits, profit-driven motivations, bandwagons and fringe practices, which can lead to purpose-washing and gaps in perceived purposefulness. 

To avoid that, Michaelson et al. (2020) suggest three key principles to include in a purpose statement:

1. State a clear reason for being - this is all about creating a clear, consistent and genuine why
2. Identify your main beneficiaries - this involves defining your business's purpose in terms of who it benefits, beyond shareholders
3. Ensure balance - this concerns creating a statement that avoids being so specific that it excludes, or so broad that it says nothing.

Authentic Purpose Isn’t Optional

For today’s meaningful businesses, genuine purpose isn’t a nice extra, it’s essential - and while articulating that purpose is a good starting point, it’s what happens next that really counts.

“You’ve said what your purpose is.  You’ve said why it matters.  So now, what are you doing about it?  “It’s a question more businesses should ask themselves - and one their customers already are.”

References
AlSalim, F. and Etter, M. (2023) Purpose-washing What it is, and how to avoid it. Available at: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/business/assets/research/literature-review-purpose-washing.pdf. (Accessed: 16/07/2025).

Michaelson, C. Lepisto, D and Pratt, M. (2020) Why corporate purpose statements often miss their mark. Available at: https://www.strategy-business.com/article/Why-corporate-purpose-statements-often-miss-their-mark. (Accessed: 16/07/2025).