'Brands must align impact with intent'

At the e4m Do Good Awards held in New Delhi on May 13, marketing leaders came together to unpack the evolving relationship between purpose and profit in a panel discussion titled "The ROI of Purpose." Moderated by Shantanu David, Special Correspondent at exchange4media, the session featured insights from Gurleen Saraon (SVP – Retail Media Strategy and Solutions, Dentsu), Vipin Puri (GM – Marketing, Punjab Grill), and Rohit Goyal (Global Head, Marketing, STL).

The conversation kicked off with a question on how do marketers define and measure ROI when it comes to purpose-led initiatives? Gurleen Saraon emphasised that in today’s environment, silos no longer exist. “Whether it’s a CSR initiative or a purpose-driven campaign, outcome is everything,” she stated. “It’s not just about good intentions; every team must report back on engagement metrics and brand impact.”

Saraon pointed to successful examples like Dove’s body positivity campaigns, noting, “The campaigns that scale are the ones that can demonstrate both social and business impact. That’s how you justify year-on-year spends.”

Representing the F&B sector, Vipin Puri brought a grounded perspective. “I’m a bit old-school,” he admitted. “Having been in marketing for over 20 years, I’ve seen the shift. Today, ROI is increasingly being driven by digital rather than traditional offline channels.” Puri also emphasised that technology has fundamentally reshaped marketing. “The phone has become an extension of life itself. ROI and purpose are now deeply interwoven with tech-driven experiences.”

Bringing in a B2B angle, Rohit Goyal of STL discussed the industrial relevance of purpose. “For us, ROI of purpose is directly tied to actual impact on the ground — particularly in reducing carbon emissions and supporting our customers’ sustainability goals,” he explained. “It’s no longer optional. Green products are now a business necessity, especially in markets like the US and Europe.”

Goyal added that STL’s purpose — transforming billions of lives by connecting the world — is not just a slogan but core to the company's product offering. “Purpose must be authentic and aligned with what you do. It can’t just be a nice statement. If it’s not lived across your operations, people will see through it.”

The panel unanimously agreed that purpose without profitability is unsustainable — and profitability without purpose is irrelevant in today’s climate.

You can watch the full video on exchange4media's YouTube channel.