Purpose has been the biggest development for brands in the past decade, and has played out in a various ways – some of which have given the topic a bad reputation.

Beloved of award show judges, purpose has become strongly associated with marketing campaigns which express the role that brands can play in doing social good, sometimes in situations that seem quite distant from the product that is being quietly sold in the background.

But recent years have seen purpose adopted in more nuanced ways: from helping brands understand why they exist (and thus how they can evolve and be successful in increasingly complex markets) to seeing them play a role in creating a more sustainable world.

In the final episode of series two of our podcast Creativity Sucks!, host Eliza Williams has gathered three guests from the worlds of brands, advertising and design to discuss the nature of brand purpose now. These are: Anouk Jans, creative director of Spring Studios Milan; Pete Miller, co-founder and global creative director at Octopus Energy; and Clara Mulligan, head of design, Europe at Anomaly.

Their wide-ranging conversation takes in starting a brand with purpose at its core; what audiences expect from brands today; and how to manage business challenges yet stay true your purpose. Listen below, or wherever you get your podcasts. And if you enjoyed the show, please like and share, it really helps.