Welcome to the PRmoment Podcast.

On the show today, I’m chatting with Lewis Iwu, founding partner at Purpose Union, about the intersection of Purpose, ESG and CSR.

Are the terms interchangeable? Has Purpose superseded CSR and how much confusion is there both amongst communicators and consumers about the crossover between these terms?

Purpose Union was co-founded by Lewis in 2019, has about 20 employees and previous clients include Natwest, Sky and The Wellcome Trust. The agency specialises in corporate counsel and communications strategy. All its work is purpose-related.

Before we start, we’ve got some huge news - The PRmoment Awards 2024 are now - OPEN!

There are some exciting changes this year; we’ve tweaked the categories and refined the entry form, and with no additional entry fee, we’ve launched a regional champions scheme so we can reach the work right across the UK. The final entry deadline is 26th January.

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Also, thanks so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA.

2.30 mins From a communications perspective, how does Lewis define the differences between purpose, ESG and CSR?

“ESG is investor relations communicating to markets about your credentials as a sustainable business, a business that cares about society.”

“There is a movement away from CSR... Companies have become more sophisticated.”

7 mins To what extent have brand purpose and ESG been negatively impacted by the anti-woke movement?

10 mins What is the role of comms in purpose policy within a business?

13 mins As a comms agency, is your role to help companies find their purpose or is the assumption that they already know that?

15 mins Purpose Union has developed a scorecard model that helps companies decide whether they should speak out on specific issues. Lewis talks us through how that model works.

17 mins How do companies balance the risk of not speaking out versus the risk of not speaking out?

21 mins Has an organisation's purpose become more important for its employees than its customers?

24 mins Does the structured nature of the B2B buying process make purpose more important for some B2B brands than those targeting end consumers?

26 mins Do most consumers really care about the purpose positioning of one company, compared to its competitors? Don’t consumers care more about the product, the price and the convenience of the distribution?

29 mins What are the three questions Lewis asks organisations before they respond to purpose-related issues?

34 mins The CEO is completely crucial to an organisation's purpose strategy, right? If they don’t get it, you're doomed, aren’t you?

35 mins The purpose and environmental event caravan grows every year. What are the roles of events like Davos and COP? Do they help drive progress, or have they become a distraction?

37 mins What is the role of the comms director in setting and driving an organisation's purpose strategy?