Businesses love talking about purpose, but how many put it into action? Too often, brands create purpose-driven messaging that sounds good but lacks substance. In this episode of The Lead Creative Podcast, Charlie Stewart, CEO of Rogerwilco and co-author of Business-To-Business Marketing, breaks down how purpose, creativity and commercial success must work together to drive real impact.
Putting Purpose into Practice
Rogerwilco recently became Africa’s largest B Corp-certified agency, a move that sets them apart from others claiming to be purpose-driven. As Charlie explains:
“B Corp gave us the opportunity to do a hard reset, to think about our impact on staff, our communities, and the clients we serve. It’s how we evidence that we walk the talk.”
Instead of just crafting marketing messages about sustainability or social good, B Corp certification ensures that Rogerwilco actively works with businesses that share their values. This aligns with a broader trend shared by Kantar, which found that brands with strong purpose grow two times faster than those without clear values.
B2B Marketing: Creativity Moves the Needle
B2B marketing used to be all about rational decision-making, but in recent years, brands have embraced emotional storytelling and creativity to drive business results. Charlie, who co-authored a leading book on B2B marketing, was ahead of the curve in predicting this shift. He highlights that:
“Even in B2B, decision-makers are human. Why shouldn’t our campaigns tap into emotion and humanity?”
This approach is now backed by data from the LinkedIn B2B Institute, which found that emotionally driven B2B campaigns outperform rational ones by 7x. This proves that tapping into human connection is just as crucial in B2B marketing as it is in consumer advertising.
Creative Effectiveness and the Balance Between Brand and Sales
Marketing has become more focused on short-term sales tactics, often at the expense of brand-building. Charlie warns against this:
“If you don’t invest in brand today, you’ll be doing the hard work later. Brand-building is what creates long-term sustainability.”
Les Binet and Peter Field’s ‘The Long and the Short of It’ backs this, findings that businesses that balance brand-building with performance marketing achieve significantly higher ROI.
Why Reviews and Customer Experience Matter
Rogerwilco’s Digital Customer Experience Report has consistently shown that customer reviews are the most significant driver of purchasing decisions. Charlie also urges brands to engage with customers authentically, making word-of-mouth a priority.
The Future of Marketing: AI and Human Creativity
AI is transforming marketing, but Charlie is clear:
“AI refines targeting and optimises campaigns, but the strategic decisions that drive meaningful impact still rely on human expertise.”
The key takeaway? Creativity, strategy and execution must go together.
Listen to the full conversation for insights on purpose, B2B creativity, and marketing effectiveness wherever you get your podcasts.
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Our podcast audio editing and audio production are done by: Maishe Rakgoale.