Purpose-Driven Branding

This month The Branding Roundtable takes on the topic of purpose-driven branding, that sometimes derided, variously defined, aggressively researched and rebutted, and still active buzzword in the branding business. While some early corporate proponents - notably P&G, which led the early charge in this direction may have backed off their emphasis on purpose, leading branding firms, ad agencies and PR groups are now active champions of the philosophy, and major brands are still placing big bets on it.

But just what is this philosophy (one that, like brand evangelism before it, borrows its language from trends in popular religion)? And where is it headed?