As The Drum Awards Festival puts social purpose center stage, we speak with juror Kevin Dunckley about spotting purpose-washing, building impact into strategy, and why the most powerful campaigns start with culture, not spin.
The Drum Awards Festival is back, bringing together the industry’s top creative and strategic thinkers to spotlight the boldest, most effective work across marketing disciplines. With over 1,700 entries last year spanning 49 countries, this year’s jury represents a global cross-section of expertise, purpose and perspective. As part of our Judge of the Day series, we’re profiling the people helping to define what great looks like.
Today we hear from Kevin Dunckley, chief sustainability officer at HH Global and a judge in this year’s Social Purpose category. A longtime advocate for embedding ethics into business at scale, Kevin brings a refreshingly candid take on how purpose work actually works.
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“Purpose-driven marketing is built on trust, ethics and humanity,” he says. “That’s what makes it so interesting when you bring AI into the mix. There’s a tension there. AI might raise red flags for some people, whether it’s around data, energy use or job displacement, so you can’t ignore those associations. Brands need to stress-test their messaging. Keep humans involved in the creative process to preserve nuance and emotion. In this space, authenticity isn’t optional. If AI is used, it has to be a tool, not the voice.”
He’s seen plenty of brands try and fail at purpose work, often for the same reason. “Purpose-washing happens when there’s no substance behind the message. You can feel it. It doesn’t pass the sniff test. The smart audiences can tell when it’s just a campaign bolted onto business-as-usual. If you want to be taken seriously, build it into your business strategy and get third-party verification. Work with an NGO. Show proof points. Real purpose work has roots. You should be able to trace messaging back to strategy across your entire estate.”
In a skeptical media environment, he believes the only way forward is consistency. “If purpose is core to your business, show it and show it over time. Use recognisable themes. Share progress. Stick to metrics that reflect ambition and action. People will see through the rest.”
When asked what kind of social impact campaign he’d run in 2025, Kevin lights up. “I’d target the loneliness epidemic, especially among older people. I’d love to use AI in a creative, fun way to bring people together in community spaces. Imagine an interactive quiz, a sort of team-based pub quiz without the beer, using music, sport or fashion as themes. Small teams, a bit of friendly competition, maybe hosted at a gym or library. Add some light physical activity, and reward them with local vouchers. You could partner with brands like Costa or Greggs. Even better, run it with a gym chain like David Lloyd or Nuffield. It would activate body and brain together and create something genuinely joyful.”
Kevin’s also quick to call out what people often get wrong about purpose work. “It’s not just a nice add-on. It’s not a campaign with a feel-good tagline. Purpose should be baked into the mission of the company. It’s a business driver. The companies that do it well? They perform better. They attract better talent. And they survive longer.”
For purpose to become real and measurable, culture has to lead. “It needs to start at board level and then filter through every part of the organisation. You’ve got to communicate it well, internally and externally, and back it up with real impact data. Surveys, net promoter scores, third-party verification. That’s how you make it stick.”
The biggest challenge he sees? Convincing leadership that purpose and profit don’t conflict. “It’s the myth that you can’t be a profitable business and be purpose-led. Actually, purpose-led companies outperform the rest. People want to work somewhere meaningful. That’s the shift boards need to understand.”
Be part of what’s next at The Drum Awards
The Drum Awards Festival celebrates the smartest strategies, strongest ideas and most impactful work in the global marketing industry. Submit your work for a chance to be reviewed by leaders like Kevin Dunckley and join the companies shaping what purpose-driven marketing looks like next. Submissions close September 4, 2025.
