2017 highly commended: TSB, purpose driven - case study

‘Purpose’ is an idea whose time has come. It should come as no surprise; the economic crisis of 2008 taught us that society pays a heavy price for the pursuit of profit maximisation at any cost.

Consequently, people are demanding that businesses have a positive impact on society. The concept of ‘purpose’ has evolved far beyond its CSR beginnings, which saw companies attempting to mitigate activities back in the supply chain, or link up with big charities to manage reputation. ‘Doing good’ simply meant offsetting the ‘bad’ that was an inevitable consequence of doing business. Purpose today needs to mean something different.

Businesses should profit and grow as a result of being a force for good. And a brand purpose should be the driving force behind that, guiding everything a business does, across the whole customer experience, ensuring it’s working for consumers and society as well as business owners and shareholders.

Purpose and profit needn’t work in opposition.

TSB is one of these brands, and this is the story of how our purpose has driven our success.