For decades, marketing was guided by the framework of the 4 Ps: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. Introduced by E. Jerome McCarthy and later cemented into marketing orthodoxy by Philip Kotler, the 4 Ps provided a practical roadmap for engaging consumers and building competitive advantage. This framework fueled the growth of industries and economies, helping companies build market share and profitability.

The world has changed. We are living in a time of permacrisis—a term that captures the ongoing, interconnected challenges facing humanity: ecological breakdown, social fragmentation, economic injustice, political polarization, and technological disruption. These crises are not temporary disruptions. They are structural failures rooted in outdated models of business, governance, and growth. In this context, the old 4 Ps are no longer enough.

A new “P” has emerged, and it changes everything. Purpose.

From Transaction to Transformation

Traditional marketing has often been transactional: find the customer, identify a need or create one, offer a product or service, and close the deal. Success was measured by growth metrics—sales volume, market penetration, share of wallet.

Making money is not enough.

Purpose shifts the lens. Instead of asking, “How can we sell more?” marketers are being called to ask: “Why do we exist?” “What impact do we have?” “How can we create value that uplifts rather than exploits?”

In this sense, purpose is not a marketing tactic. It is a moral and strategic foundation. It answers the deepest question a business can ask itself: what is our role in the world? When purpose is genuine, it shapes every decision—from how a product is designed to how employees are treated, how profits are shared, and how communities are engaged.

The Rise of the Conscious Stakeholder

Today’s consumers, employees, investors, and citizens are more informed and more demanding than ever. They are looking beyond brand image and pricing—they want to know what a company stands for. Are its products sustainable? Does it pay fair wages? Is it committed to equity and inclusion? Does it lobby for the common good or merely for its own gain?

This rise of the conscious stakeholder has changed the marketing landscape forever. Brands that fail to define and live their purpose are being called out, boycotted, or simply ignored. On the flip side, brands with a clear, credible purpose are being rewarded with trust, loyalty, and advocacy.

Consider activist brands like Patagonia, Ben & Jerry’s, or The Body Shop—each with a long-standing commitment to social or environmental causes. These are not purpose-washing brands. They have woven purpose into the fabric of their business model. In doing so, they’ve built resilient customer communities and long-term profitability. And now, brand activism works hand in hand with regenerative marketing.

Purpose is the Operating System

Purpose is not an add-on. It is the core of your business’ operating system.

When embedded properly, purpose shapes the other 4 Ps:

• Product becomes a solution to real human and planetary problems, not just a commodity. Think of solar panels, ethical fashion, or plant-based food—products that exist to serve a regenerative future.
• Price reflects the true cost of production, including fair wages, environmental stewardship, and supply chain ethics. It’s not a race to the bottom, but a commitment to fairness and long-term sustainability.
• Place is no longer just about distribution—it’s about access, inclusion, and responsible localization. How do we reach underserved markets? How do we reduce carbon footprints through circular logistics?
• Promotion becomes education, storytelling, and activism. It’s not about manipulation—it’s about mobilization. Brands don’t just promote products; they promote movements and shared values.

In this light, purpose does not replace the 4 Ps—it redefines them. It provides coherence, integrity, and long-term vision.

The Perils of Faking Purpose

With the growing pressure to “do good,” many brands have jumped on the purpose bandwagon—but without substance. This leads to purpose-washing: the use of lofty mission statements and sustainability claims that are disconnected from real action.

This is not just unethical—it’s risky. In the age of radical transparency and social media, empty claims are quickly exposed. The gap between what a brand says and what it does can become a credibility chasm.

The risk of faking purpose? Brandshaming.

See Tesla.

Authentic purpose must be backed by measurable commitments, systemic change, and accountability mechanisms. It must be reflected in governance, hiring practices, supply chains, product design, and how success is defined.

Purpose and Profit: A False Tradeoff?

One of the most persistent myths is that purpose undermines profit. The data suggests otherwise. Purpose-led companies tend to outperform their peers over the long term. They have more loyal customers, more engaged employees, stronger reputations, and greater resilience in times of crisis.

In fact, purpose can be a flywheel for innovation and differentiation. It pushes companies to think beyond short-term gains and align with deeper human and planetary needs.

Purpose doesn’t mean abandoning profit. It means redefining profit—from extraction to contribution, from shareholder primacy to stakeholder value, from quarterly returns to long-term flourishing.

The challenge is not whether companies should pursue purpose. The challenge is how to do it meaningfully, systematically, and authentically.

Post-Capitalism

The emergence of the 5th P—Purpose—is part of a broader shift in business philosophy. We are moving from Capitalism, based on growth at all costs, to Post–Capitalism, based on regeneration, inclusion, and community wealth-building.

Marketing, as the voice of business, has a critical role to play in this transformation. Marketers are no longer just brand builders. They are culture makers, storytellers, and systems thinkers. They must navigate the tension between commercial success and social responsibility—and find new ways to align them. Marketing must become regenerative.

This is not easy work. It requires courage, humility, and collaboration across disciplines. But it is also profoundly meaningful.

Purpose as the Soul of Marketing

As we face unprecedented global challenges—from climate collapse to democratic erosion—the role of business must evolve. Marketing, too, must evolve.

The 5th P—Purpose—is not a buzzword. It is a call to conscience. It asks marketers to reimagine their role—not as persuaders of consumption, but as architects of meaning. Not as servants of quarterly targets, but as stewards of the Common Good.

In a time of deep uncertainty, purpose is the anchor. It is the soul of the brand. And it is the path forward—not just for marketing, but for business, community, and the planet.

It’s time. The future of marketing is the quest of good.

Christian Sarkar is the editor of this site, and is a co-founder of the Regenerative Marketing Institute. Philip Kotler is the father of modern marketing. Together, they’ve authored Wicked Problems: What can we do in this Time of Collapse,  Regeneration: The Future of Community in a Permacrisis World, and Brand Activism: From Purpose to Action.