Pitching Purpose to Business Press

Pitching Purpose to Business Press

In 2025, “purpose” is everywhere. But when it comes to the business press, not all purpose-driven stories make the cut. Editors aren’t looking for feel-good fluff—they want impact, strategy, and evidence that your mission is more than marketing. If you’re trying to get your purpose-led brand into Fast Company, Forbes, or Bloomberg, your pitch needs to translate heart into headlines.

Here’s how to get the business media to care about your cause-driven work.

Step 1: Tie Purpose to Performance

Mission alone won’t sell the story. Show how your purpose is driving:

• Revenue growth
• Product innovation
• Team retention or recruiting
• Consumer loyalty or market differentiation

Frame it as strategy, not sentiment.

Step 2: Show Operational Commitment

The press wants to know: is this real or just a campaign?

• Do you have full-time impact staff?
• Is purpose built into your P&L, not just CSR reports?
• Is your leadership accountable to it (e.g., compensation tied to ESG)?

Proof over platitudes, always.

Step 3: Share Numbers That Matter

Don’t just say you’re “making a difference.” Show:

• How many communities impacted
• Carbon emissions reduced
• Scholarships funded
• Retention increases from inclusive practices

Purpose that doesn’t scale isn’t newsworthy.

Step 4: Position the Founder or CEO as a Purpose Architect

• Why did they bake mission into the model?
• What trade-offs have they made?
• How do they speak to skeptics—and investors?

The best stories often start with “why they built it this way.”

Pitch Angles That Work

• “Why this founder tied their entire business to a climate goal—and what happened next”
• “This B Corp is stealing market share from legacy brands by being radically transparent”
• “How purpose became this startup’s most powerful recruiting tool”

Outlets to Prioritize

• Fast Company, Inc., Forbes: Innovation + impact
• Bloomberg, WSJ, TechCrunch: Only if numbers + investor lens are strong
• Business Insider, Quartz: Founder POVs and culture-meets-performance angles

Final Thought

Mission can open doors. But only when it’s backed by data, discipline, and a CEO who can talk EBITDA and empathy in the same breath.

If your purpose is real, measurable, and woven into your business DNA—the press will see it. And more importantly, so will your customers, employees, and future investors.