US social impact consultancy Purpose joins Capgemini

Management and technology consultancy Capgemini has acquired Purpose, a New York-based social impact firm, for an undisclosed amount.

The transaction will combine Purpose’s 100 global campaigners, creatives’ strategists, and technologists with Capgemini’s digital innovation, consulting, and transformation brand – Capgemini Invent.

Purpose was founded in 2009 and creates purpose-driven campaigns, branding, creative content, and social impact strategies for a range of clients. The company has worked on a range of issues, ranging from climate change to refugees. Purpose has relationships with a wide roster of corporations, non-profits, and charities.

The firm has offices in New York, London, Sao Paulo, New Delhi, Nairobi, and Sydney.

“Heightened demands from stakeholders have driven a major shift towards building business with purpose. For many large companies, this has evolved beyond corporate social responsibility to business transformation and the need for a redefinition of business models, practices and culture,” said Cyril Garcia, CEO of Capgemini Invent. “Purpose joining Capgemini will bolster the capabilities of our teams that are working closely with senior executives and boards, to envision and build what’s next for their organization.”

Purpose’s approach is based on four areas. Its Labs develop new public engagement innovations on important issues; the agency team builds campaigns and develops creative content; the technology branch underpins its services with measurement and training tools; and a variety of methodologies foster participation and move people to action.

“In a time where the threats to democracy are multiplying and the forces of nativism, intolerance and denialism are deploying increasingly sophisticated digital tactics, we must step up the scale and depth of our work,” Jeremy Heimans, cofounder and CEO of Purpose wrote on the firm’s website. “That is why, last year, we began searching for a partner who could accelerate our trajectory by supporting and investing in our growth, geographic reach and capabilities, while also valuing and respecting our independence and unique voice.”

Heimans added, “In Capgemini and its digital innovation, consulting and transformation brand Capgemini Invent, we have found that partner. We will expand our digital capabilities and gain vast new data and analytics capabilities to help us run our campaigns more effectively, reach new audiences, and better measure our impact.”

Based in Paris, Capgemini has 200,000 staff across more than 40 countries, and annual revenues of €13.2 billion.

Purpose will continue to be a public-benefit corporation, which allows for public benefit to be a charter purpose in addition to the traditional corporate goals. Senior management will continue in their positions, and Purpose will maintain editorial independence – retaining full discretion over what campaigns they create and which clients they work with.