All businesses know what they’re hoping to sell, and almost all have an excellent idea of how they will sell it. But too few understand why they’re selling it. Too few know what the purpose behind their brand actually is.
Brand purpose is often overlooked, but understanding a brand's purpose can maximise a company’s chance of success.
A clear brand purpose gives everyone a message to get behind. It allows the team to work together on their goal, connecting with consumers more effectively than ever before. A compelling purpose can enable a company to reach new audiences, particularly those hard-to-reach younger demographics, for whom purpose holds great sway over buying decisions.
In this article, we’ll dive into brand purpose, explaining what it means to have a real purpose and unveiling the hidden benefits of a clearly defined brand purpose.
What is brand purpose?
The term brand purpose describes the reason for a company’s work. In short, it's the why behind what a company does and how it does it.
All companies will have been created with a purpose in mind, but for some, that message gets lost along the way. Considering brand purpose allows brands to get back to why they do what they do. It helps teams to define their mission clearly, inspiring colleagues and encouraging them to start spreading the word about their reason why.
If you’re unsure what the purpose behind your brand is, start by thinking about why your company was launched in the first place. Why does it exist? What goals and aspirations do your team have for the brand?
All brands have a worthy reason for existing, but these reasons vary considerably depending on what a brand does and which industry it works in. Remember, your brand doesn’t need to be geared towards solving huge problems like climate change to have worth. Any attempt to change things for the better is a worthy cause.
For inspiration, look to companies already using brand purpose marketing strategies. Eyewear brand Warby Parker is a prime example of this. Speaking to Forbes, Dave Gilboa, co-CEO and co-founder of the company, said, “when customers connect to our values, they want to talk about us. They develop loyalty to the brand. It would be penny wise and pound foolish to cut these efforts.”
Building brands with purpose: Why is brand purpose important?
Brand purpose is essential because it allows teams to connect and collaborate effectively, with the understanding that they all have a single, shared goal in mind. But that’s not the only reason to start prioritising brand purpose.
Finding the purpose behind your brand will provide numerous new opportunities, many of which will soon lead to impressive and immediately visible improvements for the company.
A clear brand purpose will attract the attention of consumers, particularly those in demographics most likely to purchase with ethical or moral considerations in mind. It’ll also be beneficial when it comes to attracting new talent. A company stands a far better chance of attracting like-minded team members if it's clear about what the purpose behind the company is.
Brand purpose is a way of setting a company apart from its competitors. In today’s competitive marketplaces, huge numbers of brands are hoping to sell similar products and services. Many companies use brand purpose to differentiate their company from similar brands in their field. It’s a brand strategy that’s proving highly effective for businesses in all sectors.
Why brand purpose is important in content marketing?
In the context of content marketing, brand purpose can play an important role in shaping the messaging and overall strategy of a content marketing campaign.
Having a clear brand purpose can help a brand to create content that is more meaningful and resonates more deeply with its audience. It can also help to differentiate the brand from its competitors, and to create a stronger emotional connection with its customers.
In addition, having a strong brand purpose can help to inspire and motivate a brand's employees, which can in turn lead to more effective content marketing. Employees who are passionate about the brand's purpose are likely to be more engaged and committed to creating high-quality content that aligns with the brand's values and goals.
Overall, brand purpose can play a key role in the success of a content marketing campaign by helping to create more compelling and effective content, and by strengthening the brand's connection with its audience.
How to find your brand purpose
Finding your brand purpose is often easier than it sounds. Follow our step-by-step guide below to start the conversation about brand purpose at your company. Before long, you’ll have a much better understanding of your brand’s purpose and know exactly what to do to get your team moving faster towards a shared goal.
Start at the beginning
If you look back to the very first days of your company to when your business first started, you’ll have a good starting point for any conversations about brand purpose.
Almost every company is launched with a specific purpose in mind. No matter how fast a company expands, this purpose will often still be a driving force behind it.
Think about why your company was created. Consider the initial motivation behind it and, if possible, speak to those who were there at the beginning to learn more about the brand’s original purpose.
Establish your brand values
If you already have a set of brand values that your company uses day to day, this will be a huge help in defining brand purpose. But if you don’t, now’s a great time to start working on these.
Brand values are the ideals that your company has. A set of values will show employees what the brand stands for and how it expects work to be delivered. Typical values include “we embrace diversity” and “we work as a team”.
Think about the values your company has and your current brand image, bearing these in mind as you consider the overall brand purpose.
Involve staff in the conversation
Conversations about brand purpose should never exist in a vacuum. The more involvement you can get from your staff in writing your purpose statement, the better.
Remember that colleagues will all have different experiences of working for a brand. Even members of the same team will often have fresh, new takes on the brand purpose questions you’ve been pondering.
Set up meetings with a representative group of employees and invite them to share their own opinions on what the purpose behind your brand might be. You’ll soon have plenty of food for thought. Not least, it will be motivating for employees to be involved.
Be realistic
Realism is important in determining a brand's purpose. While we’d all like to improve the world, goals that seem too unrealistic risk alienating employees and consumers.
Before you start shouting your brand purpose from the rooftops, think about what your industry needs, bearing in mind a range of social issues. Then decide what your brand could achieve over the coming years.
Once you have a purpose in mind, start thinking about how your brand can make a difference. Set long-term targets to help you reach that dream and give employees an idea of what they can do to make change happen.
Unlock the benefits of brand purpose
Brand purpose isn’t just another marketing buzzword, it’s a way of making a real difference in the world, giving brands the tools they need to improve the industries they work in.
A clear brand purpose strategy allows team members to connect and collaborate far more effectively because everyone knows the real purpose behind their work, and it’s great for consumers, too. Brand purpose lets buyers quickly see which companies align with their personal beliefs, helping them decide where they’d like to spend their money.
Define your brand purpose, and you will reach new target audiences and be able to nurture those all-important emotional connections far more effectively. Brands with a standout purpose invariably attract more attention from shoppers, resulting in considerable improvements in brand loyalty and a real uptick in profitability.
Purpose-driven brands are far better equipped to promote a wide range of products or services, using the strength of their brand positioning and clear, concise mission statements to pave the way for growth over time.
Define your purpose; it’s a surefire way to boost your brand.
