What is Brand Purpose?
A brand purpose is essentially a brand’s reason for being beyond making money. It’s important to not confuse this with a ‘brand promise’. A brand promise may give the buyer an idea of what to expect from the product or service, but the brand purpose goes way beyond that. A brand purpose connects with consumers on a more emotional level. Likewise, brand purpose isn’t the same as social purpose, though there are similarities. To clarify this, a brand purpose is about product-led initiatives which strive to simultaneously achieve business and benefit society.
Why is it important to have a brand purpose?
- Your brand purpose adds value not just to the lives of customers but to society as a whole.
- Having a brand purpose can help build a more emotional relationship between a brand and its consumer, which in turn, helps to boost sales as well as loyalty.
- A unique brand purpose can differentiate your brand from competitors.
Start With Why
The best definition We have heard is ‘a higher order reason for a brand to exist than just making a profit’. A good place to start is Simon Sinek’s work around the ‘why’ of a brand.
Knowing the deeper ‘why’ your company or brand exists provides the foundation on which to build everything else — your ‘how’ (organizational culture, brand experience) and your ‘what’ (what products or services you offer).
“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it. The goal is not to do business with everybody who needs what you have. The goal is to do business with people who believe what you believe.” — Simon Sinek, How Great Leaders Inspire Action
Examples : Brand Purpose
Nike // Breaking Barriers
The sportswear giant won an Emmy in 2019 for its ‘Dream Crazy’ ad starring Colin Kaepernick. The ad was a clear expression of brand purpose, championing equality of opportunity by showing people overcoming disadvantages to achieve their goals – whilst making sure it aligned with the brand’s positioning. The casting of Colin Kaepernick also delivered a message about Nike’s stance on Black Lives Matter and police brutality in the US – ex-NFL player Kaepernick is known for kneeling during the national anthem as a form of protest.
As well as winning an Emmy for the ad, Nike saw its company value increase by $6 billion, a rise attributed to the campaign.
P&G
Household and hygiene giant Proctor & Gamble went a step beyond public statements in its support of equality and anti-racism. In June 2020, the brand conducted a full review of its advertising platforms to make sure none were acting in a way that was “hateful, denigrating or discriminatory” to any group or community. The brand pledged to work with advertising partners to ensure its standards were met, and promised to take steps up to, and including, the halting of ad spend if advertisers did not comply.
This move places brand purpose ahead of profit and even risks disrupting the infrastructure of doing business. It forces not just consumers, but agencies, media brands and ad networks to re-appraise their approach to equality. It’s an audacious step.
Unilever
Super-corporation Unilever has publicly put its faith in brand purpose, with CEO Alan Jope stating: “Two-thirds of consumers around the world say they choose brands because of their stand on social issues, and over 90% of millennials say they would switch brands for one which champions a cause.”
Jope wants every Unilever brand to have a purpose, and was even quoted by Forbes as saying “brands that don’t stand for something will be disposed of”
Within Unilever’s stable of ultra-profitable, fast-growing purpose-driven brands, a diverse range of values and causes is represented. Ben & Jerry’s ice cream is aligned with climate change and anti-racism, Dove champions women’s self-esteem and body positivity, while anti-bacterial soap brand Lifebuoy seeks to improve health and hygiene in developing countries.
Unilever itself has not chosen a particular cause, but is committed to giving every brand the time and space to find its purpose and express it. In this sense, it seems that Unilever’s brand purpose is… brand purpose.
Crayola // Encouraging children to be creative, and enabling parents to inspire them
Crayola created a series of successful programs which teased out the innate creativity of every child. The brand helps parents and teachers uplift their child’s creativity, positioning them as partners in the learning process, instead of simply being customers buying pencils for kids.
Expensify
to enable professionals to focus on what they were born to do. Their brand story, which can be found on their site, is a great one. Expensify’s founder, David Barrett, started the company because he hated doing expense reports. He saw an opportunity to give people their time back so they could focus on higher order pursuits. Had he tried to sell his product as software that scans receipts and sends them to accounting, it would have fallen flat. But he positioned his product as a solution that enables employees to do what they love by eliminating the manual tasks they don’t. This WHY it resonated with companies big and small, and helped propel Expensify to be the expense solution for more than 60,000 companies worldwide.
Walgreens // Focused on impacting the communities
Walgreen’s is one of the nation’s largest pharmacies. They have had great success in their field. Walgreen’s has also been very much focused on impacting the communities they serve.
The great thing about Walgreen’s is like Starbucks, they support their communities through several different ways. Their corporate responsibility program has several different components.
These include:
- Supplier diversity.
- Environmental responsibility.
- Community services and outreach.
Walgreen’s has a very effective corporate responsibility program that serves to enhance is brand purpose.
Airbnb // Deepening authenticity
When a company’s purpose ties directly to what it does, brands feel more authentic. This becomes even more important during times of change. Airbnb exists to “create a world where you can belong anywhere.” With sweeping travel restrictions and lockdowns, the company had to pivot quickly to find new ways to express hospitality. Open Homes for COVID-19 frontline workers gave hosts an immediate way to help. And it began creating online experiences that allow guests to learn new activities and meet people from around the world. By enabling people to connect, even while stuck at home, Airbnb is finding new ways to stay relevant.
Glossier // Listening builds a shared community
Shared purposes are not just relevant to one audience, they are felt deeply by each–employees, customers and communities. That calls for genuine listening to make sure that actions, products and services align with the values and beliefs of those stakeholders. Glossier’s purpose is “to give voice through beauty” by “leveraging the power of the personal narrative.” Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, Glossier’s most frequent request was for a product to help with increased irritated skin from repeated handwashing. Inspired by stories and comments, Glossier quickly developed a hand cream, donating thousands of units to first responders.
The company is also recognizing that obsession with that external community has a downside, leading it to prioritize the needs of customers over that of its own workers, especially people of color. When shoppers engage in racist behavior, for example, the company’s “the customer is always right” stance gets toxic. Glossier isn’t running away from that dissonance but trying to learn. The lesson? Make sure your purpose is grounded in shared human values–including employees–and take responsibility when things go wrong.
Citi // Inspiring growth and progress
Citi’s purpose–to provide financial services that “enable growth and progress”–took on electrifying new meaning as the economic impact of the pandemic shook its employees, customers and neighborhoods. Citi went beyond what most banks did – loan forgiveness and mortgage relief– to not just delay devastation but truly deliver on that purpose. “Citi’s mission and purpose have long been rooted in enabling growth and progress. As the world continues to search for solutions to address the global pandemic, racism, and more, at Citi we know that our role is to identify issues to stand for and influence in order to enable relevant and meaningful progress for our clients, colleagues and communities,” said Mary Ann Villanueva, Director of Citi’s Brand Culture and Engagement.
Efforts included committing $100 million in support aimed directly at that promise of progress, launching Restarting Together to encourage startups supporting society through the crisis, helping customers secure PPP loans, and helping those most impacted by the pandemic including the World Central Kitchen and National Disability Institute and many more. Citi has also expanded beyond financial progress to support racial equality through recent campaigns and commitments to the Black Lives Matter movement, including investing in Community Development Financial Institutions, which play a vital role in low-income communities and communities of color.
Savers // Corporate responsibility
Savers is a large thrift store chain with stores in the U.S., Canada, and Australia. Corporate responsibility is actually a part of its business model. Founded by the late William O. Ellison, it has had an incredible impact on the world.
It purchases its products from non profit organizations who have received the items as donations. Then, it sells these items at affordable rates. Any items that are not sold are then recycled. In this way, Savers is able to give money to non profit organizations and help the environment by recycling products that are not sold.
But this isn’t the end of it. Savers also partners with various non profits to help create jobs, help at-risk children, assist people with disabilities, and much more.
Savers is a great example of a company who doesn’t just preach about social responsibility. They actually incorporate it into their business practices. Having a brand purpose means making a true impact on the world around you.
Dove // Improve the self esteem
to help women everywhere develop a positive relationship with the way they look, helping them realize their full potential. In 2004, Dove launched their Campaign for Real Beauty, and it was revolutionary. For the first time, the world saw women of all shapes, colors, and sizes being held up as real standards of beauty. Dove’s inclusive Brand Purpose elevates Dove to be more than just a brand of soap. It’s a brand of empowerment.
Brand Purpose Pitfalls
Authenticity is key
Consumer awareness and scrutiny has never been more acute. Brands who give the impression of “greenwashing” (attempting to cash in on sustainable messages without truly acting sustainably) or even “wokewashing” (doing the same with social justice) are in line for severe criticism and a huge loss of credibility and brand value.
Brand purpose should be a development and expression of the values already present in a company, rather than something that’s bolted on or suddenly adopted in response to a perceived need. If your brand’s purpose is unclear, don’t rush into choosing and announcing a stance or cause to align with. Use listening and feedback tools to discover the values at the heart of your company culture and develop them at a sustainable pace.
Controversy is a given
Expressing a purpose involves bravery and vulnerability, whether you do it as an individual or as a company. The values that form brand purpose tend to be deep and emotionally engaging, and as a result, they can stir strong opinions, both positive and negative.
When you publish brand purpose marketing and messaging, it’s likely that you’ll receive criticism as well as praise. You may even lose a few customers. Even the highly successful Nike Kaepernick campaign had people burning their Nike clothing, not to mention the disapproval of the US president. Being prepared to stand by your values and focus on your purpose is key.
While it may not be a quick fix or an easy win, taking the time to explore and expand your brand purpose is a worthwhile endeavour that more and more companies are undertaking. Over time, the business landscape may shift to a point where brands with purpose are the standard, and those without are left behind.
How To Develop Your Brand Purpose
To build your purpose, write down everything that your brand believes in and what it stands for – it could be about charity, or culture or innovation – write down every single thing that comes to mind. After it’s all scribbled across your whiteboard or covering your entire office in post-its, that’s when the fun bit starts. With each point, you’ll notice patterns form, and the more you break it down, the closer you’ll get to your brand purpose.
Look at Dove:
“We believe beauty should be a source of confidence, and not anxiety. That’s why we are here to help women everywhere develop a positive relationship with the way they look, helping them raise their self-esteem and realise their full potential.”
Dove identified that the beauty industry often sells products based on insecurity. For them, every single decision they make comes back to solving that problem. This way, they’re able to make a positive difference, give value and allow everyone involved – from their team to their customers – to feel part of something bigger.
What Makes You Different?
When it comes to what you do, there might be lots of other brands doing the same thing. They might even do those things in the same way. What really makes your brand different is your brand purpose. This is where a bit of research comes in. Whether it’s looking at your competitors, brands you aspire to be like or even brands that you’ve always identified with – research other brand purposes and find the gaps. Having a unique purpose will make you stand out and reach the right people.
The thing about having a real brand purpose is that it doesn’t have to please everyone (that doesn’t get you anywhere) but instead, it attracts those (both customers and a team) who have a genuine connection with your brand – because what makes you different is what makes them different too. That’s where brand loyalty comes in.
Once you have your brand purpose, defining everything from your vision to your values and your brand personality becomes a whole lot easier because you have a tangible aspect that can always be used as a benchmark. From there, these brand foundations affect the way that your brand communicates in everything that it says and does – whether that’s on a global scale or in the way that you decorate your studio.
Ready to define your brand purpose? Let's start by typing your brand purpose
Tips
💡
Be clear about who your brand is and why you do what you do
Author of best-selling novel ‘Start with Why’ Simon Sinek points out that people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it’. Your brand purpose should therefore be indissolubly linked to the brand’s reason for being; as well as being the purpose behind the product a company sells, it’s also part and parcel of everything the company does.
This purpose should also be there from the beginning. You can’t just stick a purpose angle on top of an already established product just to make it suit a specific set of criteria. Consumers will see right through that. It should be established from the offset, or at least be something that the brand has evolved to stand for overtime.
💡
Think long term
Following on from the previous point, your brand purpose can’t just be a one off marketing tactic, it has to be embedded within and without your brand image and practice. In other words, consumers need to see brands committing to their purpose, rather than just carrying out a one-off stunt.
💡
Put your customer first
A good brand purpose will always put consumers first. This means the customer will be at the forefront of every decision made and every step taken. While your purpose won’t resonate with all buyers, it should appeal to your key demographic; it’s your brand purpose that makes you relevant to your chosen audience.
💥 Take Action
Develop Your Brand Purpose
1. Aside from commercial intent, why do we do what we do?
2. Who or what are we making a commitment to?
3. What are we going to do?
4. How are we going to do it?
5. What resources will we use?
6. How often will we take action?
➡️
Next Step Step 2 ⇒ Brand Vision