There’s plenty of talk in business about brand purpose these days So because we’re a helpful bunch we thought we’d give you a distilled view of its definition.
Your consumers and your clients are sharper, more connected, and less forgiving than they ever used to be so consequently they will demand to know why you exist outside of helping them to part with their hard-earned cash! Your clients will now question how your products are made, how you treat your suppliers and even how you impact on the environment around you.
Really? OK, we’ll just make sure that we tell people that we use biodegradable printer inks and that will be the brand purpose box ticked, right? Wrong. Brand purpose isn’t just something you write about in your marketing materials, it’s something you have to begin to tangibly demonstrate; it should be part of the everyday way you do business.
So here are a few tips to help you identify your purpose:
- Could it be your determination to better the industry in which you operate – an industry practice that’s brushed under the carpet, that’s a wrong that you might be able to correct? (Volkswagen take note!)
- Could it be your desire to make a real change to the world about you? (see Subaru below).
- Or finally, could it be your genuine desire to better the lives of your customers with real moments of happiness and other positive emotions and experiences (not just financial gain)
Unilever is apparently number one on the Brand Purpose list, they’re the godfather of communicating their purpose with their well-used phrase ‘making sustainable living commonplace. Quite rightly they use it everywhere from product labeling and sponsorships to the backdrops of financial announcements. But is it true? Don’t worry those exact consumers we talked about earlier will have already picked that statement apart to ensure its integrity! We still buy the company’s products so consumers must buy into it across the globe.
Likewise, who knew that the Japanese car manufacturer Subaru would find a raft of brand fans in North America, but they did. Subaru’s commitment to building the safest cars for families with the lowest possible impact on the environment translates into an almost fluffy engagement word ‘love’ as it became central to all their marketing, dovetailing perfectly with their own specific Brand Purpose.
Love and Family became brand themes but having done so they then embraced it rather than run from it and the reward has been genuine stand out in the hugely competitive US car market.
Does it sound like Brand Purpose is only for the monster brands? Think closer to home. Foot Anstey Solicitors are long established and a well respected firm for their work, yet in our eyes, they still have a clear Brand Purpose. Through their work with colleges in the region, they help run bespoke apprenticeship schemes. It could be said Foot Anstey’s Brand Purpose is: “to inspire and implement opportunities for young people to be part of the legal industry”
So, in theory, you now know what Brand Purpose is all about. However, if you’d like some help discovering yours we’d be delighted to talk you through it via the strategic brand workshops that we run.