The second question in any philosophical line of questioning. Hot on the tail of “What’s the meaning of life?” is “Is brand purpose a waste of time?”
Debated, derided, defended…
In The Brand Book, Daryl Fielding discusses how brand purpose has been around for 20 years, but lately has been “debated, derided and defended.” There are two clear camps here. Brand purpose is a time-waster vs brand purpose is a non-negotiable for building long-term, successful brands.
Poul Weihrauch, CEO of Mars is in the second camp. He labels any attacks on brand purpose as “nonsense”.
But then he’s probably to blame for the discontinuation of MilkyWay Crispy Rolls, so what does he know?
What is a brand purpose?
Put loosely, a brand purpose is some sort of corporate responsibility that aligns with the brand strategy. Think aspirationally. Brand purpose isn’t about looking inwards to profits or even employees, but about looking out… How can you connect people with each other and the world?
If that sounds too airy-fairy, the authors of the paper “Conceptualising Brand Purpose and Considering Its Implications for Consumer Eudaimonic Well-Being” put it more technically.
They define brand purpose as:
“A brand’s purpose is a long-term, central aim that is a predominant component of its identity, meaning structure and strategy, which leads to productive engagement with some aspect of the world that transcends the brand’s profits.”
I prefer my definition :)
Brand purpose gone wrong
What’s got so many marketers choosing a side and sharpening their nails in preparation for aggressive LinkedIn post typing? Daryl Fielding, creator of brand strategies for Dove, Cadbury and Vodafone, says brands that have done purpose-led ideas badly are giving the principle itself a bad name.
Because sometimes the execution is messier than the long drops at Glastonbury Festival. Here’s where so many well-meaning businesses go wrong.
1. Confusing brand purpose with sustainability
First up, every brand is trying to be sustainable nowadays. Your reusable packaging and cycle-to-work scheme ain’t impressing anyone. Don’t get me started on your Earth Day Instagram posts.
Second, brand purpose and sustainability are not the same thing. Brand purpose is “about joint value creation between business and society” while sustainability is “more about managing downside risk…doing the right thing from a reputation perspective to keep key stakeholders onside” says Phil Preston, founder of The Business Purpose Project.
2. Pulling a brand purpose out of thin air
Hire a new marketing manager, let them pull a purpose out of their derriere with zero relevance to the brand’s identity or business strategy, and confuse your customers.
Sounds like a terrible plan but it’s everywhere.
The purpose should be at the centre of your strategy, not a side note. If you haven’t connected the dots, people will wonder why you’ve gone from selling nail fungal treatments to campaigning for the rights of one-legged pigeons.
(Actually, there might be a link in there somewhere…)
3. Ignoring what your customers want & need
Brands that show no consideration for what their customers want, need and believe in aren’t giving their purpose any fighting chance.
“Don’t start with your why, start with theirs,” says Simon White, CSO and President at FCB West.
4. All talk, no action
When a brand purpose is just a vague mission statement or a catchy slogan, you shouldn’t have bothered. This beast is no good when locked up as a dusty PDF file. I’m calling for action. Everyone at the company should be onboard, living the purpose every day so it leaks out to your audience.
“Talk less, do more. Brand purpose isn’t your ad campaigns.”
Howie Chan, Founder & Strategist at Healthy Brand Consulting
Brand purpose done right: 6 sparkly brand purpose examples
Welcome in the golden children of brand purpose. Successful purpose-driven brands see their customers as more than walking cash points. They cultivate deep, meaningful relationships with them instead, knowing that’s what customers expect and why people champion the brands they do.
1. Patagonia
“Together, we can prioritise purpose over profit and protect this wondrous planet, our only home.”
You couldn’t move in 2022 for praise of Patagonia being a shining brand purpose example. In case you were up Everest with no phone service all year, founder Yvon Chouinard gave away ownership of the £2.6 billion brand. Telling the world they were “going purpose”, he decided to give away all of his profits to help climate change. Earth officially became the brand’s only shareholder.
A small number of marketers snubbed the move, with cries of “Delivering his purpose came at too much of a cost - that’s not the point of brand purpose!” But maybe Chouinard just knows the world needs climate action more than it needs another billionaire. Just maybe.
2. Dove
“Honest Beauty”
Dove pioneered the notion of brand purpose before the industry started calling it “brand purpose”. Its “Honest Beauty” theme was found by connecting the brand’s right to win and differentiation with cultural context.
Regional beauty stereotypes, worries about growing old, digital manipulation of images, and the fact that beauty ads actually made many women feel ugly all went into shaping Dove’s strategy.
Through this, Dove celebrates real women and continues to operate at a high standard despite playing on a typically dishonest field. The concept of real beauty backed the launch of new products and is still going strong today.
3. Ben & Jerry’s
“Peace, love and ice cream.”
Ben & Jerry’s is out to use ice cream to change the world.
At every level of its business, Ben & Jerry’s seeks “to advance human rights and dignity, support social and economic justice for historically marginalised communities, and protect and restore the Earth's natural systems.”
And, while that brand purpose doesn’t necessarily link to ice cream, Ben & Jerry’s has been living out its social mission for 47 years. The brand has successfully built up a reputation as activists as well as ice cream makers.
Kerry Thorpe, head of communications at the brand, says that when the brand is at its best, it brings social campaigns together with new products. For example, when advocating for marriage equality, Ben & Jerry’s brought out a tub named “Apple-y Ever After.” With every tub sold, the brand was asking its customers to say “yes” to same-sex marriages.
4. Nike
"Just do it"
Nike’s official corporate mission is “to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world. *If you have a body, you are an athlete.”
Not very catchy, is it? So the public-facing slogan became “Just Do It”. With this, Nike reminds those weekend athletes that might worry about their fitness, their ability or their muffin top to stop worrying and just get out there.
They “get” their customer, which makes the customer believe their shoes and clothes might be right for them too.
Beyond selling trainers and ramping up success on the field, Nike has redefined what success means in the world. It’s never been afraid to align itself with major social justice issues, giving the brand a head start with a major chunk of its customers, Gen Z —76% of which said they’ve bought a product to show support for an issue a brand supported.
5. Orange
“Orange gives everyone the keys to a responsible digital world.”
Orange’s purpose is to design and use digital technology in a “more meaningful, inclusive and sustainable way.” They’re committed to “strengthening the freedoms and security of individuals and organisations.”
Essentially, Orange knows that while the digital world is full of opportunities, it’s also full of cyberbullying, phishing and other cyberattacks. The very orange Orange brand aims to promote digital equality as devices spread throughout schools and public services, to avoid the risk of social exclusion.
This well-packaged brand purpose example perfectly ties a cultural concern to what the company does.
6. Hellman’s
“Make taste, not waste.”
Since being born in a New York deli in 1913, Hellman’s purpose was to “help people enjoy good, honest food…without worry or waste.”
From the very first gooey blob, founder Richard Hellman realised that the most common foods are also the most wasted. As a household name, he set out to make all food delicious, so it didn’t have to go in the bin. (He probably said “trash”, actually, but you get the jist.)
President of the brand, Hanneke Faber, puts its YoY growth down to product, purpose and innovation, labelling purpose as “the icing on the cake, but not the cake itself.”
“Brands must find their purpose by staying true to their product truth and category benefits. Only then can they take action and speak up on the issues that matter to their consumers.”
Hanneke Faber
The best arguments for brand purpose
If you ask me (and you’re on my blog, so I’m gonna’ answer anyway), finding your brand’s purpose is a powerful way to differentiate yourself in the market. To show you care about something bigger than your own product or service. To do your bit to make the world a better place.
“It’s never been more essential for CEOs to have a consistent voice, a clear purpose, a coherent strategy and a long-term view. Your company’s purpose is its north star in this tumultuous environment.”
Larry Fink, founder of BlackRock, the world’s largest asset management firm
Here are just some of the arguments for becoming a purpose-driven brand.
1. Make the purchasing choice easier
Your customers’ purchasing choices today are multiplied and they’re about as loyal as the neighbour’s tabby when you feed it a bit of mackerel. Every business can say they have “the best green slime”, “the cheapest green slime” or “the widest range of sticky green slime”, so customers are basing their buying decisions on other attributes.
Your customers are asking questions before they hit the buy button. Do I align with this company’s beliefs? Do I want to be part of their gang? What are people saying about the company? Can I trust them?
2. A story needs a sense of purpose if it’s going to inspire
A brand that clearly stands for something is inspirational to both staff and customers. And when these people are on board with whatever you’re bringing to the planet, they keep your brand afloat.
Who’s going to say nice things about you when you’re not in the room, if all you do is sell printer ink? Stand up, take social responsibility and bring your customers along for the ride. And remember that a written brand purpose is not enough — you’ll only drive trust and advocacy when you take action. Live the thing out.
3. Customers prefer brands that stand for something
You’ve probably seen the stats. We mentioned one in this blog. (Check out the section on Nike if you skipped past that.)
If not, have this one. A 2018 survey by Accenture found that 64% of global consumers are more attracted to brands that actively communicate their purpose. In other words, 64% of people are more likely to choose a brand based on its position on societal or political issues.
This figure, by the way, seems to be growing year-on-year. Just sayin’.
4. Purpose builds brands
When done right, purpose builds brand. And I can prove it. Or, rather, Unilever can.
On their website, Unilever states that their brands with a social or environmental purpose grew 69% faster than their other brands.
So, if you can find an issue that connects with what your brand actually does, you can derive a living, breathing, incredible purpose.
How to find your brand purpose
Jeez Louise, that’s a big question and an entire blog all in itself. My fingers are getting little keypad indents and I can smell my risotto sticking to the pan, so I’ll keep this brief.
Find a cultural, societal or political issue connected to what your brand does and find your purpose in that. Make sure it’s something you believe in. You’ll be putting it into action forever.
Getting an outside perspective can help. As I dip my toes into more brand strategy projects, I’m offering free 45-minute consultations to help you find your purpose and position in your industry.
If it goes well, we can discuss getting down to bizness, but there’s no obligation to ever talk to me again if you’d prefer that.
Email me to book a time.
Got 60 seconds?
It’s overly simplistic to say a lack of purpose will derail brands and a presence of purpose will have them steaming ahead. A solid connection and a commitment to execution are everything, and you’ll need to consider profits as you work to find your purpose. We can’t all be Patagonia-level activists.
Start with this 60-second quiz.
Answer 8 questions to find the overarching purpose category your brand fits into and use this as a foundation.
You’ll also uncover 3 archetypes that might match your brand. Archetypes are an incredible tool to use as part of your brand strategy, so you can create a confident, consistent voice that builds trust among consumers and establishes your position in the industry.
Cover Photo by Hitesh Dewasi on Unsplash
