THE CASE FOR PURPOSE
Purpose grows up
This is (sorry!) by no means a data-driven or fact-based statement, but I have a strong feeling that in the last couple of years, I have heard purpose far more talked about in marketing circles than positioning. We have long passed the tipping point when purpose went mainstream. It’s enlightening to look back over the last couple of years and see the diverse ways in which brands and organisations articulate their purpose and bring it to life. And, as purpose grows up, its nature becomes clearer and clearer:
Purpose is unique
It’s not about jumping on the Twittersphere’s current bandwagon, but is unique to the brand, stemming clearly from the product or brand values, not some trendy issue that’s occupying today’s headlines.
Purpose begins at home
A high and mighty global purpose is hard to put into practice. But working from the grass roots level, being personally relevant to people in the market and starting with the co-workers, means purpose is automatically translated into action.
Purpose is authentic
Purpose doesn’t only have to be about doing good in the virtuous or worthy sense. But it is about being true to the brand and the role it plays in people’s lives.
Purpose drives change
Purpose isn’t worth a jot if it’s defined, the box ticked and that’s that. Purpose should catalyse change – in people’s attitudes and behaviour as well as sales growth.
Purpose is unapologetic
I hope that recent criticism of purpose will mean we can wave goodbye to much bland virtue-signalling in the name of purpose. Purpose is uncompromising and bold. It makes choices and takes a stand. It may even make you disliked or lose customers short-term, but brands should be brave enough to take that risk.
Purpose is the new boss
Defining a Brand Position (or Positioning) has traditionally been the task of the marketing department. But despite good intentions, Brand Positions are rarely put into action beyond use as a check-list for making sure communication is “on-brand.” And they are rarely seen as relevant for functions outside of marketing.
The beauty of discovering and articulating your brand’s purpose is that it can then be used as a unifying compass for business transformation and growth across the entire organisation. It’s not the exclusive domain of one department but rather unites functions and gets everyone pulling in the same direction. In this way purpose can be seen as the new boss for the 21st century organisation. Purpose inspires the entire corporate culture, which in these “glass box” days, is the new corporate branding.
Purpose, product and profit have a symbiotic relationship: they work together. There are more than enough studies now available that show how strong, purposeful brands enjoy positive results, not just in terms of profit, but in terms of positive impact on the world. Which in turn attracts and retains better co-workers, who are more in tune with what the brand’s all about: a virtuous circle. Unlike the days of isolated CSR activities and tactics, doing well and doing good go hand-in-hand.
Purpose in Practice (How to find and implement Purpose)
Knowing the benefits in general of a purpose-driven brand, the next step is to find and implement the purpose unique to your own brand or organisation. In the Harvard Business Review Paper ‘The Business Case for Purpose’ the following definition is given for organisational purpose: “an aspirational reason for being which inspires and provides a call to action for an organisation and its partners and stakeholders and provides benefit to local and global society.”
Your brand or organisation’s purpose may already be laid down – for example by a visionary founder, or perhaps it is yet to be defined. Three broad criteria are vital for a purpose to work, leading to profit and a positive impact on society:
1. UNIQUE TO BRAND – connected to your product/service and brand values/belief – if you do pick a UN Sustainable Goal, do it your way
2. PERSONALLY MEANINGFUL – to customers and co-workers
3. COLLECTIVELY RELEVANT – to society and the world as a whole
Finding and articulating your unique purpose internally is only the start. The real work and skill is using the timeless purpose to guide and steer the whole organisation through changing times, through digital transformation and beyond. Infusing the purpose end-to-end into behaviour and experience, then reinforcing at every opportunity. What does the purpose mean for our business model? For our strategies? For how we recruit and develop our co-workers? What does it mean for our products and services, and for the direction in which we innovate? For production, logistics? And then the external articulation – how do customers experience our purpose? Or stakeholders?
All that’s before we have even begun to think about marketing initiatives and communication. When we do start to apply purpose to these, we must be prepared to make choices if something simply doesn’t fit.
Purpose should drive everything. It must be present in everything a business does. Purpose can’t be divided out into design, products, people, communication. Purpose brings everyone in the organisation working together – to one common cause.
For the individual, for the community and for the planet.
THE CASE FOR PURPOSE
Purpose grows up
This is (sorry!) by no means a data-driven or fact-based statement, but I have a strong feeling that in the last couple of years, I have heard purpose far more talked about in marketing circles than positioning. We have long passed the tipping point when purpose went mainstream. It’s enlightening to look back over the last couple of years and see the diverse ways in which brands and organisations articulate their purpose and bring it to life. And, as purpose grows up, its nature becomes clearer and clearer:
Purpose is unique
It’s not about jumping on the Twittersphere’s current bandwagon, but is unique to the brand, stemming clearly from the product or brand values, not some trendy issue that’s occupying today’s headlines.
Purpose begins at home
A high and mighty global purpose is hard to put into practice. But working from the grass roots level, being personally relevant to people in the market and starting with the co-workers, means purpose is automatically translated into action.
Purpose is authentic
Purpose doesn’t only have to be about doing good in the virtuous or worthy sense. But it is about being true to the brand and the role it plays in people’s lives.
Purpose drives change
Purpose isn’t worth a jot if it’s defined, the box ticked and that’s that. Purpose should catalyse change – in people’s attitudes and behaviour as well as sales growth.
Purpose is unapologetic
I hope that recent criticism of purpose will mean we can wave goodbye to much bland virtue-signalling in the name of purpose. Purpose is uncompromising and bold. It makes choices and takes a stand. It may even make you disliked or lose customers short-term, but brands should be brave enough to take that risk.
Purpose is the new boss
Defining a Brand Position (or Positioning) has traditionally been the task of the marketing department. But despite good intentions, Brand Positions are rarely put into action beyond use as a check-list for making sure communication is “on-brand.” And they are rarely seen as relevant for functions outside of marketing.
The beauty of discovering and articulating your brand’s purpose is that it can then be used as a unifying compass for business transformation and growth across the entire organisation. It’s not the exclusive domain of one department but rather unites functions and gets everyone pulling in the same direction. In this way purpose can be seen as the new boss for the 21st century organisation. Purpose inspires the entire corporate culture, which in these “glass box” days, is the new corporate branding.
Purpose, product and profit have a symbiotic relationship: they work together. There are more than enough studies now available that show how strong, purposeful brands enjoy positive results, not just in terms of profit, but in terms of positive impact on the world. Which in turn attracts and retains better co-workers, who are more in tune with what the brand’s all about: a virtuous circle. Unlike the days of isolated CSR activities and tactics, doing well and doing good go hand-in-hand.
Purpose in Practice (How to find and implement Purpose)
Knowing the benefits in general of a purpose-driven brand, the next step is to find and implement the purpose unique to your own brand or organisation. In the Harvard Business Review Paper ‘The Business Case for Purpose’ the following definition is given for organisational purpose: “an aspirational reason for being which inspires and provides a call to action for an organisation and its partners and stakeholders and provides benefit to local and global society.”
Your brand or organisation’s purpose may already be laid down – for example by a visionary founder, or perhaps it is yet to be defined. Three broad criteria are vital for a purpose to work, leading to profit and a positive impact on society:
1. UNIQUE TO BRAND – connected to your product/service and brand values/belief – if you do pick a UN Sustainable Goal, do it your way
2. PERSONALLY MEANINGFUL – to customers and co-workers
3. COLLECTIVELY RELEVANT – to society and the world as a whole
Finding and articulating your unique purpose internally is only the start. The real work and skill is using the timeless purpose to guide and steer the whole organisation through changing times, through digital transformation and beyond. Infusing the purpose end-to-end into behaviour and experience, then reinforcing at every opportunity. What does the purpose mean for our business model? For our strategies? For how we recruit and develop our co-workers? What does it mean for our products and services, and for the direction in which we innovate? For production, logistics? And then the external articulation – how do customers experience our purpose? Or stakeholders?
All that’s before we have even begun to think about marketing initiatives and communication. When we do start to apply purpose to these, we must be prepared to make choices if something simply doesn’t fit.
Purpose should drive everything. It must be present in everything a business does. Purpose can’t be divided out into design, products, people, communication. Purpose brings everyone in the organisation working together – to one common cause.
For the individual, for the community and for the planet.
