Why Brand Purpose?

Many of you have asked us why we started Brand Purpose since we launched our website and LinkedIn page last week. We deeply appreciate the interest and encouragement we have received and thought unpacking the idea here would be a useful exercise as well as something you might find interesting and entertaining. Connecting brands (and people) to purpose gets our propellers spinning and hopefully will get yours spinning, too!

In this first installment, we identify the principles that serve as the foundation for the Brand Purpose value proposition. There are five of them:

  1. People make decisions with their hearts. If we want to win theirs, we have to lead with ours.

  2. To be successful, we must differentiate ourselves from our competition. In the absence of differentiation, the forces of commoditization constrict profitability, growth and joy.

  3. A brand ideal based on purpose is the only point of difference that can be sustained and cultivated over time. Purpose is difficult for competitors to mimic and it engages the heart in a way that functional values (price, features, convenience) do not.

  4. To serve as a vital and authentic source of purpose, a brand ideal must be embraced and expressed by the organization’s culture.

  5. Purpose-fueled brands have the ability to not only make profits but to make a difference. When your organization is united around making money AND making a difference, it is no longer merely a company, it is a cause … and that is something in which both customers and employees can engage and invest their heads and their hearts.

In the days and weeks to come, we will elaborate on each of these points sharing research and examples that substantiate them. As we do, we invite you to share your thoughts and questions. If you know someone who you think might benefit from the exchange, please invite them to follow the Brand Purpose LinkedIn page. Who knows what cool and useful things we will discover and create together?

Have a productive, purpose-fueled day and a fabulous, rejuvenating weekend, friends

Jeremy and Tracey