Don’t Start with Why: How to Find Your Brand Purpose the Right Way
“Start with why.”
Everyone says it, and many believe in it. But most people are getting the whole Start with Why movement wrong.
Here’s the rub: If your “W-H-Y” is all about “Y-O-U,” you're missing the point.
The most important thing you can ever know about your brand (and your business for that matter) is that it’s not about you. Read that again.
Let’s start where most people do when thinking about “why.” You launched your business for a good reason. Maybe you wanted to sell a better product. Maybe you wanted to make the world a better place. You had a story to tell. You started building a brand you could be proud of. But somewhere along the way, you got lost in our own best efforts.
I’m talking about your marketing. It’s a mess.
What began as well-intended messaging is swirling the drain — weighed down by the monotony and complexity of features and proof points and numbers and data and... you see where I’m going with this?
Don’t get me wrong, all those things are important. But man are they boring. And they certainly won’t make consumers fall in love.
Imagine being at a party and listening to someone you’ve just met droning on and on about every award they’ve ever won, what kind of lawnmower they have, their college GPA or how fast they can run a mile. You’re looking for an exit, and fast.
When your marketing has turned into that guy, potential customers can’t run away fast enough.
What you need is magic.
Real-live, stars-in-the-eyes, look-of-love magic. And you can find it right back where you started. The beginning of it all — why you launched this damn business in the first place. It’s the big, ugly, unsolvable challenge you set out to tackle back when it was your eyes full of hope and nothing could stop you from taking on the world.
It’s called brand purpose and it’s time to find it again.
What is brand purpose?
Brand purpose can be defined as the fundamental reason for a brand's existence beyond profit-making.
It represents the deeper meaning and impact that a brand aims to create in the world. Brand purpose goes beyond product features and benefits; it encompasses the brand's values, mission, and the positive change it seeks to make in society or in the lives of its customers.
It serves as a guiding force that influences the brand's decisions, actions, and communications, and it resonates with the target audience on an emotional level.
A well-defined brand purpose not only differentiates a brand from its competitors but also inspires and connects with consumers, fostering loyalty and advocacy. Brand purpose is all about creating a singular concept that represents what your brand values most, and then building a brand tribe around it.
Think of it as a gravitational force that pulls consumers in, providing your marketing with a planet to orbit.
Consider Nike, Disney, Apple and Harley Davidson — prime examples of brands that have fostered tribes of brand loyalists. Their fans proudly brandish tattoos, car decals, and don head-to-toe gear for two key reasons: 1) They have a clear, emotionally driven brand purpose and 2) They fulfill their promise with authentic actions that are aligned to those values.
When you look at the purpose statements of these massively successful brands, you see a pattern begin to form:
Nike: To release people’s inner athlete.
Disney: To recapture the magic of childhood.
Apple: To create technology that empowers people and enriches their lives.
Harley Davidson: To fulfill dreams through the experiences of motorcycling.
While Harley and Apple do call out their more specific offering, not one of these statements talks about product features or price.
Brands that activate a higher purpose outperform the S&P by 400%.
— Jim Stengel, P&G
Brand purpose is bigger than product.
Brands with an emotionally driven purpose make a promise to consumers by establishing a deep, meaningful connection that goes beyond transactional interactions.
Then they deliver on it by combining authenticity, emotional engagement, customer-centricity, impactful actions, and community-building around their brand. This enables them to create a powerful bond based on shared values, emotions, and aspirations — leading to long-lasting loyalty and advocacy.
And if the honor of having your logo tattooed on someone's hide like a Longhorn Bull isn’t enough, purpose-driven brands actually make more money.
A clearly defined brand purpose creates a sense of security and trust around your brand, which drives greater financial success. Unilever serves as a shining example; their brand purpose revolves around making sustainable living commonplace — in 2018 alone, their 28 sustainable brands grew 69% faster than their other brands.
Did you just see those real, tangible profits fly by?
Because when your purpose meets and addresses your consumers’ higher needs, they fall in love.
Brand moves business forward.
A well-defined brand and a successful business are intricately connected, forming two halves of the same whole. A strong brand, with a clear purpose and values, serves as the guiding force that drives business success. It shapes customer perception, fosters loyalty, differentiates from competitors, and ultimately propels the business forward.
By investing in defining and nurturing your brand, you are laying the foundation for increased market value, and sustained financial growth.
So we’ll leave you with one question: Have you taken a good look at your brand lately?
Need a hand defining your brand purpose? We’re here to help.
Schedule a completely free, no commitment discovery consultation today.
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