12 Principles for Purpose-Driven Brands and Culture
How well does your organization inspire, empower, and motivate people?
Does your organization’s brand personality reflect its values and its unique voice and expression?
What principles guide your organization’s behavior and give your brand its voice and culture its focus?
Finding clarity is a cultural imperative for brands that stand for something. Achieving clarity of purpose and vision empowers leadership and your team to simplify, clarify, and transform your culture, and inspire people to listen, care, and act.
How would you feel if your leadership team shared this with you, knowing there’s a gap between what the organization says it values and stands for and how it practices business:
“Upholding our brand truths is everybody’s responsibility. If we’re not aware of what our brand represents and if we don’t communicate it clearly, people will fill in the gaps with what they believe — whether it’s true or not.”
What can you do about aligning values, brand, and messaging to create a culture of clarity?
Since 2013, hundreds of mission-driven companies and causes have strengthened their culture and brands with 12 principles for communications. While the resolutions of The Cause Manifesto form a strong foundation, to help organizations achieve clarity of purpose, communication, relationships, and leadership — it’s time for the principles to evolve.
The Simplicity of the Clarity Credo
Be Strategic
Every organization needs clarity of purpose, values, communications, and vision to create alignment between culture and brand so people care and act.
Which do you think is essential to a strategic approach to aligning your brand and culture?
#BeStrategic—We will create and follow a plan that aligns our actions, communications, and culture with our mission, vision, and values.
Be Focused
Lack of clarity for your brand quickly becomes evident if you can’t articulate your purpose, cause, and vision. Find your focus to bring clarity to brands and culture.
#BeFocused — We will eliminate distractions to pursue the opportunities that drive us to fulfill our mission and achieve our vision.
Be Meaningful
Do you understand what values guide your organization’s behavior and action, and what motivates and energizes your customers and supporters?
#BeMeaningful — We will stay true to the values and actions that inspire people to support our mission and the difference we make.
Be Insightful
I used to think insight was about the data — it’s really about clarity — a clear and focused path for the mission, actions, communications, and outcomes that empower you to fulfill your purpose.
#BeInsightful — We will seek clarity to gain greater understanding into the impact of our mission and outcomes of our vision.
Be Inspiring
When you make people the center of their story (not your organization), you begin to understand how branding really works: People tell themselves a story about how your brand fits into their worldview and how it should behave.
Speak to their mind and touch their heart. A story that’s about them will let them know why they should care about your brand and how they expect to be treated.
#BeInspiring—We will speak to the mind and appeal to the heart with stories that inspire people to listen, care, and act.
Be Engaging
Listening is tough, especially if we’re eager to tell our story without listening to the community we serve.
If you spend time asking questions and inquisitively listening (listening with curiosity), your empathy for solving design and other problems will increase.
#BeEngaging—We will be curious, listening closely to discover, hear, and understand what people value and expect of us.
Be Social
If your organizational culture prioritizes programs over people, you miss the opportunity to engage people deeply.
Meaningful brands understand that relationships matter more than marketing.
#BeSocial —We will be ambassadors, recognizing that every interaction is an opportunity to build and strengthen relationships.
Be Grateful
The last thing you want to do is take credit for what others help you accomplish. Share the love and be grateful for what you accomplish together.
#BeGrateful—We will acknowledge the people who share our values, believe in our vision, and help us make a difference.
Be Trustworthy
Accountability and transparency are at the core of building trust with customers and supporters of your organization. It’s why we spend so much on branding and marketing. Break the trust you work to build and you may not regain what you lose.
#BeTrustworthy—We will be accountable and transparent, speaking and acting true to our values, character, culture, and voice.
Be Positive
People listen to what you say and watch to see if your actions match your words. That’s how branding works and how culture is nurtured. Being positive is a better motivator than pessimism. Don’t you agree?
#BePositive—We will choose our words wisely because they inspire people to trust, follow, take action, and make a difference.
Be Powerful
Courageous and visionary leaders can’t be timid. How is your organization powerful?
Power is more about strength under control, influence, and the unwavering assurance that your vision will make a difference.
#BePowerful—We will act boldly and speak confidently because our purpose matters and our vision has the power to change the future.
Be Courageous
A reluctant leader hides deep inside each of us. Courage overcomes fear. Be the example of leadership that you want people to copy.
Not only will you multiply the leaders around you, but you will nurture a culture of shared values that turns your vision into reality.
#BeCourageous—We will be fearless and resilient, overcoming every challenge as we lead the movement to make our vision a reality.
It’s easier to talk about finding your brand voice than it is to actually go through the work to do it. Begin applying the principles of the Clarity Credo to guide your team, shape your brand and culture, and watch your company grow.
