How the power of purpose can improve your brand
Why purpose offers increased profitability, satisfied employees, shared goals, and a clear direction.
When you study the most successful entrepreneurs you find that the last thing they were thinking about when starting up was getting rich.
They wanted to do something with their abilities and make a difference in their lives. They share a strong sense of purpose, a personal spark that catches alight and helps them to build meaningful businesses.
Can you honestly say that you know the purpose of the company or organisation you work for?
Tapping into the power of purpose
Someone once said, “the only function of a business is to make money.” I don’t disagree, but is it the only thing a business is there to do?
When you study the most successful entrepreneurs you find that the last thing they were thinking about when starting up was getting rich. They wanted to do something with their abilities and make a difference in their lives.
Looking at most business sectors, you find the common factor amongst the success stories is a strong desire to do something different, fulfill a missing need and provide something more valuable. Financial success is simply a by-product in the bigger scheme of things.
In this article you learn about:
- The advantages of having a defined purpose
- How to make sure your purpose becomes an integral part of your company culture
- How to communicate your purpose in the marketplace
- The dangers of neglecting your purpose
It’s as if their belief in something compels them to go further, take the uncomfortable risks and attract like-minded supporters, qualities that are invaluable to a growing business. These companies thrive on having a clear sense of what they are here to do. Their purpose is easy to articulate, helping to focus motivation, resources, time and investment.
Externally this sense of purpose acts as a beacon to customers. It helps to differentiate them from the wannabes. People relate to a desire to shake things up a bit, and to feel that purpose-driven companies are contributing something of value to the world.
The dangers of neglecting purpose
A common sense of purpose is arguably an intangible asset, but neglecting it can have negative consequences with the rot subtly starting from within. Here are some of the telltale signs:
Indifference
Staff can become unconstructive and self-centered asking, “What’s in it for them?”
Greed
Colleagues can become distracted by the wrong things such as status, more money, a corner office and so on.
Conforming
Some begin to follow instead of thinking fresh, emulating the competition with the attitude, “If it works for them, it will work for us.”
Lack of ambition
A lack of drive sets in with a prevailing attitude of, “This is the way we’ve always done it, why rock the boat…?”
If you recognise any of these traits in your staff it’s probably time to reassess.
Branding can be a powerful tool in identifying, harnessing and communicating your sense of purpose to both internal and external audiences.
As outsiders, Mission is well-positioned to identify what you may be too close to see. Our approach can help to put purpose into action. Learn all about it here.
Establishing what you stand for
Through a series of workshops, we examine your companies deepest beliefs helping you to confront the commonly held misconceptions that may be holding you back. The objective is to find the essence of what motivates you, what makes you special and articulate this in an empowering way.
We’ve worked with Herkules Capital a leading investment company. One would assume that their ultimate focus would be financial gain. However, the common thread in their culture is a deep desire to help other companies succeed through utilising their business acumen.
The financial gains that come from it are certainly welcome, but other benefits are to be had: teamwork is common, their junior staff thrives, expertise grows and investors are forthcoming. “Building Tomorrow’s Winners” is the statement we established to define their purpose, this becomes the belief that all communication decisions are made from.
Communicating purpose internally
Sharing the purpose with your staff is the next step. If the idea is right it won’t need to be enforced, it will ring true for your culture already. However it’s important to formally present the idea as a fixture of the company. You need to explain:
- What it means,
- Why it’s important
- How it aligns with company strategy
- How your staff can play their part in expressing purpose.
Your colleagues are often the front lines of your business, essential in conveying the brand through their actions and behaviour to the outside world.
Find out what makes your employees tick more than anything else.
Singapore Airlines (SA), believe in service excellence from the beginning to the end of a journey. It’s no surprise to learn that SA staff receive double the amount of training than any other airline, with cabin staff able to discern and provide for the many cultural nuances between Asian travelers. SA is frequently recognised as not just the world’s top airline, but also one of the world’s top employer brands.
Communicating purpose externally
Equally important is to use design to express the purpose through every touchpoint that stakeholders come into contact with.
Take Audi for example, they see their role beyond car manufacture, they are increasingly focused on the fundamental human need for transport. The company is investigating how to redesign road surfaces using smart technology to improve the environment, avoid congestion and make driving more pleasant. “Advancement through Technology” is their purpose and this can be experienced in their products, showrooms, website, and communication.
By aligning internal and external communication through purpose, you will create an experience that differentiates and resonates with the people that are important to you.
EVRY — leading with ‘Shape the future today’
When Nordic tech giant EVRY realised they needed to transition in order to remain a leader in their field, it became obvious that it was necessary to look within the organisation, to start with the core, the purpose. This change from inside out sparked a reinvention of the brand and bought out its unique qualities. Find out how we worked with EVRY to uncover their purpose.
The advantages of purpose
Defining the thing that makes you tick is an intangible asset and understandably hard to articulate, but there are many benefits to be had:
- All resources become more focussed on a shared goal
- Staff feel connected and more energised
- Feedback comes bottom-up as well as top-down
- Natural setbacks are coped with
- Sharing knowledge becomes easier with a common focus
- The business feels human and easy to relate to
- You become more attractive to talent, especially Millennials
- What the company says and does become one and the same
- You gain empathy and preference from stakeholders
Learn more about how purpose transforms your brand from inside out this white paper.
In the words of author Simon Senek “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” Ask yourself why do you do what you do. It could be the first step to a more fulfilling journey and a more engaging brand.
This article was written by Gary Swindell, and was first published on Mission’s website. Find out what other fascinating issues we write about.
