Purposeful Communication: What Is It and Why Does It Matter?
FOR AS LONG AS BUSINESS HAS EXISTED, COMPANIES WERE MADE TO SELL STUFF TO CUSTOMERS. THERE ARE ENDLESS ARTICLES, MODELS, COURSES AND DEGREES THAT FOCUS ON ONE THING, AND ONE THING ONLY — A COMPANY’S BOTTOM LINE.
So it’s no surprise that today one of the biggest challenges for a business is talking about why they do something, instead of what they do. Old world value propositions were driven by profits and corporate social responsibility. But in an age of transparency and authenticity, brands are forced to ask the same existential question we’ve been asking ourselves for ages.
Why are we here?
Here at Purposeful, we’re passionate about exploring how purpose affects the quality of communication and how stakeholders can infuse purpose into their organizations. But, in order to align profits and purpose, we need to determine what purposeful communication is and why it matters.
Because if you don’t understand your why, your customers won’t either.
WHAT IS PURPOSEFUL COMMUNICATION?
Communication impacts the thinking, attitudes, and behaviors of employees and customers alike. Purposeful communication goes beyond just understanding the exchange of these ideas, and hones in on why they exist. It allows an organization to think about the reason behind your communication (i.e., to motivate employees, or sell a product), the most effective approach, and the outcome you want to achieve.
Rooting communication in why allows leaders to:
- Address individual concerns first by answering why this action is happening? When you answer critical why questions beforehand, people can better understand your message.
- Determine what help you can offer. Both customers and employees want to feel heard and understood. When you provide context alongside the action you want someone to take, they become more engaged, confident, and satisfied with the message.
- Be transparent and identify changes for individuals and how it will impact them since those changes have a clear driving motivation.
- Listen and respond. When your company is faced with a disgruntled customer or employee, you can actively respond to their needs.
Defining purpose first allows an organization of any size to embed it into the fabric of their communication, sustain it, and adjust when needed. And there are pitfalls for companies who decide not to.
COMPANIES WHO ONLY FOCUS ON THE BOTTOM LINE LOSE OUT
Purpose is now the root of any successful business practice. It goes beyond the traditional corporate social responsibility in lieu of higher-ambition leadership. Think about this — when a prospect first comes across your brand, they ask themselves two things: “Who is this company?” and “Why should I care about them?”
Are you ready to answer them in a transparent and authentic way? Because customers do not ask for purpose anymore, they demand it.
Melissa Waters, CMO of Lyft, says “Any customer these days is asking for transparency on what a company stands for and why they operate. But you can’t exist just to make the world a better place.”
Purpose often falls into the category of philanthropy. However, purposeful communication that stimulates an emotional response lends a two-fold competitive advantage.
External market opportunities improve when you communicate with impact. And internal teams who rally behind an organization’s purpose create an advantage over traditional companies.
Additionally, introducing purposeful communication — the infusion of what you want to achieve in each message — has the potential to build deeper bonds, strengthen your message, and grow your customer base.
WHY PURPOSEFUL COMMUNICATION MATTERS
One of the greatest strengths of purposeful communication is that it drives why your brand exists. This powerful driver is beneficial because it encourages teams and customers to become part of something bigger than making a profit — every message, every interaction.
And your customers realize it. 2/3 of consumers say they would switch to a product from a purpose-driven company. There are many advantages to purposeful communication, some of which include:
1. Purpose drives your story and brand values. Why you exist is glue that emotionally connects you to your audience. Brands often fail to create emotion-driven content because they lack understanding of what their people value. Consumers have grown callous to advertising — so you need to build trust through alignment and values.
2. It attracts, empowers, and guides employees. Teams who have a clear understanding of who they are collectively and why they go to work every day make better decisions when faced with an issue. Many companies choose general or borrowed purposes, such as “we put our customers first” or “to make every brand more inspiring”. Do these mission statements inspire you?
Decisions are made every day, at every level in business from budget planning to social posts to customer service teams. So we like to ask clients, what guides your team in their decision making?
3. Customers are more likely to share purposeful content. Regardless of your own perception of communication, it’s important to understand how customers engage with it. A recent study revealed that 68% of consumers say they would be more willing to share content on their social networks from purpose-driven companies than traditional companies.
If you want to amplify your message and create deeper bonds, shared content is the most powerful way to do so.
4. Shows customers that they help make an impact. Purpose is exciting, motivating, and challenging. It’s designed to drive people to become better and feel part of something greater than themselves. Instead of rallying behind a cause that isolates people such as “vegans only!”, use a more inclusive approach.
For example, Ripple Foods, a non-dairy milk brand, doesn’t market to vegans. But connects with those who want to make health or environmental changes.
FINAL WORDS
At the cross-section of profit and purpose lives successful business. Not only does communicating with purpose unleash your teams fullest potential, but it also deepens the relationship between you and your audience. Start by having conversations with different teams about why your brand exists. Talk to partners, customers, and sales reps to better understand how they perceive you and your why. Because if you want to make an impact on your customers and company, then you have to communicate with purpose.
For more on defining your why story, check out Simon Sinek’s TED talk Start With Why.
