Relax, you don’t have to be saving the world to have a valuable purpose.
Every brand needs to define its purpose. But it doesn’t have to include the salvation of humanity to be powerful. In fact, unless you’re actually in the business of saving humanity, it darn well better not.
Yet somehow, lots of messianic purpose statements have floated to the top of today’s jumble of mission, vision and values corporate speak. They hang there out of place and awkward, like a toddler in a ball pit.
Thing is, if you build roads, sell software, make widgets or bake crunchy treats, you’re not here to save humanity. Even if those crunchy treats are gluten-free.
Don’t get us wrong, we’re all for having a purpose and sharing it. But too many of these things sound like they were spat out of a mission statement generator.
Purpose washing and virtue signalling in branding.
Too many brands stretch past an authentic expression of why they’re here in favour of grandstanding goodness. Boring at best, this sort of corporate virtue signalling is also known as ‘purpose washing’ and it’ll do your brand more harm than good.
Yes, brand consultancies are largely to blame. Selling clients on a rebrand that includes a purpose to make the world wildly better. Plus constantly pointing to the top of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as if a self-actualising mantra might just do the trick and make you successful like Nike.
People screaming BS? Time to rethink your purpose.
Facebook says it’s here to “give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together”.
Seriously? Without taking too big a swing at Facey, many (including former employees) say it’s here to deliver targeted ads while making us stay on screen longer arguing about everything from vaccination to veganism.
The truth is, most companies are founded to make a profit, often by challenging the status quo. But very few are born out of a deep-rooted social conscience that has a far reaching impact on society. And that’s just fine.
Just be true to what you do and how you uniquely bring value to your customers.
Whatever you do, if you’re doing it well that’s pretty amazing. If you make your customer’s day just a little bit better, that’s a whole lot better than honking out a purpose statement nobody believes — least of all your own people.
Trust is shaky, the media’s full of stories of ‘purpose-washing’ by brands who fail to walk the talk. Couple that with fake news scandals, plus a transparent focus on profits over people and no wonder trust in brands of all types is falling.
Articulating a purpose is important. But it has to be real and relatable for your business, its stakeholders and customers. Take Zappos, the highly addictive shoe site:
“Our purpose is to live and deliver WOW!”
What more could you ask for? They nailed it.
Flat-packers to the world Ikea simply say:
“At IKEA our vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people.”
That’s so simple you’d think anyone could have assembled it. But it’s true to who they are and what they do.
Know thyself.
Make no mistake, we’re all about putting purpose first. There are heaps of stats to prove focussing on purpose delivers profit and growth. But your purpose has to be fit for purpose, so to speak.
Great brands are driven by a clarity of purpose. Knowing why you exist and what you stand for makes it so much simpler to realise your potential.
It’s not that having a higher purpose isn’t important too. Such a purpose can have far reaching social implications if it’s truly inherent to your brand. And it’s more than okay to be a little humble about it too.
Changing the world starts at home.
Retired US Admiral William H. McRaven once told a bunch of Texan uni students: “If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.” He explained that if you can’t do the little things right, you’ll never do the big things right. Worth a read if you’ve made your bed and have 10 minutes up your sleeve.
With your metaphorical bed made, you’ll want to find a purpose, or your ‘Why’ as Simon Sinek called it. It’s all about seeing what’s authentically unique about you: the very reason your organisation exists (your cause or belief, beyond profits).
Customers will only trust your purpose if it’s authentically delivered and demonstrated by real and consistent action in every aspect of your business.
How you define purpose defines you.
Your brand’s purpose should simply state why you exist in the world — linking what makes you distinctive with your audience’s needs. It should be specific enough to be meaningful, but ambitious enough to cover expanding possibilities. It must be timeless, authentic, ownable and resonate on every level inside and outside your organisation.
Too many brands confuse purpose with mission and vision or strategy — or find it hard to articulate their purpose inspiringly.
Our advice is simple: don’t overdo it.
