Nailing a magnetic brand purpose

Purpose is a word that is often misunderstood. Navigating between a vision, mission, purpose or positioning statement can be confusing.

Throughout my career, I have sat in many workshop sessions to define brand equity, positioning, and in more recent years, purpose. It is never an easy exercise and can take days of many highly qualified leaders debating the perfect wording to end up with a one-line statement which is just that … a statement.

Purpose-washing

In today’s world, having a purpose which is an empty shell can be dangerous for a brand. Your purpose is not simply about defining your brand’s positioning, supporting a cause or running a one-off campaign. It is also not the same as all the ESG measures you are putting in place or the sustainability claims you are making.  No matter how good your intentions are, consumers will quickly call you out for greenwashing or purpose washing if your actions are not authentic. This not only puts your brand reputation at risk but could also lead to legal and financial repercussions.

Just look at Brew Dog, the UK-based beer brand, which has been called out both for fostering a culture of fear in the workplace and for its anti-world cup campaign, which it proudly promoted whilst selling its beer… yep, you guessed it, at the world cup! The brand has since been stripped of its B Corp status.

Before defining your brand purpose, it is therefore crucial to fully grasp the meaning of what a transformational brand purpose is.

A transformative Purpose

A true brand purpose is about having the vision of changing the world in some way. It becomes a Purpose with a capital “P” that is no longer just about the brand.

A Purpose with a capital “P” contributes to a Universal Purpose that is bigger than the brand. It challenges the existing paradigms and rallies a community. It creates long-term positive impact and contributes to creating fulfilment and prosperity for all people and planet. It is a transformative Purpose.

Finding a Purpose with a capital “P” will take time and often some deep soul searching. But once you have it, it will become your guiding light. A North Star for everything that your brand stands for, how it acts, innovates, and communicates.

To get you started on the journey, my gift to you is a 3-step guide that walks you through some deep reflection questions, sets a frame for articulating your purpose and shares some tips and examples to make it truly magnetic.

Sign up to The Butterfly Movements community to download your free purpose guide: https://thebutterflymovements.mn.co/share/1XadncMZSCJnvyJs?utm_source=manual