If You Don’t Have a Purpose, You Don’t Have a Brand
There are a number of things that separate strong brands from inferior brands, including not practicing core values, undefined target audiences, inconsistent personality, or an inauthentic brand experience. These undesirable characteristics are often the symptom of a singular root issue: No clear purpose.
It may sound like an easy statement to draft up, but it’s often the most difficult and important promise a brand can make.
Today, in the direct-to-consumer model, there is less overhead and fewer barriers to entry than ever before. Between e-commerce opportunities and social media, thousands of consumers have been empowered to set out and start their own businesses. In 2020, 800,000+ businesses in the United States were less than a year old. That is a sea of new businesses trying to reach consumers. 🌊
With this insurgence of consumers starting businesses, buyers have more choices than ever before. And if you can’t articulate and convey why you exist, those consumers will click and land right in the next brand’s lap.
Why Purpose Matters
Purpose is why you exist.
Like gas for a car, purpose is what keeps you going and keeps you grounded. When harnessed to its fullest potential, purpose guides your business decisions, shapes your culture, and determines your future growth directions.
What’s unique about purpose is that it’s rooted in your past experiences and something you discover over time. Think of it as a stone that is chiseled away through life experiences. While it’s important that your purpose is something rooted in your own experiences, it’s more important that it’s clearly defined, being practiced, and serving an audience in need.
In her book, Obsessed, Emily Heyward writes, “When you ground yourself in your consumers, and why you exist for them, branding becomes an act of self-congratulation. It’s not about 'look at me, listen to me, this is why I’m wonderful, pay attention.' Instead, it’s: here’s what I understand about your needs, and here’s how I’m here to help.”
Further, she notes, “As long as there are shortcoming or pain points, there’s space for disruption. There is always a better, smarter, more humane way. The companies that are succeeding today are the ones who identify these issues and see them as opportunities. They recognize the blind spots, shortcomings, and failures of the old guard, and they’re finding new, creative ways to solve problems for consumers.”
People often create businesses around an idea they are passionate about or a need they have as an individual. While this is a fine place to start, it’s essential to consider the bigger picture in order to build a successful brand. The need you identify has to align with your audience's needs — not just your own.
When you marry your purpose with the need of a specific audience, you create an opportunity for an intimate connection. This is because at the core of this intersection is an alignment of values. And the best brands capitalize on this intersection by creating a shared identity with their audiences – one rooted in shared values.
In, This Is Marketing, Seth Godin urges, “The way we make things better is by caring enough about those we serve to imagine the story that they need to hear. We need to be generous enough to share that story, so they can take action that they’ll be proud of.”
This is how brands create change.
Discovering Your Purpose
Your purpose is likely inside of you, but it can be hard to articulate yourself.
At Hoot Design Company, in our Brand Heart process, we use storytelling to recall people and events that left a lasting impression on you. We dig into what it was that felt so impactful, and as a result, what feelings and insights materialized.
We conduct this discovery with formally trained psychologists who then identify themes. Once we know these themes feel spot on to you, we craft emotional messaging around them. The goal is not only to clearly articulate why you’re in business but also to do this in a way that leaves your entire team rallying behind a purpose greater than themselves.
We invite founders or leaders of the organization to do this foundational work, as we’ve come to find that their point of view is what drives the organization. This is both an incredible opportunity and incredible responsibility for leaders.
If you don’t have a clear purpose defined, it’s not too late to prioritize this discovery. In fact, while yes, it’s easier to have a clear purpose from the start, many brands can and will evolve and it’s important that you keep asking yourself ‘why?’ and make sure your ‘why’ is an accurate reflection of where you’re at.
If there’s one thing we know, it’s that brand is always evolving.
Ready to embrace the change ahead?
