Your company or organization is more than a name and annual revenue. Your mission is more than a statement. Your values are more than a bulleted list.
Enter purpose-driven marketing: an approach that directly connects your business goals with your broader reason for being.
When established and communicated effectively, it can set you apart while resonating on a human level with your customers, clients, and broader audience.
What is Purpose-Driven Marketing?
Purpose-driven marketing is a strategy that aligns a company’s brand to its values.
You’re probably thinking of brands that do this through specific campaigns or messaging points, but we’d argue it should be more foundational. This isn’t just about jumping on a social trend or current issue.
More than ever, organizations need to articulate why they are in business, how they deliver value to their customers, invest in employees, deal fairly with partners, and support the communities in which they operate.
Need examples of what this looks like?
It’s the equipment manufacturer that honors their history and makes life easier for some of the hardest-working people in the world, increases food access, and allows the next generation to continue the legacy.
It’s the co-op that produces and sells responsibly sourced ingredients while working with and actively supporting small farmers around the world.
It’s the nature center that protects our environment and creates a space for new discoveries.
It’s a financial firm that cares about more than your balance sheet; they’re invested in your family and securing your future.
Each of the above examples elevates a business from transactional to transformative.
How to Develop Purpose-Driven Marketing
Define Your WHY. Author and speaker Simon Sinek talks a lot about the importance of starting with WHY. This basic, fundamental question gets to the core of what you need to answer:
Why does my company or organization exist?
Spoiler alert: it’s not to generate revenue or collect donations. At least it shouldn’t be. Revenue is a goal, not your purpose.
This is about establishing what your company stands for as a function of your business.
Learn about and share your company or organization’s history. Hold sessions with employees to understand why they work for you. Conduct focus groups with customers and clients to discover why they chose you.
Some of this requires heavy lifting, but the gains will be more than worth it.
You’ll come away with a broad and clear perspective. Realize that purpose-driven marketing will come to symbolize your brand. It’s at the heart of what you do, why you do it, and how you do it. A brand with a purpose becomes human.
Identify Your Audience. Who is your customer? Connect with and understand the people you serve. You can do this through surveys, focus groups, and social listening. Knowing your audience allows you to read the room and develop a purpose that is both true to your organization and resonates with your clients and customers.
Clarify Your WHAT. What are your goals? What do you hope to accomplish? This is where revenue comes in. But revenue is the result of staying true to your purpose. What else do you aspire to accomplish on your way to revenue?
Understand Your Competition. Most of this process is about you. But once you’ve defined your WHY, identified the people you serve, and clarified your goals, it’s important to gut-check all of that against your competition. What’s their WHY? How do they convey it, if at all? It’s not about looking like your competition; it’s about standing apart. And your purpose can be key to achieving that.
Explain How It Comes to Life. Describe the benefits to your company, your team, and your customers. How are they all positively impacted by the company’s purpose? Empower your customers by showing how choosing your brand makes a positive impact beyond the purchase. Whether that’s a percentage of sales going to a charitable fund or supporting broader company initiatives, make it clear and tangible. Your purpose should come through everything you create and disseminate as an organization, from website copy and product launches to new initiatives and social media posts.
The Benefits of Purpose-Driven Marketing
Foster Brand Loyalty. When customers understand what you stand for and how that influences your business, it engenders trust. That trust goes deeper than a price point or single product; it’s a loyalty to what you provide as a company. People will notice you. But more than that, they’ll continue to pay attention.
Strengthen Company Culture. People feel authenticity. When employees understand their company or organizations’ purpose, it inspires their work and motivates more involvement. They sense that they’re working for something greater than a single role or project.
Create a Definitive Brand. The essence of the word brand is to leave a permanent mark, yet so many brands are easily forgotten or lumped together. Defining and communicating your purpose in multiple ways through various channels helps you separate yourself from the competition. It’s the stiff-arm to the status quo that creates space for your brand.
Takeaways
- Purpose-driven marketing is more than a single campaign or isolated initiative. It should be the foundation of your business—regardless of industry—and inspire your branding.
- Find your WHY by separating your purpose from your goals.
- Identifying, clarifying, and conveying your purpose take time, but will pay off for years.
Why is This So Important to Us?
Finding clear space for clients is always our goal. Distinctions make the difference for businesses, regardless of the industry. Working with companies and organizations with clear purpose makes creating easier and more effective—both for us and members of your team.
We choose to collaborate with brands we love, causes and companies we believe in, and organizations driven by purpose. All in service to making something meaningful. And we can help you get there—whether it’s uncovering and developing your purpose or spreading that message to the world. Connect with us to start the conversation.
