Purpose-driven branding is important because it’s effective. It allows people to take part in something greater than themselves and is a tool for your organization to generate value. From the way your team operates to how you interact with your clients, the way decisions are made, and the long-term organizational goals - everything is connected to the greater purpose of the brand.
The purpose-driven brand has its purpose, values, and beliefs at the core of all business decisions. According to a 2020 Porter Novelli study 89% of business leaders say companies that lead with purpose have a competitive advantage in today’s marketplace and increasingly, people think about a company’s mission, values, and social impact before they buy. This involves an understanding that a company is working to improve the well-being of all their stakeholders.
Research from Deloitte suggests that while many companies are active in some form of social responsibility (e.g. volunteering in the community or donating funds through corporate foundations), only a third currently see social impact as core to their strategy. Branding with purpose will be effective if it aligns with your company’s mission, values, and capacity. This impacts both the cause and scale of your organization’s work.
For example, providing clean water is an admirable cause. But there are many ways to go about it. If you run a water bottle company, you’re probably not equipped to provide any sort of direct help. But you could partner with organizations around the world with clean water initiatives.
Similarly, a small business will have different resources than a larger business and therefore use different strategies to give back. While a large company may have a corporate foundation, a smaller business will achieve better results by doing good in the community through volunteerism or partnerships with local organizations.
Regardless of what community challenge you aim to tackle or how far reaching your scale is, here’s how you can start putting social impact to work as part of your strategy.
Be authentic No matter what your company believes in, do it honestly and grow purpose from the inside out. This involves getting clear on your values and reason for why your organization exists. Then you can communicate what you are “FOR” by putting your mission at the core of our organization.
Tell your impact story Stories make us experience information, as opposed to just consuming it. Purpose-driven communications aim to drive actions through inspiration. They should share your outcomes and demonstrate your impact. That way when people “invest” something into your organization (a donation, volunteer time, etc.) they know the value of what they contribute.
Be transparent and accountable When that purpose or cause isn’t supported by authentic action, it falls flat. This is why the ability to manage your social impact, you can take your purpose even further. By measuring what matters, you provide your audience with accountability because they can see that you are acting on your purpose. When you communicate, these measures need to be meaningful and easily understood by your audience.
So, how can your company act on its purpose to make a difference in the world? From philanthropy and volunteer work to sustainability, and equitable practices. When you do these things right, you will be well-positioned to successfully turn your good work into good business.
Curio412 is a consultancy for businesses who want to strategically engage their communities and measure their social impact. We work with companies to put their purpose into action by helping them plan, organize, and implement impact with a measurable outcome in mind. We believe in creating lasting impact. Which is why we share knowledge and tell stories to keep nonprofits, business, social enterprises, and charitable organizations informed about current trends, ideas, and impact.
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