Blog
Communicating your purpose
This sense of purpose – for Triodos, an ethical and credible alternative to mainstream banks, for Ecotricity, turning bills into mills – is what tomorrow’s companies will need in order to retain customers and motivate employees.
What is purpose? Purpose is the reason you are in business other than to make money. It’s not about what you make, but what you make happen. Purpose isn’t philanthropy or CSR, it’s about how your company’s core business benefits people and planet.
The power of purpose
Communicating your purpose can transform the fortunes of your brand.
Purpose inspires confidence and fuels investment. Purpose can be a catalyst for innovation – witness the success of Innocent and Ecotricity. And purpose underpins strong cultures: 94% of Triodos staff say they are proud to work there.
In short, the future belongs to companies with purpose.
Know your purpose
Before you can start to communicate your purpose, you need to know what it is.
When we first started working with thebestof, the company saw itself as a web directory selling advertising space. We helped the company and its franchisee network recognise and communicate its role as a champion of locally recommended businesses. Re-energised and focused on its purpose, the firm has blossomed from an underperforming web directory into a market leader.
Identifying purpose is often a matter of re-discovering the DNA of the business. Gardening brand Sankey, for instance, had come to see itself as a ‘plastics manufacturer’ rather than a gardening company. We helped the team reignite the latent passion for gardening inside the business, which led them to remodel their approach to everything from product development through to marketing.
Work from the inside out
Don't just slap your idea of purpose up on the wall: create it and live it alongside your team.
Great purpose-driven brands are built from the inside out. This means creating a strong culture within your organisation that brings your purpose to life. Purpose isn’t something you do to people. Purpose is there to inspire.
So top-down communication won’t cut it. Develop ambassadors at every level to carry your story to the shop floor, social media and even the pub. When purpose is genuine and engaging, enthusiasm becomes contagious and sharing comes naturally.
Engage for success
Companies such as Unilever are finding that a clear sense of purpose provides a sturdy platform for true engagement with customers and stakeholders – engagement that stretches far beyond the confines of a traditional ad campaign. Unilever’s Lifebuoy soap brand, for example, is creating a genuine movement towards better hygiene, featuring offshoot projects such as the Help a Child Reach 5 programme.
True engagement creates a lasting legacy. Our client, the gardening tools arm of Fiskars, has provided funds and tools to help communities turn abandoned land into green recreation spaces and allotments. Even after this programme finished, each group was left with the tools and skills to continue the good work and recruit others.
Identifying and stating your purpose is a brave move, not without risk. But it also makes it possible to transform an organisation through a clear direction, focused leadership and a vibrant, positive culture. Ultimately, it paves the way for sustainable success.
To find out more about how communicating your purpose can transform your brand’s fortunes, call Steven Fuller or Graham Massey on 01225 780000 or email steve@thehouse.co.uk.
This is an abridged version of our article published in Ethical Corporation on Feb 20.