Episode #20: How to Define Your Brand Purpose

Your Brand purpose represents your reason for existing, what you stand for, and how your business intends to change the world for the better.

It’s your company’s Big Audacious meaning.

Its role in your brand strategy is to emotionally connect with consumers who share the same beliefs and want to associate themselves with brands with similar interests.

Consumers are no longer looking for just a product or service that fulfills a need.

They are looking for brands who stand for something larger than the products they sell.

The 21st century customer is searching for movements that make a difference.

If your brand represents a purpose that they can connect and relate to, then they will be more likely to purchase your products and services because they feel like they are part of a bigger effort.

An effective and relatable brand purpose shows the consumer that your company values more than just generating revenue.

Your brand purpose will also unify your company culture and attract top talent who want to work with organizations in the pursuit of common goals.

HOW TO DEFINE YOUR BRAND PURPOSE:

So now that you know what a brand purpose is, how it will connect and engage with the consumer, as well as unify your team, how do you go about actually defining your brand purpose?

The first step is by defining your “why”.

Start by asking yourself these 3 questions:

What are you best at?

This might seem like a simple question, but it may be more difficult to answer than you think. For instance, you are not answering what you are good, or even great at.

You need to define what you are BEST at. What can you do better than all of your competitors? The clarity of this answer will give you the focus to then ask yourself the next question.

What are you passionate about?

This question should be a little easier to answer. It’s basically asking you what you love to do. This is the thing that you would do even if you weren’t getting paid for it. But don’t confuse this with what you “think” you are passionate about based on the opportunity it may offer you.

Oftentimes people fake themselves into being passionate about because they think it may be lucrative. You need to be very truthful and honest with yourself when answering this question.
Now that you know what you love to do and can do better than anyone, let’s answer the final question.

What does the world need?

The answer to this question will be the reason why people engage with your brand and become loyal brand advocates. How will what you do change the world and make it a better place? How is what you do different from the competition?

Be sure that your answers all align with each other.

For example, if you’re the best at something, but you’re not passionate about it, then you most likely will not be able to make much of a difference in the world.

Once you have the answers to these questions, you will have created the foundation for a powerful and authentic Brand Purpose.

In addition to these 3 fundamental questions, here are a few additional, more basic questions that will help you define your business and further clarify your purpose.

Why Are You Here?

This is a simple statement that sums up your core purpose. It’s typically answered in an emotional tone and simplified to just a few headline words.

What Do You Do, and How Do You Do It?

This should be a detailed descriptive statement about the process and functions of your business.

What Makes You Different?

This should explain the uniqueness of your business and help position it away from the competition in the minds of the consumer.

Who Are You Here For?

This should state who your ideal customer is. Keep this well defined and narrow it down to a specific audience that needs your product or service and can be targeted.

What Do You Value Most?

This should include one key value that is the most important to your organization and your customer. We will define additional brand values later in an upcoming module, but for now think of the top value that represents your business.

So there you have it. You must define your brand purpose as one of the critical steps to building the foundation for your brand strategy.

In upcoming videos I’ll help you define the other 3 pillars of your brand foundation, which are our brand Vision, brand Mission, and brand Values.