The Importance of Brand Purpose

In today’s world, consumers are becoming increasingly socially conscious, and they expect the brands they support to reflect their values. As a result, businesses must align their brand purpose with their marketing strategies to build trust and loyalty with customers. Let’s explore the importance of brand purpose in digital marketing and how businesses can align their marketing strategies with their brand purpose.

What is Brand Purpose?

Brand purpose is the reason why a business exists beyond making a profit. It is the overarching mission and vision that drives the company, and it is the foundation of the brand’s identity. A strong brand purpose goes beyond the products or services a business offers and encompasses the impact it has on society and the world at large. What’s your brand purpose?

Why is Brand Purpose Important in Digital Marketing?

More and more, consumers are not just buying products or services; they are buying into the values and beliefs of a brand. According to a study by Cone Communications, 87% of consumers will purchase a product because a company advocated for an issue they cared about. This means that businesses that have a clear brand purpose and align their marketing strategies with it are more likely to build trust and loyalty with their customers.

I can even give an example of this happening to me personally. Uber and Lyft, to me, offer seemingly identical services. When I lived in the city, they both offered equal availability, the prices were close enough to each other, and both platforms’ tech was great. I won’t get into too many details, but after reading about one company’s corporate culture, it was easy to decide on using the other one from that point on. 

Social media and other digital channels have given consumers more power than ever before to voice their opinions and hold businesses accountable for their actions. A business that doesn’t have a clear brand purpose or doesn’t align its marketing strategies with it can face backlash from consumers who see the company as insincere or inauthentic.

How to Align Your Brand Purpose with Your Marketing Strategies

Define Your Brand Purpose

The first step in aligning your brand purpose with your marketing strategies is to define your brand purpose. This involves identifying the values and beliefs that drive your business beyond making a profit. Your brand purpose should be authentic, meaningful, and something that your employees and customers can rally behind.

Identify Your Target Audience

The next step is to identify your target audience and understand what values and beliefs are important to them. This involves conducting research and gathering insights into your customers’ motivations, preferences, and behaviors.

Create a Brand Story

Once you have defined your brand purpose and identified your target audience, it’s time to define your brand’s story so that it communicates your brand purpose and resonates with your customers. This involves creating messaging and content that highlights your brand’s values and beliefs and shows how they align with your customers’ values and beliefs.

Use Social Media to Amplify Your Brand Purpose

Social media is an essential tool for businesses to communicate their brand purpose and connect with their customers. Use social media to share stories, images, and videos that highlight your brand purpose and show how your business is making a positive impact on society and the world.

Partner with Like-Minded Organizations

Partnering with like-minded organizations can be a powerful way to amplify your brand purpose and create meaningful change. Look for organizations that share your values and beliefs and collaborate on campaigns or initiatives that align with your brand purpose.

Measure Your Impact

Finally, it’s important to measure the impact of your marketing strategies on your brand purpose. This involves tracking metrics such as engagement, sentiment, and brand awareness to see how your messaging and content are resonating with your customers.

Examples of Businesses Aligning their Brand Purpose with their Marketing Strategies

Patagonia

Patagonia is a well-known example of a business that has aligned its brand purpose with its marketing strategies. The company’s mission is to “build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.” Patagonia uses its marketing strategies to amplify its brand purpose by creating content that showcases its commitment to environmental sustainability. For example, the company launched a “Worn Wear” campaign that encouraged customers to repair their Patagonia clothing rather than buy new products, reducing the environmental impact of the fashion industry. Patagonia also donates 1% of its sales to environmental organizations and uses its social media channels to educate customers on environmental issues.

TOMS

TOMS is another example of a business that has aligned its brand purpose with its marketing strategies. The company’s mission is to “improve lives through business” by providing shoes, sight, water, and safe births to people in need. TOMS uses its marketing strategies to communicate its brand purpose and create a sense of community among its customers. For example, the company launched a “One Day Without Shoes” campaign that encouraged customers to go barefoot for a day to raise awareness of the impact that shoes can have on children’s health and education.

The Body Shop

The Body Shop is a cosmetics and skincare brand that has a strong commitment to environmental sustainability and social justice. The company’s mission is to “enrich our people, our products, and our planet.” The Body Shop uses its marketing strategies to communicate its brand purpose and showcase its commitment to ethical and sustainable practices. For example, the company launched a “Forever Against Animal Testing” campaign that called for a global ban on animal testing in cosmetics.

Businesses must align their brand purpose with their marketing strategies to build trust and loyalty with customers in today’s socially conscious world. By defining your brand purpose, identifying your target audience, creating a brand story, using social media to amplify your message, partnering with like-minded organizations, and measuring your impact, you can create a marketing strategy that resonates with your customers and showcases your commitment to making a positive impact on society and the world.