Brand Purpose is perhaps one of the most misused and ham-fisted methods of differentiation in use today. If you do a quick search for brand purpose you’ll see a swathe of articles explaining why it’s so important.
But is it really?
Brand Purpose is only one way of differentiating your business. One way of many.
It’s no more or less important than any other possible approach.
If you start with the questions you should be starting with:
- Who is your customer?
- What do they care about?
- How can you position your business so that you become the obvious choice for them?
Then the method of differentiation – your positioning – should neatly fit in here.
Don’t adopt a cause or purpose because it’s “what the cool kids are doing these days”.
If, after answering the above 3 questions, a brand purpose makes authentic sense and you can really lean into it, then go ahead. This is the occasion when you do need a brand purpose.
But I’d suggest that for most businesses, a different positioning strategy is a better fit.
Differentiate your business in a way that can be authentically yours. Be careful following the latest trend.