HOW TO CREATE PURPOSE-DRIVEN BRANDS THAT WORK HARD BUT LOVE HARDER.

You know the idiomatic expression about idle hands; the inverse of that saying can certainly be interpreted as “busy hands do good work.” And they should.

Today, hardworking people want, more than ever, for their labors (and fruits of those labors) to be not only rewarding to themselves but also for society at large. Younger target audiences especially gravitate toward jobs and products that transcend function (salary and benefits, convenience, choice, price, etc.) to achieve higher aims. They get that while a single individual cannot achieve world peace, solve the refugee crisis, or rebuild a city after a natural disaster — at the very least, they can at least feel good knowing they helped get it one step closer.

Purpose-driven brands place beliefs and values at the very core of the business. And per an Accenture study, more and more Americans are “assessing what a brand says, what it does and what it stands for. They support companies whose brand purpose aligns with their beliefs. And they reject those that don’t, with one in five walking away forever.”

Developed correctly, your purpose-driven brand strategy can serve as a guiding light that allows everyone from the CEO to the newest employee to understand what they are all there to accomplish and serve as a filter for everyday decisions. It will drive everything a brand does, from hiring to partnering to creating a culture to determining KPIs to communicating with constituents.

Animaré excels at putting a purpose-driven brand strategy in place for companies that build a compelling, purpose-driven narrative in their pursuit to elevate purpose to the core of its strategy to maintain relevance in a fast-changing, “social first” world, to deepen ties with its constituents, and to position the brand for profitable growth.

We believe that great purpose statements have five inherent qualities:

1. They are inspirational.

2. They are brief.

3. They require real stretch/reach.

4. They balance aspiration and precision.

5. They have a (world-bettering) role with a goal.

A brand’s purpose may or may not be tied to a specific cause or societal issue, but it can easily manifest itself in socially impactful ways.

Five examples where Animaré helped make purpose the core of the brand strategy for its clients:

1. 4Change Energy – Built on generosity.

2. A-MAX Insurance – Fighting for respect for low-to-moderate income consumers.

3. National Association of Mortgage Brokers – The standard bearer for integrity.

4. GM Financial – A champion of upward mobility.

5. Garland, TX – Nurturing entrepreneurialism across a very diverse community.

Finding Your Purpose.

Your purpose should capture the higher-order reason the brand exists, beyond simply making money. It goes by many names: high calling, high why, driving force, noble goal, north star. When done properly, purpose-driven brands get to occupy a special place in the minds of its constituents...where the brand not only delivers the functional needs of its constituents but also becomes a symbol for a way of thinking, unambiguous in its convictions and inextricably linked to goodwill. In essence, purpose-driven brands become badges for how advocates live their lives.

The steps Animaré takes to identify your optimal brand purpose include:

• Step 1: Brand/Competitor/Category Intel Immersion

• Step 2: Purpose Territory Concepting (3–5 viable territories)

• Step 3: Branding Decision-Making/Refinement (ordinarily in a workshop setting)

• Step 4: Brainstorming Purpose "Rituals" That Bring the Purpose to Life

Regarding rituals, we ensure that your purpose manifests across five key areas of your business:

1. Culture: What are the behaviors, symbols, and other characteristics that exist across the organization that make people feel that they are a part of something really big?

2. Customer Service: Beyond the fundamentals, what are the unique ways the brand engages the customer?

3. Promotions: Do the marketing communications visually and verbally reinforce the purpose?

4. Causes: How well do the causes the brand aligns itself with further the purpose-driven message?

5. Product Innovation: Do you package your product offering in a manner that compels people into joining your cause?

Brands that fail to balance people and profits adequately ultimately risk reputation and ROI. The upside volume potential of being a purpose-driven brand can be significant. But it’s not just us that feel like this. A 2019 McKinsey & Co. study on employees and corporate purpose reveals how continuous marketing of purpose is extremely important given perceptions that purpose is often perceived as just words on paper rather than a real guiding force for companies. As well, Deloitte studies reveal that purpose-driven companies experience 40% higher levels of workforce retention.

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Animaré was founded in 1994 as an advanced practices unit inside one of the largest agencies in America. Our initial charge was to formulate new and better ways to connect the essence of a brand to the soul of the consumer. Over the last 29 years, Animaré has helped transform more than 100 brands in every business category using innovative strategies and compelling advertising campaigns for a proven marketing ROI.

Let's get your brand purpose to the forefront and ensure it is really resonating with your core audience.