4 simple steps - how to bring your brand purpose to life

Most companies have a stated purpose but few work with it on a daily basis. We've looked at how to bring it to life and really integrate it into your brand.

Better results

In previous blog posts, we have discussed the importance of a well-crafted purpose in creating a successful brand. A well-integrated purpose leads to better results and in a connected and ever-changing world, meaningfulness and context are more important than ever. But how do you make sure that the well-defined purpose that you put a lot of energy into developing actually comes alive in your business? That it permeates everything that is done both internally and externally in a clear and inspiring way?

4 steps to a living purpose

The Boston Consulting Group's analysis has produced a four-step program with concrete suggestions on how to bring your purpose to life and make it a natural part of your business - every day.

Step 1: Discover

Talk to your organization! Do they know the company's purpose and does it align with their thoughts and values? Dig deep with both employees and customers and try to understand their perception of the brand. What emotions does it evoke and what kind of meaning does it give? Are their thoughts in line with the purpose or are changes needed? Don't be afraid to change the purpose at this stage, the most important thing is that it matches reality and feels genuine.

Step 2: Communicate

Once the purpose is in place, it is a matter of communicating it, getting it out into the organization and making it alive among employees and customers. Storytelling is an important factor, to convey the purpose in an interesting way. A short movie of 2-3 minutes can be an excellent way to reach out with the purpose. Moving media has a tendency to capture people's attention and today, when our average attention span is only 8 seconds, it is important to get the message across quickly. Including your own employees or other famous faces in the video can be another way to grab attention and create a more personal feel.

Step 3: Activate

Once the purpose is clarified and packaged, it is time to roll it out to the organization. This involves reaching everyone in the business, both employees and customers. The company's leaders play an important role in the process. For the purpose to take hold, everything that management does and says must be aligned with it. A good idea might be to launch the new purpose at an event, perhaps in a movie theater with a grand screening? However, it is important that the purpose is not forgotten immediately after the launch. It might be a good idea to prepare training materials or information leaflets for participants to take home after the event.

Step 4: Integrate

The fourth and final step is about integrating the purpose into the business and really making it stick. For the purpose to be alive, it is important that the whole organization embraces it every day. The purpose should be part of the leadership of managers as well as the design of IT systems and external communication. A smart idea is to clearly integrate the purpose into the company's recruitment program, as a strong purpose usually makes it easier to attract new employees. The purpose should also play a central role in development programs and management meetings, and all new decisions should be made with the purpose in mind. Many companies also make their purpose visible in their office, by simply creating boards or other decor that constantly reminds them of it.

Engaged leaders are key

Bringing your purpose to life and making it a natural part of your business can seem like a lot of work, but it doesn't have to be. The most important thing is to have committed leaders. If leaders and managers believe in the purpose and actively work to make it visible in the organization, employees and customers will soon do the same. It's about having the courage to stand up for the purpose and speak out if something doesn't align with it. Then, and only then, will you create a brand that lives its purpose at every level. Want to know more about purpose-driven brands or need help getting started? Contact us and we will be happy to help you!