Brand Purpose has been a hot topic for years, but too often it’s treated as either a one-size-fits-all requirement for every brand or a superfluous vanity for those that see themselves as do-gooders. Neither is true.
While deeply related, a company's Mission and Purpose accomplish different things. In the simplest terms, the Mission is what the company does, and the Purpose is why they do it (other than to earn revenue). Although the two are traditionally considered distinct elements of a company’s Brand Strategy, Mission and Purpose statements are sometimes combined into an all-encompassing Mission statement that communicates both the what and the higher-order why. Most companies are able to state their Mission, but alignment on Purpose is still often lacking.
Purpose statements are not for everyone, but for many brands it can help take the company to the next level. Under the right conditions, Purpose can positively influence customer acquisition, affinity & loyalty, employee engagement, brand partnerships, and social impact. Contrary to what critics of Purpose often assume, introducing a Purpose does not mean prioritizing charitable actions above business growth and shareholder returns. Instead—when chosen, articulated, and implemented correctly—Purpose contributes to business growth by showcasing a deeply fulfilling, higher-order reason for being that motivates people, differentiates the brand, and accelerates growth.
Examples of strong Mission & Purpose pairs:
Mission: “Connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful.”
Vision/Purpose*: “Create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce.”
IKEA
Mission: “To offer a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them.”
Vision/Purpose*: “To create a better everyday life for the many people.”
*Note: Vision is often—but not always—synonymous with Purpose. A Vision statement can represent what a company aspires to contribute to the world (Purpose), but in other cases the Vision communicates a long-term goal focused on what the company intends to become or achieve from a business perspective.
Despite all the potential benefits, it is not always a worthwhile investment of company resources to develop and roll-out a Purpose. Even after dismissing the myths that surround Brand Purpose, there remain a few valid reasons a company might choose to continue operating with just a Mission:
You already have an inspiring Mission that articulates your intentions for positive impact.
Consider sweetgreen’s Mission: “Building healthier communities by connecting people to real food.” This statement is more than a simple description of what the company does (sell healthy salads and bowls)—it reveals an underlying reason for existing that positively impacts the world (to improve community health by providing access to “real food”). In this case, introducing a Purpose about building healthy communities would be redundant because their Mission already does the job of showcasing what the company does and why.
Senior business leaders are unable to commit authentically to positive impact beyond profit.
A company that exists solely to grow profits without any intention of creating a positive impact in the world isn’t particularly inspiring, but at least there is a certain respectability in being honest about that singular focus. However, when a company pretends to have nobler intentions, they are manipulatively “purpose-washing,” creating a liability for the brand. It’s not enough that employees may want to have broader impact—senior leadership (including the board of directors) must be willing to make a long-term commitment to ensuring the company’s Purpose influences business decisions, not simply marketing or CSR messaging.
The impact your company is passionate about enabling is unrelated to your business model.
In 2019, WeWork famously shared their Mission for The We Company, which encapsulated their WeWork, WeLive, and WeGrow businesses: “The We Company‘s guiding Mission will be to elevate the world’s consciousness.” While this statement was framed as a Mission, its loftiness put it squarely in Purpose territory—a characterization of why they exist, not what they tangibly do everyday as a business. Although “elevating the world’s consciousness” isn’t a good example of a Purpose or Mission, it spectacularly illustrates what happens when there is no recognizable connection to a company’s business model. A disconnected Purpose makes people roll their eyes and sometimes even suspect the company of being unfocused, delusional, or phony. Compare this with Dove’s own Purpose-like Mission: “Our mission is to make a positive experience of beauty accessible to all women.” It doesn’t take a massive cognitive leap to see how this statement connects to Dove’s business of selling hair and body products to diverse women and non-binary people by celebrating unique beauty rather than conformity. Rather than give people a reason to scoff, this Purpose motivates customers and employees to support Dove.
You’re facing a major crisis that will dominate company bandwidth for the foreseeable future.
Although the right partner can lead or expedite the process of developing a Purpose, selecting and rolling out a value-add Purpose typically requires involvement of executive leadership for initial input, workshopping, final approval, and company share-out. Employees also need the available bandwidth to internalize and operationalize a new Purpose. Time and resources can almost always be freed up when Purpose development is made to be a priority. However, if your company is facing a long-term public relations disaster, widespread employee dissatisfaction and disengagement, or other massive crisis that requires unwavering focus and all hands on deck, now may not be the time to prioritize a new Purpose. A new Purpose can play a key role in turning over a new leaf post-crisis, but it is not a substitute for addressing the root causes of a crisis.
If any of the statements above are true for your company, the precious time and attention of your employees and leaders may be better spent outside the realm of Brand Purpose for the time being. However, if none of the statements seem to apply to your company (or you can’t come to a confident conclusion), it’s worth exploring how a company Purpose statement could be a meaningful asset to your company.
Camille Estimé is a Mixing Board member and Independent Brand Strategy Director who works with companies across industries to strengthen their brand as a strategic asset for growth. Camille has an MBA and BS in Management Science & Engineering from Stanford University, and has worked with clients such as Starbucks, Netflix, LinkedIn, Instacart, and Brex.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/camille-estime/
Website: https://www.estimeconsulting.com/