What do you usually think when you think about the main necessity for running a business, the usual answer I get back is to make money. Money money money. Hmm as an end product yes but as an overall aim no! A brand needs a purpose just like everyone needs a purpose in life to succeed. Anita Roddick is great case study for this, for all those that don't know Anita Roddick is the founder of the Body Shop, this brand has purpose beyond profit, originally the idea was based on the concept to make skin products that are ethically correct ie. no animal testing and by doing this being an ethical contributor to all society. Anita Roddick didn't set this up to to make a profit she had a vision and to carry out that vision for the good of society. Obviously there's such thing as supply and demand yet giving a company an added purpose a sense of well-being builds trust with customers, employee's and a vision for success and change. Not only does it help the brand become something of value, it helps it to stand out not just another beauty shop or hair dressers or nightclub it gives the brand meaning a focus that consumers will recognise and relate values to, to help the brand succeed.
Likewise stated by the Chief Executive of Vickers,
"Profit is a by-product of our business and when we make our tanks, incubators and Rolls Royce cars to a very high standard and promote them the best we can, then profit is a by-product that flows into the company.
But if we ever get the impression that profit is a product of our company, that our Rolls Royce's, tanks and incubators are the by-product, then we will be 5 years from extinction"
A motivating brand purpose is concerned with answering the questions 'How is the world going to be a better place as a consequence of the brand?' By having a purpose it gives a brand qualities that go beyond that of supply and demand, it can make a brand admirable, stand out and it can make a brand have integrity qualities which a brand can use to build a business apon and help them on the road to success. Examples of these purpose are:
Persil: if children were allowed to play unhindered.
Dove: if women were allowed to feel good about themselves.
Johnson & Johnson: to alleviate pain and disease.
I think these examples some it up nicely but lets not get things twisted at the end of the day yer you could have a small business have a set local clients and tick over nicely till your old and grey without ever having a purpose apart from delivering a good service. But if your looking for the big picture having a purpose and a vision are highly important today in a society built on relationships between brands and how brands are an attachment to all our lives and self representation of who we are.
A word I've dropped in this blog a few times is VISION, purpose is a part of a company vision well in the context I'm going to explain it anyway. De Chernatony (2010) states in From Brand Vision to Brand Evaluation that,
Brand Visioning is about considering how a brand can benefit its stakeholders over a long-time horizon. Its about being brave, putting a marker on a time line about a changed environment and then motivating staff to become enthused enough to bring about change.
The model De Chernatony uses to explain this is The Three components of Brand Vision, they are envisioned future, purpose and values, to put this into context you could explain it in the following:
A company produces a four-seater car. It enables consumers to personalise the car by getting onto their web page and choosing all different ranges of spec from colour to size of the engine. It also plans to encourage owners of the car to to form clubs in their local areas, so they can meet and enjoy the lovely scenery around them. To better the understanding to the consumer and the coherence of staff to embrace the brand they need a brand vision the three components of this could be.
Envisioned future: Lets strive to have bigger national parks of outstanding beauty and smaller parking places.
Purpose: By respecting each other and smiling more, roads and the world can be more enjoyable.
Values: Escapism, individuality excitement and energy.
Now you could easily argue some of these points but calm down its just an example but it helps you to get the jist of the whole concept. Now some might argue that we have a mission statement, goals, objectives but what this looks to is inspire staff, relate consumers perceptions to your brand and help to achieve the long term vision of the company through forward thinking, its times to embrace the new.
Still not convinced well read Collins and Porras Built to Last. Which provide research on how visionary companies are built, through similar methods and why some of the greatest organisations of all time use these principles.
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