How connecting purpose with people creates more human brands?

Purpose is key to connecting brands with people. Make your brand resonate with key stakeholders by focusing on what really matters.

A company consists of many different people. Sometimes there are conflicting instincts, motives and interests that can split a team. Then a meaningful purpose will have a collective effect and is the glue that holds things together. When different groups do business in line with the same purpose, they increase each other’s value. As a manager you therefore need a purpose that functions across the entire spectrum so as to engage everyone who will make your company more successful. The three most important groups you need to think about are customers, employees and investors. These groups require a focus individually adapted to them as described in the Trinity Model.

The purpose of the brand is the central idea that connects the branding activities with these three groups. When customers, employees and investors are engaged they can create incredible results for the brand. The three groups are linked to each other and the actions of each has consequences for the others.

Although the three groups are important to the company, it is still uncommon for there to be any direct interaction between them. Investors seldom interact with customers and do not affect purchase decisions. Customers are not as aware of the employees and the personal values of those working somewhere have little effect on the total perception of the brand. The employees do not care about the investors, with the exception of the instances where they have made decisions that have a direct effect on the situation at the workplace. Regardless of the approach we take, the others in the trinity are often far away.

That is why it is so important to focus on the connection there actually is between them. At the centre of the Trinity Model, there is a common area where all three overlap each other. This represents the greatest and most important parts, a powerful driving force that appeals to them all — the brand’s purpose.

The stronger the purpose, the greater the value of each group will be and the stronger the trinity becomes. If you bring together customers, employees and investors around a purpose, you will have created additional value for the company and the brand.

The company’s value: Purpose is strongest when it contains a human dimension. When a founder or CEO makes a public appearance to speak about things associated with the purpose of the brand in the media and to viewers, it is often easy to sympathise with the person in question. A presentation such as this may attract employees and lead to recommendations from persons positive about what the company stands for. In addition, customers can go from being purchasers to loyal fans.

Financial value: Purpose can attract like-minded investors who can help the company to get started and to grow. Many companies grow for years, supported by external capital but without any promise of a financial return. Investors know well that a company’s value fluctuates during its lifetime. When its timetable is determined by a clear purpose, investors are more able to support more elevated future targets.

Cultural value: Within an organisation, employees can flourish in surroundings where they have a common goal and common stakes. Purpose surpasses wages as a tool for motivating employees to perform optimally. If a company wishes to tempt and keep the best brains in the industry, it will need to offer them something that engages them. Purpose makes the workplace a better place, coordinates teams, creates good relations, increases efficiency and improves communication.

Customer value: The company would die without the customer. These days, the relationship between the company and customers is more direct than before. Younger target groups in particular are searching for a close relationship with the brands they use. They interact with them on social media and base their decisions on what they experience in dialogue with the company or via close friends. Customers will support and recommend companies that speak their language and that they feel represent their values.

Preparing a purpose statement that makes sense for all the three groups in the trinity is no easy exercise. This is where you need to work through each single word and think through each possible association. Unfortunately, there is no simple formula. All brands are unique. Looking at how others have dealt with the task could also help. I will include a couple of good examples of wordings for purposes:

Provide safe, unique, active and sustainable travel experiences that create lifelong memories.

Responsibly feed the world and protect the planet..

These statements bear witness to ambitions far beyond earning money. They appeal to the heart and encourage action. They speak about the core of the business and the very reason for conducting this. This is not about superficial tabloid rhetoric intended to be used in advertising and marketing. These purpose statements demand something.

For this reason, the next example comes across as weak:

Norwegian aims to be the preferred airline in selected markets and to generate profitability and dividends for our shareholders.

Remember that a purpose is something much more than grand words. It is a timetable that people will follow. Customers, employees and investors will expect action that supports the purpose.

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