All else being equal, the purpose-driven brand wins

When purpose emerged as a factor of modern marketing, there was a false perception that arose. Some mistakenly believed that adopting a purpose was the long-awaited secret to winning over prospects.

This caused a problem as inauthentic marketers grabbed at the first purpose that they thought they could reasonably claim. Forget whether it truly aligned with who they were or what they believed (if they believed anything). Purpose was the new and shiny tactic to lure customers to their brand.

Of course, it didn’t take long for you, me, and everyone else to call them out.

This happened more than it should have. As you can imagine, these less-than-genuine efforts didn’t produce the magical results that these brands thought were a lead-pipe cinch. All of which led some to claim that brand purpose simply didn’t work when it came to customer acquisition.

Don’t underestimate the power of purpose

Purpose is an exciting and powerful factor that any brand can benefit from. When embraced authentically, it can have a magnetic effect. We all have a profound need to feel like what we do matters. That we can make a difference for the world around us. A brand’s purpose helps us in the pursuit to fulfill that need.