What if we can’t live up to a purpose-driven brand?

Brands that I’ve worked with over the years have all agreed about the importance of embracing a purpose. Yet, many times, that agreement was accompanied by a reluctance.

At first, this struck me as odd. These brands all recognized that a purpose-driven approach is the most powerful way to connect with those you hope to serve. So why the hesitation?

It wasn’t that they didn’t believe in their purpose. Or that they thought it wouldn’t be meaningful enough.

It was because they were worried that they wouldn’t be able to live up to the purpose.

The horror story

There have been horror stories of organizations that announce a newly clarified purpose. They launch a major communications effort. Then, suddenly, the criticisms come. People begin to point out the inconsistencies between what the brand says (its purpose) and what it does. Some of the inconsistencies are portrayed as so egregious that the brand’s whole purpose-driven approach now seems manipulative. Even unethical. It begins to look like an attempt to skew our emotions to separate us from our dollars.

Repairing this kind of damage can be overwhelming. This wasn’t lost on the leaders of organizations who were considering a purpose-driven approach.