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Brands need to make a difference
7 Apr 2015
A defined 'purpose' should be a brand's ultimate goal, brought about through communications and through the organisation's internal culture, product development and CSR initiatives. Ideally, all brands should be borne from what consumers need, which is not a new concept, as demonstrated by Nike and Google.
Consumers want brands to make a difference to their everyday lives, therefore in today's connected, convergent world where utility from brands is more possible than ever, 'purpose' at its core is a desired behaviour.
Never before has the media landscape made it more possible for brands to realise what consumers really want. As I write this, an overseas friend of mine was communicating with me on a train via the internet and his signal dropped often - if a brand came along and installed Wi-Fi on the train, he would most certainly love it forever!
The challenge for marketers is identifying a purpose that is true to the brand and that can remain true to its purpose. In the eyes of a consumer, the purpose needs to be authentic and needs to come from the top - not just from marketing and advertising but also at a boardroom discussion level.
There is also a misconception of what purpose is, because some marketers define it simply as CSR, whilst consumers say it starts with CRM, the latter being today's reality.
One platform brings this to life - digital. It allows us to connect with content and each other. Facebook saw value in the messaging service WhatsApp when it bought it for US $19bn, then again, 50 billion messages a day by 400 million global users is compelling.
Hellman's Mayonnaise noticed this opportunity, knowing that food lovers at home would welcome some coaching when creating in the kitchen. It went one better than a cookbook or website - it gave consumers the opportunity to interact in real time with a chef, through WhatsApp video messaging and, of course, mayo has to be an ingredient. Chefs Coach Foodies on New Recipes via WhatsApp is an example that brings to life the idea of being purpose-driven. Hellman's is a Unilever brand and Unilever has stated the importance of purpose-driven marketing globally - coincidence?
Our landscape is connected more than we ever thought possible, in fact nothing is impossible! Define your purpose and reap the long-term benefits! For more information, go to Project Reconnect and Unilever.
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