Can we finally eradicate ‘brand purpose?’

I don’t tend to make new year’s resolutions but if I did – this would be it.

Can we please make 2025 the year that the term ‘brand purpose’ gets eradicated?

And the year where we put down the pitchforks as a passionate purpose-driven community to tell a united and simplified story of the role that Corporate Purpose can play in defining resilient, future normal organisations.  We need to make this easier.

There’s an FT article that’s got purpose folks (including myself) in a tizz.  With a provocative headline of ‘Has Corporate Purpose Lost Its Purpose?’ you can see why.  It’s actually a very interesting read and ultimately talks to research that is underway to look at the impact purpose can make.  Great stuff.

But much of the commentary around the article struck a chord.  There still appears to be confusion around the terms ‘corporate purpose’ and ‘brand purpose’.

My definition?

Corporate (or organisational) purpose: – guides the business.  It defines the problem that you (as a business) are uniquely placed to solve.  It’s an input to strategic decision making and should inspire innovation and opportunity.  And it’s a lens by which you operate and evolve the business.

A corporate purpose should guide the brand, sure. But a brand itself does not have a purpose. Brand is what you experience – through its identity, personality and interactions.  It provides differentiation and a shortcut in the minds of your audiences.

Brand Purpose: Not a thing!

And to the big question ‘Has Corporate Purpose lost its purpose?

I believe it’s just getting started!  I worry that we start to turn on something that is just reaching the point of real impact.  We are finally at a point where most CEOs say they have one.  And there is a huge amount of work underway to move from purpose statement to purpose-driven business.

With an ISO on the horizon and a wealth of research now pointing the power of purpose across the number of metrics, purpose is just getting started.