Purpose isn’t a slogan.
POV
By Smak. | 2 minute read
At Smak we believe wholeheartedly in being a purpose-led organization and encourage our clients to “take their purpose off the page,” and bring it to life through experiences with their employees, consumers and communities. We’re not the only ones who have embraced this goal. Companies that champion purpose-led initiatives have become all too familiar, particularly when it comes to their marketing platforms.
But there’s a disconnect between many organization’s claimed higher reason for being and the authenticity of their commitment to living up to it. All too often, they miss the beat. In order to capture the hearts and minds of a consumer segment or an employee base, they wrap campaigns or employer branding around a purpose that feels more like a slogan.
Worse yet, it is a slogan that doesn’t ring true to their corporate DNA. Consumers know it. And so do their employees. What can organizations do to ensure they don’t become one of the legions who don’t live up to the aspirations of being purpose-led?
The first thing is to take a long, hard look at its day-to-day practices. How do you manage employee welfare and engagement? Does your product live up to the standards you are aspiring to? And do your marketing practices bring this ethos to life in action rather than just words?
Leadership must embrace a purpose that extends beyond profit margins. They must ensure this is consistent in their communication to employees. And, if necessary, they must use it to evoke change within the organization to build a stronger culture and product offering in order to deliver business results.
And, they must empower employees to act on that purpose and ensure their daily initiatives reflect the values of the organization, in both product and the marketing of it.
Organizations should celebrate and take pride in teams that achieve this in their daily, functional roles. Marketing with purpose is harder than it sounds. Do it poorly at your peril. At best, it becomes wallpaper and is largely ignored. At worst, the negative impact is lasting and goes beyond a one-off campaign.
But done properly, and with authenticity, marketing with purpose has that ripple effect. It can turn a one-time interaction into something with an impact that continues through different spheres, creating advocates in customers, employees and communities.
Don’t be a slogan. Use purpose to make an impact.