What good is a brand purpose if it doesn’t get put to use?

There is nothing like going through a brand purpose discovery. I have conducted them with even the most jaded participants. I’m talking about crusty old operations guys who think these kind of sessions are just a bunch of nonsensical crap (they have told me as much at the beginning of the process.)

But the process of discovering your organization’s brand purpose is simply irresistible. Because it allows you to have a say in establishing that thing that your company will do to make a difference in an individual life, a community, or even the world. That is the thing that gives people a reason to get out of bed in the morning. And to keep plowing ahead when things get murky and difficult. It’s a thing that people get passionate about. Because it’s not some stale mission statement. It is a belief that feels meaningful. And, as a result, personal. It’s not something you simply adhere to. It is something you own. Willingly.

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I have seen it transform those crusty old operations guys into evangelists. If it can do that, imagine what it can do for your team members, your customers, and your prospects.

Left to rot

The biggest travesty is a brand purpose that is left unrealized. Here’s what I mean. An organization begins the journey. There is the research, the archeological dig into the company’s history, and all the collaborations. It culminates in finding that ultimate expression of the organizations brand purpose – it’s Big Audacious Meaning.

Then, you know what happens next? Nothing.

The leadership team pats each other on the back. They frame the brand anthem created from the brand purpose. And they hang it on the boardroom wall where nobody but a handful of leadership team and board members ever see it.

Then they go back to doing what they always did. And they wonder why nothing has changed.

Insane? Absolutely.

Discovery is just the beginning

You should be applauded for having the vision to discover and define your brand purpose. But while we’re congratulating ourselves, let’s not forget that there is transformative potential that has yet to be unleashed.

As absurd as it sounds, it’s easy for the core team to forget that only a select few have been exposed to the inspiration of the newly established brand purpose.

You need to introduce it and champion it.

Share it with your team. Introduce it to your customers. And preach it to your prospects. When you do, good things happen. Internally, productivity jumps. Externally, engagement increases. Suspects become prospects. Prospects become customers. And customers become evangelists.

There is incredible potential in your brand purpose. It can do everything from motivate to differentiate to inspire. Are you ready to introduce that to your organization?

Dan Salva is a co-founder of Will & Grail, with more than three decades of experience in brand marketing and developing and implementing go-to-market strategies. He can be reached at dsalva@willgrail.com.