Branding on Purpose
October 25, 2023
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Today's contemporary marketplace is teeming with discerning consumers inclined toward brands that resonate with their values. This growing awareness and state of being has engineered a shift in the branding paradigm, ushering in the era of Purpose-first Branding.
Purpose-first Branding is not a novel concept, yet its significance has recently permeated almost every crevice of the strategy adopted by brands. It mandates that a company's mission is not merely a tagline but the Northstar guiding its strategy.
When a brand's narrative is weaved with substantive purpose, it creates a distinct identity that resonates with consumers.
Pause and reflect on a brand like Patagonia, the outdoor apparel giant. Its essence is rooted in an unwavering commitment to environmental conservation. Patagonia has seamlessly melded its mission with its brand identity. The brand's "Don't Buy This Jacket" campaign was a testament to its affinity for the environment, urging consumers to ponder the necessity before purchasing. This audacious narrative bolstered Patagonia's brand identity and fostered a devout consumer base identifying with its purpose.
Imbuing a brand with purpose from day one is the disruptive strategy that gains authenticity in a way few legacy brands rarely match. Extensive data shows that when done right, Purpose-first branding has tangible influence:
- 63% of consumers have an affinity for purpose-driven companies, believing they offer better service and products.
- 52% of people are willing to pay more for sustainable products.
- Brands with ethical marketing see 30% higher retention versus competitors.
This purpose must be real because empty virtue signaling is recognized and quickly called out across channels in today's communication landscape. It is now mission-critical for organizations to find their purpose early on and amplify it creatively across touchpoints, from visual identity to storytelling to User Experience(UX) and beyond.
When purpose is recognized and deployed to permeate the consumer journey, branding becomes a visual compass for change, not mere window dressing. To ensure that more brands in the space have a firm recognition of their purpose to reflect in their branding, we at a small studio take teams and founders through a trademarked Identity Architecture Framework, which uncovers their natural drivers of purpose.
For all organizations we work with as design partners, we nudge them toward developing a narrative that leads with purpose because we want their color palette to mean so much more. The customer journey on their platform is imbued with who they really are, and every bit of their narrative has to serve their target consumers in totality and honesty.
We live, eat, and breathe our purpose at a small studio, "Using our gifts to bring Peace."something the world has a lot less of right now. And it springs to life across every interaction of ours. Forming our foundation to build inspirational brand identities that naturally resonate, and we are here to make that happen for our partners consistently.
Let's keep building brands on purpose!
