Part 2 - Brand Purpose

Reason for being.

Sometimes referred to as “finding your why.” This is one of the most important questions you can ask your brand, but just asking why isn’t enough. We’ll go deeper into that question to define your brand’s purpose: your emotional reason for starting your company.

The why of the why.

So why is this so important? It’s important because in this step we begin to develop a true sense of your brand, based upon its values and your reason for providing products & services to your customers. If you remember from week 1, your logo is the face of your brand. Your brand will come to life when we weave your brand values, brand promise, and customer perception together to form your brand identity.

You may not have ever thought about it, but McDonald’s doesn’t tout amazing hamburgers. Because they’re not in the business of amazing hamburgers. McDonald’s is in the business of selling you a perfectly identical culinary experience no matter which location you end up at, and they do this for 69 million people per day. This isn’t to say the hamburgers are bad (absolute guilty pleasure of mine), but if you were to ask Ray Kroc, he’d tell you this phrase: “Quality, Service, Cleanliness, and Value.” McDonald’s goal is as much geared toward franchisers (if not more so) as it is to counter clientele.

I started Brandfirm to cater, not in part, but primarily to small businesses. Having hired branding and marketing companies in my younger days and previous ventures, I realized that there is a gap at best and a clear disconnect at worst for what “affordable” marketing looks like for a small business. It was this glaring disparity that inspired us to build Brandfirm.

Brand purpose.

1. What is the meaning of the name and is there a unique story behind it? 2. What is your purpose? This about this one. What do you do? Who do you do it for? And why are you better than the competition (more on positioning in week 3)? You can find the Brandfirm purpose on our website’s front page: to provide great marketing services to budget conscious small business owners who understand the importance of quality marketing support.

3. What are 5-8 core values of your brand? You can modify the number here, but think about your brand’s core values and how they integrate into your brand. These shouldn’t be chosen lightly. Take time; think about it. These values are woven into the way you do business, bring your company to market, and deliver your brand promise to your customers. Here are Brandfirm’s values: https://www.brandfirmly.com/small-business-consulting

4. Think about 3-5 brands off the top of your head – write them down. What appeals to you about them? Why did they pop into your mind?

5. Name a couple brands that you are loyal to now that you’ve stopped shopping for alternatives regardless of price or availability.

Why ask these questions? The brands you relate to and patronize help uncover your values, what’s important to you, and how important those qualities are. For example, I’ve stopped shopping for flip flops. I wear only one brand, OluKai. My journey with OluKai started in 2015, not too long after they came onto the market. The retailer’s pitch was, “Dude, these are supposed to be amazing. They hold up through anything, and they are killer looking.” That was his response to me saying, “You’re going to have to explain why I would pay more than $100 for flip flops.” But here is the thing, he was right. I bought my first pair in 2015, and replaced them only 3 months ago (for the exact same style – creature of habit and all). Tell me, who else has had flip flops they were daily that last almost 3 years?! OluKai delivered the promise that matters to me – a top quality, durable, stylish flip flop that won’t wear out on me. Why are my flip flops relevant? Because I like quality, and that’s what goes into Brandfirm. Circling back, in small business, what matters to the owner is what matters to the brand. These values largely make up the company values moving forward.

Stay tuned next week when we talk about positioning and defining your clients and your competition!

Subscribe or come back next week when we delve into your brand purpose!

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