Having a purpose driven brand is more important now than ever before.
Gen Z’s are ‘Digital Natives’; they have been advertised to their entire lives through data-driven marketing and transmedia product placement. They know when they are being sold to, and they expect much, much more. They know the value of their data and their loyalty. Therefore, they need to see what brands can do for them in return.
60% of Millennials are belief driven buyers because:
- They value transparency
- They want to change the world, they’re optimistic
- They want to participate and engage with brands
If your brands don’t resonate with this audience, then they’re dead in the water.
What you can learn from sport
One surprising sector brands can learn from is Sport. At SXSW Jon Burkhart and Richard Clarke, ‘The World Cup of Content: An Overachiever’s Guide’, pitched sports fandoms, creative strategies and advertising campaigns against each other to demonstrate how to create content that “inspires game-changing action”.
It rings true that in sports you can’t create fan culture organically, you can only reflect it back at them, and amplify it. The same is true for all branding. People look to brands to reflect and reinforce the values that they have in themselves and culture. Therefore, being purpose-driven is having real focus on the end user. By reframing your brand to something that’s more meaningful, it elevates it to a more emotional space, with more relevance to people.
How a brand becomes purpose driven
You don’t have to be a startup to have a purpose. There are always opportunities to put yourself out there in ways that are relevant. As a starting point, ask yourself these questions from AJ Hassan of R/GA Chicago:
What is your goal? Aside from making money
Why does my brand exist? In the world and in society
What would the world look like if your brand was not a part of it?
As Roy Spence from The Purpose Institute, said of Aristotle, “Where your talents and the needs of the world cross; there lies your purpose”. And once you’ve found it, be authentic and walk the walk.
Breakthrough Global are values led and purpose driven. Our values lie at the core of what we do and lead us in every decision we make in business and with our clients because we know it makes a difference.
