Why The World's Most Successful Brands Place Purpose At The Heart Of Their Business Strategy Brand purpose is not just another trendy marketing term, but a fundamental part of every brand's core identity.

Mark DiSomma summarised what a brand purpose is and how it can benefit your business and brand perfectly when he said "A great brand purpose gets out how a company intends to change the world for the better. It unites customers and culture alike in the pursuit of that intention. It's a statement of belief, of hope, of pursuit."

After reading that you will be asking, great, so how do I find my business's purpose?

Discover what you stand for

Start by stating what you fundamentally believe must change in the world. For instance, Coca-Cola wants the world to be happy; Disney wants more magic and Google wants to see more things found. Ask what your brand wants to see happen, or what it wants to see stop.

You know you've found something that's engaging when you want to shout it from the rooftops and share it with the world. It should be something that all employees and customers are committed to see happen. A purpose worth sharing is what you're ideally after.

Havas Media engaged in thorough research that points to evidence that the world's most meaningful brands place brand purpose at the heart of their business strategy. Google's mission, for example, is to organise the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.

Google integrates this purpose into an efficient and measurable approach to business planning through a system of objectives and key results set quarterly across the company.

In 2010, Unilever refocused its organisation around its sustainable living plan, essentially a corporate purpose. This is evident in Unilever's brands that are delivering marketing activities centred around a clear social purpose.

Defining brand purpose

Brand Purpose can essentially be defined over three areas. First, it's purpose in the marketplace, second, how it benefits individuals, and finally, the brand's role on society.

Build your brand as a fixed focal point for your customers and employees, and by putting purpose at the heart of your business, you provide clear guidelines to employees about what they should be saying and what actions they should be taking to live up to your brand's ideals. Think of it this way; people will be far more inclined to share elements on behalf of a brand when there is a clear social purpose at its heart, would they do the same if it is just a rational sales message?