To craft a winning Brand Purpose strategy, brands must understand their consumers (and their employees) better, on all levels, before communicating with the right people in the right way. We have identified the following steps that will help brands succeed.
1. Learn what matters most to your target audience
GfK Brand Architect research in 2021 found that, from all brand and purpose statements, the only one that stood out in terms of importance was “Values I identify with.”1 This is a clear signal that not all causes are equally important to all people. The first step is to carry out market and employee research to learn what matters most to your consumers and team members. It is worth noting that Brand Purpose is a newer concept that can be vague and difficult for people to understand; therefore, care needs to be taken to ensure the right questions are being asked.
2. Select purpose and values with authenticity in mind
When choosing Brand Purpose and Brand Values, it is critical that these reflect your internal corporate culture as well as resonate with your target customers. Selecting values that do not match your culture or business activities will create a disconnect, even if the issues matter to your customers.

The sustainability gap13
Getting the balance right can be difficult. Consider the current actions of your business and perception among consumers compared to where the business strives to be. It is important to be realistic, as consumers will see through overly ambitious but inauthentic claims. For example, a company with a consistently poor Health & Safety record with a Brand Purpose that revolves around employee welfare will not be seen as credible, even if it is making genuine efforts to improve.
To help achieve this, questions to ask and discuss with colleagues and stakeholders include:
- What value does your brand bring to your target audiences?
- Are your selected purpose and values credible and coherent?
- Is your purpose aligned with the nature of your products and services?
- How well does your Brand Purpose fit with your wider business goals?
3. Find your unique brand position
As noted above, GfK research shows that uniqueness is highly correlated with Brand Premium and plays a key strategic role for Exclusive and Power Brands in particular – the same groups that are most likely to adopt Brand Purpose and Brand Values.
It, therefore, stands to reason that brands that wish to leverage Brand Purpose should strive to identify a unique position. The purpose itself might not be unique. But the way it is spun and presented should clearly differentiate between the brand’s stance and that of its competitors.
4. Test your purpose and values before rolling them out
Before launching your new Brand Purpose and Brand Values, it is essential to test them out with a group of consumers that match your target demographic. Critical points to cover include authenticity and the balance between Brand Purpose, Brand Values and more functional elements such as price points and meeting consumer needs. If your findings show there is a disconnect in any of these areas, you will need to refine your chosen purpose and values, or even start again from the beginning.
5. Embed your purpose and values throughout your business
Once you have successfully aligned your purpose and values with those of your target audience, they should become the underlying basis for all key decisions, impacting every business function from HR and operational processes to brand positioning and pricing structures. Infusing your Brand Purpose and Brand Values across all levels and departments of your business is key, which is why the process should be embraced and driven by leaders as well as departments. By empowering teams and individuals to implement the new purpose and values into their everyday working lives, change will be driven democratically from the bottom up as well as from the top down.
6. Find the right ways to communicate effectively
Communicating your Brand Purpose and Brand Values should be an important part of the brand marketing strategy. Using their preferred online and offline channels, inform your consumers on what your brand stands for and what they can expect when they purchase it. Key messages should be embedded within sales and marketing communications, making it clear how your Brand Purpose and Brand Values are infused throughout your organization and are used to influence your decision-making.
Make sure you communicate your purpose and values to other key stakeholders, also. These might include suppliers, partners, brands in other categories and even other companies competing in the same space (within reason). If there are opportunities for synergy that strengthen the impact, credibility and authenticity of your Brand Purpose and Values, these should be leveraged and not passed over.
