Purpose Driven Marketing: Duh, Starts With Purpose

I've witness many brands lose touch with their market and lose touch with their founding principles and simply lose touch. Perhaps the vision was clear in the minds of the founders, or perhaps the founders had doubts creep in about their purpose. I am well aware that the purpose of business is foremost to make a profit. But I have yet to see a business succeed with that as its sole motivation. 

There is no substitute for going back to the fundamental questions before going hog-wild in your marketing if you're brand new or reinvigorating your brand. Simply substitute "company" for "church" below, and, amazingly, it clicks.

Nothing precedes purpose. The starting point for every church should be the question, "Why do we exist?" Until you know what your church exists for, you have no foundation, no motivation, and no direction for ministry. If you are helping a new church get started, your first task is to define your purpose...

However, if you serve in an existing church that has plateaued, is declining, or is simply discouraged, your most important task is to redefine your purpose... Nothing will revitalize a discouraged church faster than rediscovering its purpose.

As I prepared to start Saddleback Church, one of the important factors I discovered in my research was that growing, healthy churches have a clear-cut identity. They understood their reason for being; they are precise in their purpose. They know exactly what God has called on them to do. They know what their business is, and they know what is none of their business! Does your church have a clear-cut identity? - The Purpose Driven Church: Growth Without Compromising Your Message & Mission, by Rick Warren

Forget branding, forget repositioning for a sec. Too many people - I've been there - put the cart before the horse.

You must first answer: Why do you exist? and then live it. Be clear in purpose and its resonant expression follows. An invitation that stems from purpose and conviction is unmistakable and unshakable in its alluring draw.

Comments

[Troy Worman]

Excellent post! First you must discover your reason for being. Only then can you build an authentic brand.

[tom willerer]

I think that we as people were created with a purpose and thus are always searching for it - no matter if we understand our searchings as such or not. Our purpose is not - to make more money, acquire things, etc. It is about relationships. With our creator, with fellow humans, and with the world around us.

In the same way a brand's purpose is not about making money, acquiring customers, etc. It is about relationships. Why is the Internet seeing explosive growth - relationships. Why are bloggers getting so much press - relationships.

It's all about relationships.