Aligning the shared value with the brand purpose

Brands intentionally closing the purpose gap:

The facilitation of good corporate citizenship and customer loyalty as embraced by employers and brand leaders is a great differentiator for businesses and brands. At the centre of effective internal and external brand activities are differentiae that hone in on how employees and customers perceive the brand’s commitment to its purpose. Every business and brand has a purpose, at times, it is difficult to have all stakeholders driving in the same direction in fulfilment of this purpose.

In cases that look into brands, their purpose is inherently connected to how they create meaning and the translation thereof through their activities. Their purpose is intrinsically positioned by their intention to invest in shared stakeholder value beyond profits.

If brand stakeholders feel a disconnect between the brand promise and the brand’s purpose, it is more likely to cause an ethical and social disparity within the organisation.

The divergence in such stakeholder engagement brings about the purpose gap within brand structures. Business and brand leaders are confronted with the responsibility to make decisions that stakeholders are to stand behind. The purpose gap exists because there are discrepancies between what stakeholders expect from the brand and what they believe brands are fulfilling.

What stakeholders expect from the brands’ ethical operating principles and socio-economic goals is strongly aligned to their role and motivation within the brand ecosystem. There are nuances derived from the intended and actually brand purpose. These nuances further inform the stakeholders’ individual purpose, in relation to the organisational purpose and industry purpose. When a leader understands how to pull a golden thread across these nuances to effectively make purpose-driven decisions, they are able to explore competitive and distinguished solutions to business and brand challenges that could empower shared value.

If you are a business and brand leader who is looking to inspire passion and brand love amongst internal and external stakeholders, look into how you personify your brand purpose as a leader and close the gap between what is expected and what is the lived brand experience. Create projects and activities that project a shared vision and empathetic approach to business and brand solutions.

If brand stakeholders feel a disconnect between the brand promise and the brand’s purpose, it is more likely to cause an ethical and social disparity within the organisation.