What is Brand Purpose, and Why is it More Important than Sustainability?
Corporate sustainability is the act of aligning your business practices to meet economic, social and environmental sustainability targets to ensure a more efficient, effective and responsible business.
However, while corporate sustainability is necessary for an organisation to continue to be successful for years into the future, it is not the most important aspect of business. Corporate sustainability must be preceded by brand purpose.
Brand purpose is what is at the core of a business. It is a combination of the business’ mission, vision, values, operations and commitment to the wider economy, society and environment in which it operates.
In order for an organisation to make a commitment to sustainability, a business must have a purpose beyond making a profit. Brand purpose is what defines a business’ role in the greater community and can be a powerful way to connect with consumers. In the same way a commitment to sustainability can give you a competitive edge, your purpose and your story can place you ahead of your competitors when it comes to consumer decision-making.
At Strategic Sustainability Consultants, we believe corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a thing of the past; our business is founded on the principle that businesses should move away from a model of CSR and move towards a purpose-driven model where sustainability is at the core of business operations and where being in the green is just as important as being in the black.
Sustainability commitments, goals, programs and reporting must all be centred around an organisation’s purpose in order to ensure all operations are streamlined around core values. Brand purpose will assist an organisation when it comes to communicating and marketing sustainability practices as there will be a core theme throughout all communication.
To understand your brand purpose and understand how to market your brand purpose, contact a member of our team toady.
This article was originally published on the Strategic Sustainability Consultants website.
