[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":75},["ShallowReactive",2],{"i-material-symbols:language":3,"i-material-symbols:person":8,"i-mdi:instagram":10,"i-mdi:youtube":12,"i-ri:linkedin-fill":14,"i-ri:twitter-x-line":16,"i-ri:facebook-fill":18,"post-defining-a-brand-purpose":20,"i-material-symbols:person-outline":69,"i-material-symbols:calendar-month":71,"i-mdi:schedule":73},{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":7},0,24,false,"\u003Cpath fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M8.125 21.213q-1.825-.788-3.187-2.15t-2.15-3.188T2 11.988t.788-3.875t2.15-3.175t3.187-2.15T12.013 2t3.875.788t3.175 2.15t2.15 3.175t.787 3.875t-.787 3.887t-2.15 3.188t-3.175 2.15t-3.875.787t-3.888-.787M12 19.95q.65-.9 1.125-1.875T13.9 16h-3.8q.3 1.1.775 2.075T12 19.95m-2.6-.4q-.45-.825-.787-1.713T8.05 16H5.1q.725 1.25 1.813 2.175T9.4 19.55m5.2 0q1.4-.45 2.488-1.375T18.9 16h-2.95q-.225.95-.562 1.838T14.6 19.55M4.25 14h3.4q-.075-.5-.112-.987T7.5 12t.038-1.012T7.65 10h-3.4q-.125.5-.187.988T4 12t.063 1.013t.187.987m5.4 0h4.7q.075-.5.113-.987T14.5 12t-.038-1.012T14.35 10h-4.7q-.075.5-.112.988T9.5 12t.038 1.013t.112.987m6.7 0h3.4q.125-.5.188-.987T20 12t-.062-1.012T19.75 10h-3.4q.075.5.113.988T16.5 12t-.038 1.013t-.112.987m-.4-6h2.95q-.725-1.25-1.812-2.175T14.6 4.45q.45.825.788 1.713T15.95 8M10.1 8h3.8q-.3-1.1-.775-2.075T12 4.05q-.65.9-1.125 1.875T10.1 8m-5 0h2.95q.225-.95.563-1.838T9.4 4.45Q8 4.9 6.912 5.825T5.1 8\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":9},"\u003Cpath fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M9.175 10.825Q8 9.65 8 8t1.175-2.825T12 4t2.825 1.175T16 8t-1.175 2.825T12 12t-2.825-1.175M4 20v-2.8q0-.85.438-1.562T5.6 14.55q1.55-.775 3.15-1.162T12 13t3.25.388t3.15 1.162q.725.375 1.163 1.088T20 17.2V20z\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":11},"\u003Cpath fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M7.8 2h8.4C19.4 2 22 4.6 22 7.8v8.4a5.8 5.8 0 0 1-5.8 5.8H7.8C4.6 22 2 19.4 2 16.2V7.8A5.8 5.8 0 0 1 7.8 2m-.2 2A3.6 3.6 0 0 0 4 7.6v8.8C4 18.39 5.61 20 7.6 20h8.8a3.6 3.6 0 0 0 3.6-3.6V7.6C20 5.61 18.39 4 16.4 4zm9.65 1.5a1.25 1.25 0 0 1 1.25 1.25A1.25 1.25 0 0 1 17.25 8A1.25 1.25 0 0 1 16 6.75a1.25 1.25 0 0 1 1.25-1.25M12 7a5 5 0 0 1 5 5a5 5 0 0 1-5 5a5 5 0 0 1-5-5a5 5 0 0 1 5-5m0 2a3 3 0 0 0-3 3a3 3 0 0 0 3 3a3 3 0 0 0 3-3a3 3 0 0 0-3-3\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":13},"\u003Cpath fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"m10 15l5.19-3L10 9zm11.56-7.83c.13.47.22 1.1.28 1.9c.07.8.1 1.49.1 2.09L22 12c0 2.19-.16 3.8-.44 4.83c-.25.9-.83 1.48-1.73 1.73c-.47.13-1.33.22-2.65.28c-1.3.07-2.49.1-3.59.1L12 19c-4.19 0-6.8-.16-7.83-.44c-.9-.25-1.48-.83-1.73-1.73c-.13-.47-.22-1.1-.28-1.9c-.07-.8-.1-1.49-.1-2.09L2 12c0-2.19.16-3.8.44-4.83c.25-.9.83-1.48 1.73-1.73c.47-.13 1.33-.22 2.65-.28c1.3-.07 2.49-.1 3.59-.1L12 5c4.19 0 6.8.16 7.83.44c.9.25 1.48.83 1.73 1.73\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":15},"\u003Cpath fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M6.94 5a2 2 0 1 1-4-.002a2 2 0 0 1 4 .002M7 8.48H3V21h4zm6.32 0H9.34V21h3.94v-6.57c0-3.66 4.77-4 4.77 0V21H22v-7.93c0-6.17-7.06-5.94-8.72-2.91z\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":17},"\u003Cpath fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M10.488 14.651L15.25 21h7l-7.858-10.478L20.93 3h-2.65l-5.117 5.886L8.75 3h-7l7.51 10.015L2.32 21h2.65zM16.25 19L5.75 5h2l10.5 14z\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":19},"\u003Cpath fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M14 13.5h2.5l1-4H14v-2c0-1.03 0-2 2-2h1.5V2.14c-.326-.043-1.557-.14-2.857-.14C11.928 2 10 3.657 10 6.7v2.8H7v4h3V22h4z\"\u002F>",{"postType":21,"id":22,"author":23,"date":26,"modified":27,"title":28,"slug":29,"seoTitle":30,"seoDescription":31,"excerpt":32,"trimmedExcerpt":33,"content":34,"readingTime":35,"featuredImage":36,"postCategory":42,"relatedPosts":47},"post",60825,{"id":24,"name":25},"author-0301142015","Canto","2022-05-06T00:25:14","2025-11-14T09:06:36","How defining a brand purpose can accelerate business results","defining-a-brand-purpose","How Defining a Brand Purpose Can Accelerate Business Results","What can the debate surrounding Hellmann's Mayonnaise teach companies about the relationship between brand purpose and profit? Brands that get it right understand the connection between purpose and product. ","What can a jar of mayo teach companies about the connection between establishing a brand purpose and making a profit? It turns out that if you want to really get under the lid (sorry) of modern marketing and business, mayo is pretty much the main dish and everything else is … well, the dressing. That’s […]","What can a jar of mayo teach companies about the connection between establishing a brand purpose and making a profit?...","\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What can a jar of mayo teach companies about the connection between establishing a brand purpose and making a profit?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It turns out that if you want to really get under the lid (sorry) of modern marketing and business, mayo is pretty much the main dish and everything else is … well, the dressing. That’s because a debate about Hellmann’s Mayonnaise in January this year raised the question of whether brand purpose has a role to play — not as a question of degrees, but if talking about purpose is relevant to business at all. Up to that point, most of the analysis about purpose focused on campaigns or organizations that were “doing it right” and “doing it wrong.” More on that question in a moment. But here was Terry Smith, respected founder of Fundsmith Equity Fund, saying that the pursuit of brand purpose by Hellmann’s parent company Unilever was “ludicrous” and undermining financial results. Smith \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.marketingweek.com\u002Funilever-investor-brand-purpose-error\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wrote in a letter to investors\u003C\u002Fa> in January 2022:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003Cem>“A company which feels it has to define the purpose of Hellmann’s mayonnaise has in our view clearly lost the plot. The Hellmann’s brand has existed since 1913, so we would guess that by now consumers have figured out its purpose (spoiler alert — salads and sandwiches).”\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unilever’s Chief Marketing and Digital Officer \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.thedrum.com\u002Fnews\u002F2022\u002F02\u002F28\u002Fthere-s-no-question-it-s-right-unilever-marketing-chief-conny-braams-silences\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Conny Braams replied in an interview\u003C\u002Fa> the following month that sales of Hellmann’s and another of the company’s purpose-led brands, Dove, were up 11% and 8% respectively in 2021. Braams described purpose as “one of the levers for success” at Unilever, adding:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003Cem>“But it is not a replacement for a good product and that’s where it sometimes goes wrong. Brands are chosen for their value and values. It starts with value and you need fantastic products – products that are delivering superiority and quality against the best price. And if you deliver that, then values come on top of it as an accelerator.”\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"880\" height=\"450\" src=\"\u002Fcdn\u002Fen\u002F2022\u002F05\u002F19184705\u002Fbrand-purpose-2.jpg\" alt=\"Marketing collateral featuring brand colors from a Canto style guide.\" class=\"wp-image-60844\" srcset=\"\u002Fcdn\u002Fen\u002F2022\u002F05\u002F19184705\u002Fbrand-purpose-2.jpg 880w, \u002Fcdn\u002Fen\u002F2022\u002F05\u002F19184705\u002Fbrand-purpose-2-450x230.jpg 450w, \u002Fcdn\u002Fen\u002F2022\u002F05\u002F19184705\u002Fbrand-purpose-2-768x393.jpg 768w\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"toc-1--why-does-the-mayo-debate-matter\">Why does the mayo debate matter?\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The mayo debate reveals what really matters when it comes to brand purpose. In all the commentary about Smith’s investor letter, very few analysts actually looked at Hellmann’s purpose-driven activity. If you take the time and trouble to take a look, you’ll find a brand talking to consumers about sustainably-sourced ingredients. Hellmann’s explains the work it does to source eggs from farms with cage-free hens and its ongoing work with farmers and agricultural suppliers to improve the sustainability of land use in the supply of raw ingredients in products.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.hellmanns.com\u002Fus\u002Fen\u002Ftaste-matters.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">According to Hellmann’s\u003C\u002Fa>: “Let’s make good food available to all, and make sure it doesn’t cost the Earth. And let’s have a real, honest, grown-up conversation about what ‘good food’ truly means.” So sure, it’s about salads and sandwiches … if you want to think about the end-use of the product instead of talking about what 21st-century consumers might care about, as Unilever is trying to do. And that’s the difference in perspective. Brand purpose isn’t about describing a product. It holds up a mirror to consumers’ concerns relevant to the specific product category.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"toc-2--authenticity-and-relevance\">Authenticity and relevance\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The brands that “get it right” understand that connection between purpose and product. It’s why the UK-based coffee and sandwich chain \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pret.co.uk\u002Fen-GB\u002Fthe-pret-foundation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pret a Manger donates all unsold food\u003C\u002Fa> at the end of the day from its stores to homeless shelters and charities — reducing food waste.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It’s why Nike’s 2018 “Dream Crazy” campaign with Colin Kaepernick was hailed a success, winning a creative Emmy in 2019, despite a boycott of the brand by some. The campaign with Kaepernick, the former NFL star who started to kneel for the pre-game national anthem in protest at racial injustice, evoked the idea: “Believe in Something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.” It’s consistent with the messaging about sport, passion and belief in \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fabout.nike.com\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nike’s mission\u003C\u002Fa>: “Bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world. If you have a body, you are an athlete.”\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"880\" height=\"450\" src=\"\u002Fcdn\u002Fen\u002F2022\u002F05\u002F19184705\u002Fbrand-purpose-1.jpg\" alt=\"Colin Kaepernick Nike ad.\" class=\"wp-image-60845\" srcset=\"\u002Fcdn\u002Fen\u002F2022\u002F05\u002F19184705\u002Fbrand-purpose-1.jpg 880w, \u002Fcdn\u002Fen\u002F2022\u002F05\u002F19184705\u002Fbrand-purpose-1-450x230.jpg 450w, \u002Fcdn\u002Fen\u002F2022\u002F05\u002F19184705\u002Fbrand-purpose-1-768x393.jpg 768w\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But it’s why \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nytimes.com\u002F2017\u002F04\u002F05\u002Fbusiness\u002Fkendall-jenner-pepsi-ad.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pepsi’s ad featuring Kendall Jenner\u003C\u002Fa> stepping out of the crowd to hand a soda can to a police officer was pulled by the brand after widespread criticism for trivializing civil rights protests. Just what was the authentic connection between purpose and product? If there’s one question a CMO should ask about purpose, it’s what is our relevance to this issue?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"toc-3--back-to-the-roots\">Back to the roots\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This brings us back to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=u4ZoJKF_VuA&feature=youtu.be\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Simon Sinek’s 2009 TEDx Talk\u003C\u002Fa> (one of the all-time most-watched) and book \u003Cem>Start With Why\u003C\u002Fem>, when he explained the idea of the Golden Circle and the idea that “people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” And 13 years later, it still holds true. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.razorfish.com\u002Farticles\u002Fnews\u002Frazorfish-vmg-purpose-research\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Research by Razorfish and Vice Media\u003C\u002Fa> last year found:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\u003Cli>62% of consumers of all ages say a brand’s values are important or very important to them when it comes to making purchase decisions;\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>40% actively researching a brand’s values and practices;\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>Consumers were more likely to say brand purpose (41%) influenced their purchase decision than brand innovation (32%) and even discounts (26%).\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Drill down into demographics, and the research found:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003Cem>“Gen Z is 2x more likely than millennials, and 3x more likely than Gen X, to feel that brands—more so than media companies and institutions—are more likely to make the world a better place. This generation also prioritizes purpose when making purchasing decisions, with 76% stating the brands they buy stand for a greater mission\u002Fpurpose.”\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thinking about purpose doesn’t just apply to consumers, it’s employees too. It’s the working philosophy that Elon Musk applied to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tesla.com\u002Fabout\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tesla and its mission\u003C\u002Fa> to “accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.” \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Feu.azcentral.com\u002Fstory\u002Fmoney\u002Fbusiness\u002F2014\u002F06\u002F12\u002Ftesla-handing-over-the-keys-to-its-technology\u002F10408667\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Musk once said\u003C\u002Fa>: “Technology leadership is determined by where the best engineers want to work. Putting in long hours for a corporation is hard. Putting in long hours for a cause is easy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"toc-4--brand-management-where-purpose-and-profits-meet\">Brand management: Where purpose and profits meet\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not every brand is on a mission to save the planet — let’s be honest, the primary mission of most is to deliver shareholder returns. But consumers want to know their money is spent with brands that, as Hellmann’s put it, don’t cost the Earth in every sense of the phrase. The challenge for brands is to share the stories of how their products and services connect to bigger questions and societal concerns. That brings us to brand strategy and management. To communicate your brand purpose to the marketplace, you need to have a consistent brand voice, brand tone, and brand messaging. To manage all of this across an organization, leaders need a “single source of truth” that maintains brand integrity. That means:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\u003Cli>All brand guidelines and approved brand assets need to live in a centralized location, ensuring that global teams are adhering to the same brand standards.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>Customizable approval workflows to ensure that only approved brand assets can be utilized in the market.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>Version control to ensure that only the most current versions of branded content go into circulation.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Canto offers the platform to run a global, national, or local brand purpose campaign. As the mayo story shows, what works for communicating brand purpose is relevance and authenticity. But to put those principles into practice, you need to apply them with consistency.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Learn more about why top companies \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fglossary\u002Fbrand-management\u002F\">use Canto to manage their brands\u003C\u002Fa>. Or \u003Ca href=\"\u002Frequest-a-demo\u002F\">book a free, personalized demo\u003C\u002Fa> to see Canto in action.\u003C\u002Fp>",6,{"url":37,"url_md":38,"alt":39,"height":40,"width":41},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.canto.com\u002Fcdn\u002Fen\u002F2022\u002F05\u002F19184706\u002Fbrand-purpose-feature.jpg","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.canto.com\u002Fcdn\u002Fen\u002F2022\u002F05\u002F19184706\u002Fbrand-purpose-feature-450x263.jpg","Advertisement featuring a hamburger with toppings falling into place.",700,1200,[43],{"id":44,"slug":44,"title":45,"path":46},"branding","Branding","\u002Fpost-category\u002Fbranding\u002F",[48,55,62],{"featuredImage":49,"postId":50,"slug":51,"title":52,"description":53,"path":54},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.canto.com\u002Fcdn\u002Fen\u002F2016\u002F01\u002F19195551\u002Fbrand-reputation-450x267.jpg",4862,"brand-reputation","Brand reputation – 5 enhancements to consider","Brand reputation is a valuable thing to protect and improve because it increases company value. Use these five important methods to boost brand reputation.","\u002Fblog\u002Fbrand-reputation\u002F",{"featuredImage":56,"postId":57,"slug":58,"title":59,"description":60,"path":61},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.canto.com\u002Fcdn\u002Fen\u002F2019\u002F11\u002F19190722\u002Fbranding-websites-16-450x294.jpg",37751,"branding-websites","Unlocking your potential with branding websites: A complete guide","Branding websites give you the extra push needed toward success. Which ones truly deliver the goods? Here are seven great examples.","\u002Fblog\u002Fbranding-websites\u002F",{"featuredImage":63,"postId":64,"slug":65,"title":66,"description":67,"path":68},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.canto.com\u002Fcdn\u002Fen\u002F2019\u002F12\u002F19191609\u002Fbrand-authenticity-47-450x300.jpg",24663,"brand-authenticity","Brand authenticity examples: How customers uncover your brand truths","Brand authenticity is achieved when genuine brands are truthful to customers. Here are five tips to guide your brand authenticity journey.","\u002Fblog\u002Fbrand-authenticity\u002F",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":70},"\u003Cpath fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M9.175 10.825Q8 9.65 8 8t1.175-2.825T12 4t2.825 1.175T16 8t-1.175 2.825T12 12t-2.825-1.175M4 20v-2.8q0-.85.438-1.562T5.6 14.55q1.55-.775 3.15-1.162T12 13t3.25.388t3.15 1.162q.725.375 1.163 1.088T20 17.2V20zm2-2h12v-.8q0-.275-.137-.5t-.363-.35q-1.35-.675-2.725-1.012T12 15t-2.775.338T6.5 16.35q-.225.125-.363.35T6 17.2zm7.413-8.587Q14 8.825 14 8t-.587-1.412T12 6t-1.412.588T10 8t.588 1.413T12 10t1.413-.587M12 18\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":72},"\u003Cpath fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M12 14q-.425 0-.712-.288T11 13t.288-.712T12 12t.713.288T13 13t-.288.713T12 14m-4.712-.288Q7 13.426 7 13t.288-.712T8 12t.713.288T9 13t-.288.713T8 14t-.712-.288M16 14q-.425 0-.712-.288T15 13t.288-.712T16 12t.713.288T17 13t-.288.713T16 14m-4 4q-.425 0-.712-.288T11 17t.288-.712T12 16t.713.288T13 17t-.288.713T12 18m-4.712-.288Q7 17.426 7 17t.288-.712T8 16t.713.288T9 17t-.288.713T8 18t-.712-.288M16 18q-.425 0-.712-.288T15 17t.288-.712T16 16t.713.288T17 17t-.288.713T16 18M5 22q-.825 0-1.412-.587T3 20V6q0-.825.588-1.412T5 4h1V2h2v2h8V2h2v2h1q.825 0 1.413.588T21 6v14q0 .825-.587 1.413T19 22zm0-2h14V10H5z\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":74},"\u003Cpath fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M12 20a8 8 0 0 0 8-8a8 8 0 0 0-8-8a8 8 0 0 0-8 8a8 8 0 0 0 8 8m0-18a10 10 0 0 1 10 10a10 10 0 0 1-10 10C6.47 22 2 17.5 2 12A10 10 0 0 1 12 2m.5 5v5.25l4.5 2.67l-.75 1.23L11 13V7z\"\u002F>",1787547704065]