14/05/2025
PURPOSE COMES BEFORE PERFORMANCE… (except in the dictionary).
Defining your brand purpose is at the heart of a well-crafted brand strategy. For brands to demand attention, inspire their audience and create long term sustainable value, they need a clear, authentic and relevant purpose. A crusade that serves their community in a positive way and gives reason for their behaviour and decision-making.
Here is one model we use to define a brand purpose. It’s a simplified version of the Ikigai model* – made relevant for brands. Try it out next time you’re work-shopping or writing a foundational brand strategy.
*Interesting fact: The original version of the Ikigai model was designed by Spanish Author, Andres Zuzunaga, in 2011 as a model for balance and purpose in life. In 2014, Marc Winn renamed it – after the Japanese concept for purpose, ‘Ikigai’. The name has stuck, however The Ikigai model is not a Japanese framework like the widely-spread narrative would have you believe.
