And its purpose is to sell more, to more, more times at higher prices. (A phrase borrowed from Sergio Zyman). Unless you can do that, you might as well be a non-profit. And don’t get me started on the word intentional. (Wake up on the wrong side of the bed much, Poppe?)
Here’s the thing. Marketing is hard. It’s time consuming. It requires focus and an engine running on all cylinders. I believe in altruism. In helping people. I believe in the planet. In global warming. And these can all be great byproducts of creating a smart, in-demand product or service. But I suggest making a great product or service first, make money second, and be intentional and purpose-driven with your after tax earnings. Otherwise it’s likely your road to success with have extra forks in it.
As a brand planner, I know how hard it is to boil down all the customer care-abouts and brand good-ats so as to organize your values into three planks. Purpose or intention should not be a plank. They can be the result or outcome — but not the plank itself.
Google’s main mission was to put the world’s information one click away. Not to make the planet smarter. (That’s IBM’s claim and see where that got them.)
Peace.
