• In an era of uncertainty, disinterest, and distrust people are attracted to caring and confident brands.
   

• Attracting and retaining customers entails building an experience and a community they can get behind.
   

• Purpose transcends trends.
   

• Make any customer an influencer.
   

• Transparency is more important than ever.

In an era of uncertainty, disinterest, and distrust people are attracted to caring and confident brands. With today’s unsettling political climate and seemingly endless sources of social unrest, many young consumers have become disillusioned and disappointed with the frequency that political leaders seem to disregard their beliefs and concerns. This, however, presents a prime opportunity for brands to step into the spotlight. Setting a purpose towards reaching a greater goal, like helping to stop climate change, is a strong step towards capturing the excitement, admiration, and loyalty of the modern consumer.

 

This strategy can take shape in surprising ways, such as Budweiser’s latest . This story driven spot takes a step away from their usual puppy subject and focuses on the company’s immigrant founder as a way to take a stand against recent immigration bans.

 

Attracting and retaining customers entails building an experience and a community they can get behind. Gone are the days of one-off advertisements or one-dimensional CRM campaigns. Brands must truly build a dynamic connection with customers by interacting in ways beyond the sales funnel. Brands must create experiences driven by an impactful purpose to make the customer’s experience one they’ll keep coming back for. Regardless of how exciting the product or service is, customers won’t buy if they don’t feel motivated, understood, and inspired by the purpose behind the product.

Purpose transcends trends. Modern media and consumption has made the shifting of consumer trends quicker than ever and brands that fail to put their purpose first risk death with every rise and fall of new trends.  While these trends do produce business opportunities, they are usually just as short-lived as the fads themselves, making the life-span of a brand without a lasting purpose dangerously short. Solidifying your business through transformative times begins with telling your story in honest, connecting with customers’ beliefs, and creating products from passion rather than profits.

Make any customer an influencer. Brilliant brands like Nike and Apple have realized that today, more than ever before, customers are rocking logos and branded merchandise with pride. From chest sized graphics to unmistakably subtle accesories, savvy brands are capitalizing on this powerful form of free advertising. Customers today want to be involved with their favorite brands - almost to the point of being a brand representative. To get these loyal customers and free influencers, brands must build a community or sense of social sway around their products, allowing customers to incorporate the brand into their own unique identities.

Transparency is more important than ever. Don’t just say, DO. Brand’s that truly deliver on their promises and accomplish goals towards their greater purpose are the ones that win the most loyal, valuable customers. With unprecedented access to information, media, and news items the modern customer is empowered by the ability to hold brands accountable to their promises, making a transparent and driven brand a clear strategy for success.

, is a prime example of brand that takes the need for transparency head on. The household & family products brand is defined by their commitment to cleaner, safer, more family-friendly products and has made a conscious effort to support this commitment beyond simple marketing tactics with the clear communication of the actual actions they take to ensure their products follow the promised standards.

In conclusion, the power of an activated brand purpose is one that impacts businesses both large and small. Today’s customers are more in-tune to brand beliefs and more demanding that brands act on these beliefs to add value beyond their products. Understanding this level of purpose-driven customers is essential for shaping both impactful campaigns and lasting brands.