You’re thinking about purpose all wrong
I had a client who was refreshing the website and wanted to make sure that the new iteration would reflect the purpose of the organization. That’s something I like to hear because there is nothing more powerful than a meaningful purpose to help a brand become memorable and desired.
Not too long after this, the client felt the need to tell us that the site also had to drive revenue.
As if these two needs were opposing.
Ugh.
Does this even have to be said? It’s as if we were on the verge of running off and creating something completely frivolous.
I have this urge to answer with a bit of sarcasm, “Oh, so you mean this website has to help sell something? We just wanted to create art.”
Sidebar here. Beautiful, artful sites can be incredibly compelling and very effective at helping a business increase its success. We strive for these kinds of solutions but never at the expense of advancing the business. The real art is in finding the balance.
The age-old wisdom of Ikigai
Ikigai is a Japanese concept that refers to something that creates a sense of purpose. While it is most often referenced when talking about personal purpose, the concept applies well when clarifying a brand purpose.
There is a diagram that illustrates how you can clarify this sense of purpose. It has four overlapping circles, each with a statement – prompts, if you will – that cause you to think about the elements that help clarify your Ikigai or purpose:
What you are good at
What you love
What the world needs
What you can be paid for
Notice that last one? Yes, generating income is an important part of purpose. The Japanese recognized this ages ago. Your purpose has to be sustainable. If it is just a nice platitude that doesn’t do much more than give everyone an occasional warm and fuzzy, it won’t survive. And it shouldn’t because it does not reflect something truly meaningful.
I have written about money and meaning in the past, describing how they are mutually catalytic. Your purpose helps drive profit. Because those you hope to serve love feeling like their money and time are helping to create some good in the world. And profit helps advance purpose. The returns can be used to further the pursuit of that purpose you embrace. In short, you can do well by doing good.
Oh, and going back to that earlier client story, if you tell me your website needs to reflect your purpose but you also feel compelled to remind me that it also needs to help you make money, you should probably reexamine your purpose.
If you want to learn more about clarifying a meaningful purpose, check out my book Big Audacious Meaning – Unleashing Your Purpose-Driven Story.