A brand purpose lesson inside a jar of mayonnaise
Recently, a big investor in Unilever criticized its Hellmann's Mayonnaise brand, saying it was “obsessed with publicly displaying sustainability credentials at the expense of focusing on the fundamentals of the business”.
He wrote, “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).”
I'm continuously amazed at the cluelessness of people like this. Purpose is much more than your functional definition. Purpose is the difference you hope to make in a life, a community, or even the world. It's your Big Audacious Meaning.
The genius of purpose
Purpose is about serving. But not at the expense of remaining viable. The brand has to be viable to survive. And it has to survive if it wants to be able to fulfill the promise of its purpose. To make a difference.
Here is the unsaid part of this that Unilever gets. By genuinely embracing a purpose you actually increase your ability to generate even more success. Because people are drawn to brands that have embraced a purpose. By engaging with and supporting those brands, they can feel like they are participating in making a difference in the world. This is an incredibly deep-seated need that we all have as humans. Except for maybe one guy (spoiler alert – it's the jack wagon who is taking cheap shots Hellmann's purpose).
Purpose drives the success. As Unilever chief marketing and digital officer Conny Braams shared, the Hellmann's brand was up 11% in 2021.
Why is it always some old guy?
So what is this guy complaining about? And why is it always some old guy? (By the way, I am some old guy.)
Could the brand perform better? To guys like this, the answer is always going to be "yes" no matter how well you're doing.
I looked him up. He's obviously wealthy. I wonder what he hopes to attain? Another home? Another boat?
I wonder if, at some point, he won't look at his life and ask himself what all this is about. Or will it just be a constant push to acquire more?
At some point, everyone looks back on their life and wonders what it's all about. Hopefully, it's not minutes before we shuffle off this mortal coil. Hopefully, it's in time to actually do something that makes a difference in the world.
What's the big deal? It's just mayonnaise, right?
I don't know about this guy. Maybe he funds a nonprofit that does good for hundreds of people. That would be a good thing. But you know what's better? Realizing the reach a brand like Hellmann's has. It touches millions of lives. It has the potential to invite all those in to be part of something that can make a difference in our world. I guarantee that no matter how generous this guy is, his efforts cannot match the reach and power of a brand like Hellmann's.
Don't get me wrong. I'm a capitalist. I believe brands should strive to be successful. Should investors press those brands to continue to be as successful as they can? Sure. But don't take cheap shots at the thing that will get those brands there.
It’s not a zero-sum game. I believe that you can do well by doing good. In fact, I believe that the best way to do well is to do good. Unilever's brands continue to prove this out. It’s right there inside a jar of mayonnaise.