A company that’s able to proactively incorporate environmental, societal, and cultural values into its operations is utilizing purpose-driven PR. Truly purpose-driven companies can make corporate choices that put their purpose over their profits. Although public relations by itself isn’t purpose-driven, a brand can be, and it can use public relations to improve the world around it. Purpose-driven PR isn’t about creating campaigns and promotional materials, but rather about a way of thinking that everyone in a company agrees upon.
There are plenty of ways that companies can support their consumers, communities, and even the world overall. Between donation campaigns and cause partnerships, there are plenty of ways a company can show it cares, but those things don’t turn a company into a purpose-driven company.
The main element that can distinguish regular from purpose-driven companies is when everyone at a company is able to support the company’s purpose through action. That’s when a brand can authentically implement its purpose and show it to the rest of the world. However, that also means that whenever any of the employees are facing a choice, they can incorporate the company’s purpose into their decision-making process. That includes decisions across all levels of employees, and decisions involving the hiring process, products, employee programs, and purchasing. Employees feel safe when they’re making decisions informed by the company’s purpose because they understand that they’re acting in accordance with the company’s ethos, and their choices are supported.
Every day, all the way from big corporations to small companies, businesses are making decisions that impact society. Yet most of the time, those decisions don’t get the right credit. However, it’s not just a single decision or campaign that constitutes a purpose. Rather, it’s millions of people that make decisions that impact the rest of the world.
The decisions that turn into actual news stories that receive coverage are the ones that take multiple stages and impact a community or even the world. The people that make those decisions always have interesting stories to tell, which gives companies opportunities for PR. However, they require storytelling to get the word out. That’s why it’s important for companies to work with PR agencies that can tell those purpose-driven stories to the rest of the world. However, companies should be utilizing public relations as part of their purpose, not making public relations the entire purpose that drives their decision-making.
While some brands are founded on a purpose, others find a purpose along the way. However, both types of brands, as well as their abilities to stick to that purpose, are legitimate, and it’s important for both types to be authentic to that purpose. At the same time, a company can still lose its way even if it was established with a purpose. And even if a brand finds its purpose along the way, all of its past mistakes won’t automatically be forgiven and forgotten. That’s why companies should be careful with their campaigns and initiatives, as consumers are getting better at figuring out which companies aren’t being authentic. Those that aren’t being authentic can create distrust with the consumers, and even cause crisis situations.