Let’s face it, “brand purpose” is one of those phrases that gets thrown around a lot. It’s printed on pitch decks, front and center on the About page, and peppered throughout social content. And yet, many brands struggle to make it feel… real.
If your brand purpose isn’t doing its job, connecting with people, rallying your team, shaping decisions, it might be time for a pulse check.
Here are six telltale signs your brand purpose might be more fluff than fire, and what to do about it.
1. No One in the Company Can Recite It
If you walked into your office (or popped into Slack) right now and asked your team what your brand purpose is, how many could actually answer without digging through the website?
When your people, the ones who live and breathe the brand, can’t recall your purpose, that’s not on them. It’s on the purpose.
Why it happens:
Your brand purpose might be too long, too vague, too jargon-heavy, or simply never reinforced.
Fix it:
Boil it down to a crisp, memorable line. One that actually sticks. Then weave it into your internal culture, not just as a statement, but as a shared rallying cry.
2. Your Purpose Sounds Like Everyone Else’s
Let’s do a quick experiment. Go check out three competitors’ brand purpose statements. Chances are, they say some version of:
- “Empowering people to do more”
- “Driving innovation for a better tomorrow”
- “Making the world a better place”
Sound familiar?
Why it happens:
In an effort to sound meaningful, brands often reach for broad, feel-good language. But if everyone’s saying the same thing, no one is standing out.
Fix it:
Own your edge. Your purpose should reflect your unique DNA, your origin story, values, and the problem you exist to solve in the real world. It should feel like you, not like a Mad Libs of buzzwords.
3. Your Purpose Doesn’t Drive Decisions
A brand purpose isn’t a poster on the wall, it’s a compass. If it’s not shaping product decisions, hiring choices, or even the campaigns you run, it’s just a decoration.
Why it happens:
There’s often a disconnect between the aspirational language of a purpose statement and the everyday priorities of the business.
Fix it:
Re-examine your purpose through the lens of actual operations. Does it inform what you say yes or no to? Can you use it to filter which partnerships to pursue or which customer needs to prioritize?
When a purpose is truly embedded, it becomes a decision-making shortcut, not a high-concept ideal.
4. Customers Don’t Mention It, Ever
You might believe in your purpose. Your team might too. But if your customers never feel it, if it doesn’t show up in how they experience your brand, it’s missing the mark.
Why it happens:
Brands often focus on communicating their purpose explicitly (“We believe in XYZ”) without living it across touchpoints.
Fix it:
Look at how your purpose translates into the user experience. Are your values reflected in your customer service? Your packaging? Your tone of voice?
The best brand purposes don’t need to be said out loud. Customers know them because they experience them consistently.
5. It Doesn’t Evolve as Your Brand Grows
Brand purposes aren’t meant to be tattooed in place forever. As the world shifts and your business matures, your purpose might need recalibrating.
Why it happens:
Many brands fear changing their purpose, it feels sacred. But clinging to something that no longer reflects who you are or what your audience cares about can backfire.
Fix it:
Audit your brand purpose every couple of years. Is it still relevant? Is it still true? It’s okay to evolve, so long as the new version is authentic and thoughtful, not reactionary.
Your purpose should grow with you, not hold you back.
6. You’re Treating Purpose as a Campaign, Not a Commitment
Launching a purpose-led campaign is great. But it’s not the same as being a purpose-led brand. If your purpose only shows up during CSR activations or Earth Day posts, it’s performative, not foundational.
Why it happens:
It’s tempting to “market” purpose when it’s convenient, rather than operationalizing it day-to-day.
Fix it:
Ask yourself: would your brand still live its purpose if no one ever saw the campaign? If the answer is no, you’re treating purpose like a tactic, not a truth.
Being purpose-driven means making long-term, often hard, choices that align with your values, even when no one’s watching.
TL;DR: Your Brand Purpose Might Be Missing the Mark If…
- Your team can’t remember it
- It sounds like everyone else’s
- It doesn’t guide your real decisions
- Your customers never mention or feel it
- It hasn’t evolved as your brand grew
- It only shows up in campaigns, not core actions
A strong brand purpose isn’t just a feel-good line on a deck. It’s a living, breathing part of your culture, your decisions, and your customer experience. When done right, it’s the most human part of your brand, and people can tell the difference.
Make sure yours isn’t just heard, but felt.
