Too many brands spend an inordinate amount of time telling us who they are when what we really care about is why they are.

I’ll give you an example of two organizations in the healthcare space that I have worked with recently. Both were looking to establish new brands. The first portrayed itself as “a group of companies that serves the healthcare sector”. The second portrayed itself as “an organization that believes it can help transform lives”.

These were the starting points for these two organizations. When you look at the two statements, you realize the second organization had a huge advantage that put them miles ahead. Here’s why:

1. They were not talking about themselves. They were talking about what they could do for those they hope to serve. This makes any brand instantly magnetic to customers and prospects. Because they see the brand has prioritized their needs above the organization’s needs. 

2. They had a big aspiration. They believed they had a role in helping make a meaningful change in the lives of those that they served. In short, they had a purpose or Big Audacious Meaning. With this as the starting point for the brand, it became easy to imagine the stories that we could tell. It became easy to picture how we would visually portray the brand. Because there was hope, joy, and excitement in the difference that the brand could make. That one statement wasn’t just a foundation for the development of the brand. It was a launching pad.

A great brand isn’t born from the design of the mark or the choice of the type. Those are things that will help amplify it. The brand has to first have an understanding of why they are. The difference can they make in a life, a community, or even the world. When a brand has this, it sets the stage for brilliant design. Brilliant language. Because there is something real and meaningful behind it all. 

It doesn’t matter if you’re launching a brand or reinventing one. If you want to create something truly special. Clarify why you are.