Because your “Why” is what good marketing is all about

Being able to express not just the nature or quality of your products and services but to communicate effectively why they exist in the world and how they add real value to people’s lives is critical to your business’ success. Providing the “why” of your business gives your employees, customers, partners and stakeholders a more meaningful way to connect with you and actually see your business as a living, breathing thing of beauty.

All too often, companies communicate their business purpose to their customers and employees from the “outside in,” which means they focus on their “whats” — that is their products, services or maybe sales goals, and they might touch on their “how.” For example, “We provide our customers’ with high quality items (what) by creating them from responsibly-sourced organic materials (how).” But what happens when a business totally ignores the “why?” I’ll tell you — they leave everyone feeling unimpressed and uninspired.

So What’s a “Why?”

Where do you start when trying to uncover your “why?” I think it can be helpful to think of a “why” as a more personal, bigger picture vision statement that describes not just how a company sees itself and the work it does but the ultimate impact it makes in people’s lives.

“Whys” should be inspirational, but not overly vague and should feel specific to a company. At the end of the day, your “why” should allow every employee, partner, stakeholder or customer to clearly understand how the work you do day-to-day is contributing to fulfilling a real purpose.

To figure out your business’ “why” and how to articulate it, you need to try flip that “outside-in” thinking. And that’s when true marketing magic happens.

Getting Started

Alright, so there are probably an infinite number of ways to find your “why”— self-reflection, mediation, all that. But if you’re looking for a more straightforward exercise, try my little game called “What’s the Benefit?” Also known as “who cares.” Somehow, it’s easier and feels more natural to start with your what. So for Kinetic, maybe it’s the following:

Kinetic what: We provide marketing solutions that work.

Then you ask:
What’s the benefit of that?
Our clients are able to be more successful.

Then you ask again:
What’s the benefit of that?
Our clients’ growing success means that they are able to provide better services to more people to meet more people’s needs.

And again: What’s the benefit of that?
When our customers’ customers lives are easier, they are able to do more of what they like, do it better and focus on new and different things.

Finally, you get to your “why:”
Kinetic why: We help people make every day greater.

So Why the “Why” Really Matters

It’s sad to say and sadly true that most people don’t trust marketing and advertising. With options like Netflix and Hulu and the advancements of ad blocking, users are finding more and more ways to just fully ignore a lot of the traditional means of advertising.

But this doesn’t mean great marketing doesn’t work. And that’s where Kinetic comes in. When you are able to connect your company to a purpose that engages with your customers on a personal level, they will do more than just choose your product or service over a competitors’, they will actually feel really good about making that purchase because they’ll feel like they are supporting a cause (or a company) they believe in.

Success is not an accident.
It takes purpose, creativity and a little courage.

Ready to take your marketing strategy to the next level? Start with your “why.”
Have questions? Start with Kinetic.