Marketing

What is Your “Why?”

by Nikki Volpicelli Posted On August 1st, 2017 | 10:00am EST

Mission driven marketing is very important in 2017. But how do you get there?

First, you need to stop thinking of your product as the driving cause of your business. Of course, without it, you won’t have business at all. But the Content Marketing Institute said it best: what [you’re selling] doesn’t matter if the why is lacking.

We’ll take it a step further: When you’re building a business marketing plan, you need to think of the why, how and the what else.

Why are you here?
How are you different?
What else can you provide (that’s not your product)?

Take Patagonia, a company with one of the strongest missions in retail right now: “To build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.”

The business was started by a small group of climbers and outdoors people interested in crafting the best gear. With a background heavily hinged on nature and environmental appreciation, they believed they could change the world. To do so, the team continues to donate time, services and 1% of sales to grassroots environmental groups across the globe.

When you think of Patagonia, you don’t automatically think about their physical product. You think about the causes they serve. And when you’re in the market for a new fleece or backpack, you think about how, as the customer, you are doing your part to help the environment by supporting this business.

Bring these three questions into the scope of your own business. Remind yourself why you got into the biz in the first place, how you are different from your competitors, and what you can do to give back.

City/Studio knows the importance of why. We work directly with our clients to pinpoint what it is that drives them, and how best to portray that through content marketing. Read our Case Studies to learn more.