Successful companies like Apple don’t become successful by chance. They do business differently. Here’s how

“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.”

comeindrovesThis is a quote from Simon Sinek’s TED Talk “How great leaders inspire action.” His model explains clearly and simply why consumers will flock to buy a product from one company and not another. It explains why innovators succeed when their competition may be better funded and highly motivated. It turns most business models upside down, and it does all the things marketers are trying to accomplish with brand stories: connect with people at an emotional level.

If you don’t have the time to watch the video, the idea is simple. Rather than tell people about what you do or what you sell, begin your conversation with why you’re doing it. People can buy stuff from anywhere, but if they believe what you believe, they will buy it from you. Every time.

So if you don’t know why you do what you do or why your company does what it does, identifying “why” is your first task. Remember: money is not a reason; it’s a result. Why do you get up every morning and go to work?

Once you have the message of “why,” you want to get that out to the people. Here are 3 powerful ways to do that.

  1. Align your content with your mission. Social media is the obvious first place to go to spread a message. However, you can only post the same personal message so many times. You need to find content that aligns with what you believe. If your company wants to make it easier to clean floors, share content that teaches people how to make cleaning easier in general. If your product helps people save time with a task, share content about other time efficiencies.
  2. Community engagement. This is where you “walk the walk.” Most companies already have some sort of community involvement, but how many choose these opportunities based on why they do what they do? Are you a company who wants to help people take control of their lives? Get involved in support groups. Offer free training or volunteer at an adult learning center. Tie your core mission in with helping your community. (Of course, post about your adventures on social media!)
  3. Give it away. This article is a great, quick read on why promotional marketing is essential to public relations. If your promotional items are acting as the face of your company – doing the kind of communication that public relations accomplishes, then you should plaster why you do what you do on these items. Be it through something as long as a story or as short as a tagline, remind people of who you are, not just that you exist.

Promotional Items

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