Like the famous comedian George Carlin once said, “Question everything!” 

A huge part of a PR pro’s job is to come up with campaigns and strategies to bolster our client’s reputations and overall brand awareness, but that’s not all. When a client asks you to do something like “let’s put it on social media,” or “let’s get this on the news,” we have to pump the breaks and ask the million-dollar question – why? You’re not going to just throw something up against the wall and hope it sticks like an al dente pasta noodle. You want to make sure that your communications strategies are meaningful and have a goal behind them.

Purpose-driven communications begs the question: “What’s the point here?” You don’t just do something just to do it. What are you trying to get out of it? Before you start planning your communications strategy for an event, a crisis, an announcement, a rebrand or even a simple task, you have to first come up with a reason for doing it. Audiences aren’t just looking to buy something, they are looking to buy into something. You have to believe in your why for others to buy in, too. 

When you figure out your why, you’re more easily able to tap into the right audiences you’re trying to reach and how you can reach them on a deeper level. There is a difference between jumping in on a trend for engagement and participating in a trend because your brand’s mission and values align with it. Purpose-driven communications allow brands a more authentic approach to reaching their audiences. Select a purpose that’s meaningful to you and your target audience — this will provide both authenticity and create a shared value between brand and consumer.

So, for your next campaign, communications strategy or day-to-day task, remember to ask yourself, what is your why?