
Der Brand Purpose 1 beantwortet die Frage danach, warum es die Marke gibt und wonach sie strebt 2 3 und steht im Zentrum des Brand Holosphere Model. Er wird durch Key Values und z.B. auch die Brand Personality gestützt 4 und formuliert die langfristige Herausforderung bzw. das Ziel der Marke 5, auf das alle Mitarbeiter und Aktivitäten täglich hinarbeiten. Wichtig ist die Unterscheidung von ähnlichen Konzepten wie z.B. Vision und Essenz 6.
Brand Purpose
Der Brand Purpose soll Mitarbeiter und Partner inspirieren und motivieren 7 und im besten Fall so prägnant und knapp formuliert sein, dass er auf ein T-Shirt gedruckt werden könnte. Das Ziel soll dabei realistisch und damit erreichbar, unwiderstehlich und dadurch wirksam, und aufrichtig, und damit greifbar, sein 8. In der Regel ist eine klare Überzeugung bzw. ein deutlicher Standpunkt Basis des Brand Purpose. Sei es eine Realität, eine Ungerechtigkeit, ein Marktsituation, die es zu ändern gilt. Durch den Purpose tritt die Marke als Held 9 auf und kämpft gegen eben diesen Missstand, oder für eine Idee. Grundsätzlich soll die prägnante Formulierung darin unterstützen, die Marke als Betrachter des Modells möglichst schnell zu erfassen.
Fundamental Believe
Als besonders praktikabel in der Erarbeitung kann die Aufteilung in Fundamental Believe und Brand Purpose betrachtet werden (siehe Beispiele weiter unten). Der Fundamental Believe kann als eine Art Glaubensbekenntnis verstanden werden, hinter das sich alle Mitarbeiter stellen können und mögen. Der Believe bringt eine Weltanschauung zum Ausdruck und fungiert als Herleitung zum Purpose.
We Believe _____
That’s why we exist to ____
3 Purpose Typen
Nina Rieke unterteilt 10in Anlehnung an Tom Roach 11 in drei Typen von Purpose:
- Purpose Geborene (Born Purposeful), die von innen heraus, in allen Entscheidungen und in ihrer Organisations-DNA von dem Purpose geprägt sind.
- Purpose Reformer (Corporate Converts), die den Purpose als Transformationsvehikel einsetzen, um die gesamte Organisation (wieder) hinter einer Zielsetzung zu vereinen.
- Purpose Bluffer (Pseudo Purposeful), die Purpose als Marketing-Maßnahme betrachten und im Rahmen einer „Haltungskampagne“ pathetisch zu gesellschaftlich relevanten Themen Stellung nehmen, ohne dass sich diese Haltung auch in der Organisation und ihren Handlungen widerspiegelt.
Purpose vs. Mission
Eine besondere inhaltliche Nähe tragen die Konzepte von Purpose und Mission in sich. Nicht selten liest sich ein Mission Statement sehr ähnlich wie ein Purpose 12. So verschwimmen hier in der Praxis die Grenzen, weil es durchaus vorkommen kann, dass sich der Inhalt einer Mission auf das gleiche übergeordnete Ziel bezieht wie es ein Purpose tut. Während eine Mission sich inhaltlich darauf bezieht, was in der täglichen operativen Arbeit getan wird, um Purpose oder Vision zu erreichen, bleibt der Purpose immer auf der übergeordneten sinnstiftenden Ebene und nimmt keinen Bezug auf die Operationalisierung.
Purpose vs. Haltung
Oft werden Haltung und Purpose in einem Atemzug genannt und manchmal sogar als gleichbedeutend dargestellt. Auch wenn beide Phänomene häufig gemeinsam auftreten ist das nachvollziehbar, aber dennoch nicht zutreffend. Der Purpose bezieht sich auf die Daseinsberechtigung von Marke und Organisation. Es ist damit kein ausschließlich für Kommunikation zu nutzendes Konzept.
Eine Haltung bzw. Position bezieht eine Marke oder Organisation gegenüber einem Sachverhalt (z.B. ethischer, politischer, gesellschaftlicher oder wirtschaftlicher Natur). Es handelt sich um Kommunikation. Das häufige gemeinsame Auftreten lässt sich dadurch erklären, dass Unternehmen mit einem Purpose einen Zweck verfolgen, der gesellschaftliche Relevanz hat und folglich in vielen Fällen deutlich einfacher eine klare Haltung einnehmen können, als es bei Unternehmen der Fall ist, die ausschließlich auf ökonomischen Erfolg hinarbeiten 1314. Ein Purpose begünstigt also die Entwicklung einer klaren Haltung, eine Haltung jedoch bedingt keinen Purpose.
Choose your Battle
Die intensive Auseinandersetzung mit diesen Fragen kann darin unterstützen den Purpose einer Marke und ihrer Organisation zu identifizieren.
Was ist unsere tiefe Überzeugung?
Wogegen kämpfen wir in dieser Welt an?
Wofür kämpfen wir in dieser Welt?
Markenmodelle mit Purpose

Brand Holosphere Model

Golden Circle
Marken mit Purpose
Airbnb
Purpose: We (exist to) help
to create a world where you can belong anywhere
Quelle: Annweiler 15
Apple
Corporate Vision:
To bring the best personal computing experience to students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world through its innovative hardware, software, and internet offerings.
Fundamental Believe: We believe
people with passion can change the world to the better. We beliebe the ones that are crazy enough to believe they can change to the better, are the ones who actually do.
Purpose: We exist to
enable people to think different.
Coca-Cola
Essence:
Happiness in a Bottle
Purpose: We exist to
refresh the world in mind, body and spirit.16
Values: Leadership, collaboration, intergrity, accountability, passion, diversity, quality
Quelle: Mission-Statement.com
Dove
Fundamental Believe: We believe
beauty should be a source of confidence, and not anxiety.
Purpose: That’s why we are here to help women everywhere develop a positive relationship with the way they look, helping them raise their self-esteem and realise their full potential.
Quelle: Dove
DHL
Überzeugungen: 17
„Alles ist möglich – solange wir offen für neue Ideen sind, klug denken und mutig handeln.“
„Kompetenz und Erfahrung bilden unser Fundament, aber damit wir uns immer weiter entwickeln, ist kreative Intelligenz gefragt.“
„Nachhaltigkeit und Innovation gehen Hand in Hand – mit starken positiven Auswirkungen auf unser Unternehmen, die Gesellschaft und unsere Umwelt.“
Leitbild / Purpose: 17
Wir verbinden Menschen und verbessern ihr Leben.
Positioning Statement:
Als führender Dienstleister in Fracht und Logistik will das Unternehmen höchste Servicequalität bieten, dank des Engagements der Mitarbeiter, proaktiv Lösungen und lokaler Stärke bei globaler Präsenz
Core Competencies: 18
Proactive Solutions
Personal Commitment
Local Strength Worldwide
Markenwerte: 17
Simplifying – Wir möchten unseren Kunden das Leben einfacher machen.
Sustainable – Wir setzen unseren Geschäftsschwerpunkt auf den langfristigen Nutzen für unsere Kunden.
Globally local – Wir sind immer da, egal wo uns unsere Kunden brauchen.
Commited – Wir achten auf die uns anvertrauten Güter als wären es unsere eigenen.
Quelle: Esch/Ambrecht
Purpose: We exist
to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected.
Quelle: Annweiler 19
Ford
Corporate Vision (1909):
To democratise the automobile
Purpose (today):
We go further to make our cars better, our employees happier and our planet a better place to be.
Quelle: LaBelle, Waldeck 20
Esch, Tomczak, Kernstock, Langner, Redler21
Disney
Purpose: We exist to
make people happy
Mission:
To entertain, inform and inspire people around the globe through the power of unparalleled storytelling, reflecting the iconic brands, creative minds and innovative technologies that make ours the world’s premier entertainment company.
Values: Imagination and Wholesomeness
General Electric
Corporate Vision:
to become the world’s premier digital industrial company, transforming industry with software-defined machines and solutions that are connected, responsive and predictive.
Purpose: We exist to
invent the next industrial era,
to build, move, power and cure the world (old)
2019: Building a world that works
Quelle: Panmore, GE Wold in Motion, GE CEO Letter
Fundamental Believe: We believe
all information should be available within one click.
Purpose: to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.
Values:
Put the user first. 26
Speed is a virtue. 27
Set audacious goals. 28
Overweight the future. 29
Embrace failure to break boundaries. 30
Be uncompromising about people. 31
Hurtigruten
Purpose: We exist to offer safe, unique, active and sustainable experiences, which create memories for life.
Ikea
Fundamental Believe:
Ein für alle Mal haben wir entschieden, auf der Seite der vielen 32 Menschen zu stehen. Wir wollen ein breites Sortiment formschöner und funktionsgerechter Einrichtungsgegenstände zu Preisen anbieten, die so günstig sind, dass möglichst viele Menschen sie sich leisten können.
Purpose: We exist to
create a better everyday life for the many people.33
Values:
Strapazierfähig, Unkompliziert, Geradlinig, Aufrichtig
Benefits:
Democratic Design: Schönes Design, Gute Funktionaliät, nachhaltig, gute Qualität, Niedriger Preis
Quelle: Ikea – Testament eines Möbelhändlers 34
ING DiBa
Purpose:
Empowering people to stay a step ahead in life and in business
Values:
We are honest.
We are prudent.
We are responsible.
Customer Promise (Benefits):
To deliver on our purpose, we have defined our Customer Promise. These are the four ways we will empower our customers with a differentiating experience.
Clear and easy
Banking doesn’t have to be difficult and time consuming. It’s all about clear products, plain language, fair prices and simple processes that save both time and money.
Anytime, anywhere
Banking should be possible anytime and anywhere, irrespective of where and how people access our products and services.
Empower
The best financial decisions are informed decisions. Customers want relevant, up-to-date information at their fingertips. They need to understand the available choices, and their implications, both today and for the future.
Keep getting better
Life and business are about moving forward. We will keep looking for ways to improve. With new ideas, new solutions and new approaches to make things easier for our customers. That way, we can all stay a step ahead.
Quelle: ING 35
Kellog Company
Vision:
To enrich and delight the world through foods and brands that matter.
Purpose:
Nourishing families so they can flourish and thrive.
Values:
Integrity, accountability, passion, humility, simplicity Results
Quelle: Kellog Company 36
Microsoft
Purpose: We work to help people and businesses throughout the world realize their full potential.
N26
Vision: to transform the way you manage your money with the latest technology and the best minds from around the globe, in order to change banking for the better.
Fundamental Believe: At N26, we believe that
your bank should be as mobile and flexible as you.
Purpose: We exist to
bring personal banking into the modern world.
Values:
Simplicity 42
Integrity 43
Drive 44
Excellence 45
Quelle: N26
Smart
Purpose:
to ease urban life.
Values:
radical, simple, liberating
Mission: We create revolutionary, unexpected solutions and are consistent and brave in doing so. We strive to make everything we do as easy to understand and use as possible and put our customer’s needs first. We aim to create solutions that benefit not only the individual – they make urban life more enjoyable for everyone.
Quelle: Daimler 46
Sony
Purpose: We exist to
fill the world with emotion, through the power of creativity and technology.
(Old Purpose: Become the company most known for changing the worldwide poor-quality image of Japanese products)
Values:
Dreams & Curiosity
Pioneer the future with dreams and curiosity.
Diversity
Pursue the creation of the very best by harnessing diversity and varying viewpoints.
Integrity & Sincerity
Earn the trust for the Sony brand through ethical and responsible conduct.
Sustainability
Fulfill our stakeholder responsibilities through disciplined business practices.
Quelle: Sony, Bruce & Montanez 47
SpaceX
Fundamental Believe: We believe
in multi-planetary life.
Purpose: We exist to
revolutionize space technology, with the ultimate goal of enabling people to live on other planets.
Quelle. SpaceX
Spotify
Vision:
Audio is global and Spotify should be too.
Fundamental Believe:
We believe all life on earth is under threat of extinction
Purpose: We exist to unlock the potential of human creativity by giving a million creators the opportunity to live off their art and billions of fans the opportunity to enjoy and be inspired by it.
Values:
Innovative 48
Sincere 49
Passionate 50
Collaborative 51
Playful 52
Personality:
Here at Spotify, we like to think of ourselves as a band.
Quelle: Spotify 53
Starbucks
Vision:
to establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles while we grow
Essence:
We are the “third place” where everyone is welcome and we can gather, as a community, to share great coffee and deepen human connection.54
Purpose: We’re in business to
to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time
Values:
teamwork, integrity, respect for culture, and perseverance 55
Ted
Purpose: Spread Ideas
Quelle: Annweiler 15
Telekom
Corporate Vision:
Führender Europäischer Telekommunikationsanbieter
Purpose:
Wir sind erst zufrieden, wenn jeder #DABEI sein kann und sich niemand abgehängt fühlen muss.
Essence:
Life is for sharing
>> Erleben was verbindet
Brand Promise:
We won’t stop until everyone is connected.
Employer Brand Promise:
At Telekom, we have a common goal. We strive for work that makes a real difference in the world. For projects that make digital opportunities accessible to everyone. For business that enriches lives across society. That’s why we will not stop.
Implicit Customer Reward 59
(Core Benefits):
Participation
Enriching Life
Joint Experiences
Quelle: Telekom
Uber
Purpose: Transportation that is as reliable as running water.
Patagonia
Vision:
use of all its resources to protect life on Earth.
Fundamental Believe: We believe
all life on earth is under threat of extinction
Purpose: We’re in business to
save our home planet.
(Old: build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.)
Values:
Cause no unnecessary harm 60
Use business to protect nature. 61
Quelle: Patagonia 62
Vaillant Group
Purpose:
Taking care of a better climate.
Inside each home and the world around it.
Values:
Entrepreneurship, trust, integrity and passion
Quelle: Vaillant Group
Vodafone
Fundamental Believe: We believe in a connected digital society, where data flows at speed, connecting people, communities and things to the internet like never before. We are optimistic about how technology and connectivity can enhance the future and improve people’s lives.
Purpose: We exist to
connect for a better future.We aim to build a digital society that enhances socio-economic progress, embraces everyone and does not come at the cost of our planet.
Quelle: Vodafone
Volvo Cars
Corporate Vision:
By 2020 no one should be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo car.
Fundamental Believe:
We believe no one should be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo.
Purpose:
We exist to protect the people inside and around our cars.
Essence: Security
Values:
Safety
Quality
Environment
Design
Zalando
Corporate Vision: Transforming Zalando from a successful online fashion retailer into a fashion platform. We strive to become the Starting Point for Fashion.
Fundamental Believe: We believe
fashion ecosystems can and should benefit everyone – customers, the industry, and society at large. Fashion should be smarter, kinder, more sustainable, and more accessible.
Purpose: We exist to
reimagine fashion for the good of all.
Values: tiefgreifende Kundenorientierung, unternehmerische Denkweise, Schnelligkeit und Teamgeist
Quelle: vgl. Homburg/Richter, 2003, S.15 nach Detzel/Mahle/Pätzmann, 2016, S. 60; Zalando Vision & Purpose, Zalando Werte
Podcasts
Literatur

Start with why
How great leaders inspire everyone to take action
Autoren: Sinek, Simon
Veröffentlicht: 2009
Erhältlich Simon Sinek
- z.T. in der Literatur auch als Motivation, Mission oder Zweck bezeichnet, wenngleich diese Begriffe nach Auffassung zahlreicher Autoren eigentlich synonym benutzt werden sollten(back)
- Esch, F.-R. (2010). Strategie und Technik der Markenführung (6. Auflage). München: Franz Vahlen Verlag, S. 83(back)
- Esch, F.-R., & Ambrecht, W. (Hrsg.). (2009). Best Practice der Markenführung. Wiesbaden: Gabler | GVW Fachverlage GmbH, S. 222(back)
- Sonnenburg, S. (Hrsg.). (2009). Swarm Branding. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften | GWV Fachverlage, S. 78(back)
- Kindervater, J., Heim, A., Dertinger, H., & v. Gwinner, L. (2009). Markenführung ist Diktat, keine basisdemokratische Entscheidung. In F. Keuper, J. Kindervater, H. Dertinger, & A. Heim (Hrsg.), Das Diktat der Markenführung (1. Auflage). Wiesbaden: Gabler | GWV Fachverlage, S. 121 f.(back)
- siehe dazu auch Kenny (2014). Your Company’s Purpose Is Not Its Vision, Mission, or Values(back)
- Kapferer, J.-N. (2012). The New Strategic Brand Management – Advanced insights and strategic thinking (5. Auflage). London: Kogan Page, S. 32(back)
- Wallace, L. (2004). Libraries, Mission, & Marketing. Chicago: American Library Association, S. 7(back)
- gleichsam den Archetypen(back)
- Nina Rieke in ihrem Artikel in der W&V10/2020 und auf LinkedIn „Viel Sinn und Unsinn rund um Brand Purpose“(back)
- Tom Roach auf seinem Blogartikel „Brand purpose. The biggest lie the ad industry ever told?“(back)
- z.B. „we exist to …“ / „we are in business to …“ (back)
- siehe auch Kilian (2020) in Marke41 „Mehr Erfolg mit Purpose und Haltung“ S. 54(back)
- siehe auch BestVisio „Brand Purpose als Erfolgsfaktor für die Markenstrategie“(back)
- Annweiler (2020) in Point of Purpose S.34(back)(back)
- … To inspire moments of optimism and happiness trough our brands and actions. To create value and make a difference.(back)
- DPDHL Brand Strategy(back)(back)(back)
- beschrieben als Werte(back)
- Annweiler (2020) in Point of Purpose, S.34(back)
- LaBelle, Waldeck (2020), Strategic Communication for Organizations, S.76(back)
- Esch, Tomczak, Kernstock, Langner, Redler (2014). Corporate Brand Management:, S.53(back)
- Esch, Tomczak, Kernstock, Langner, Redler (2014). Corporate Brand Management:, S.49(back)
- Walt Disney Company Hutchison, Lyons, de Rodriguez, (2014) Humanistic Business, 167(back)
- Oosthuizen (2013), Brand Book, S.49(back)
- Collins, Kim, Mauborgne, HBR 10 Must Reads on Strategy for Healthcare(back)
- Building with a user-first mindset means being bothered by the way things are. Accept nothing as a given. Ask yourself, how would I build this if I were to build it from scratch, right now? One of my favorite examples of this is Meredith Perry, founder of uBeam. She dared to ask why charging devices couldn’t be easier—and created a new technology for wireless charging using the power of sound when we simply walk into a room. We start at Google with a relentless focus on delighting the user with unexpectedly fast, easy, helpful experiences.(back)
- Users want things fast, so prioritize speed in your design. Are you getting your customers what they want as fast as you possibly can? Our search team asks themselves this as they reimagine the search experience with features like the ability to search while you type, or knowledge cards that show you everything you might want to know about, say, the Taj Mahal, as soon as you look for it. To build for speed, you also have to be fast. Is your organization structured around making your products more and more successful? Or are silos and cumbersome processes slowing you down and holding back innovation?(back)
- It’s easy to get bogged down trying to improve things by 10 percent when your focus should be on how to improve things by 10x. Setting your sights on a big, daunting target rallies people to do amazing things and ensures that the change you’ll see will be truly transformational, not incremental. Push your teams to ask “why not?” Are we building for today or for what the future needs to look like? As Larry Page says, have a “healthy disregard for the impossible.” Thinking like this is what inspires our team to invest in projects like Loon, which aims to connect those in rural and remote areas to the Internet with high-altitude balloons.(back)
- Most leaders are biased to the present: pressures from the market for returns, too many backward-looking metrics, and urgent matters often trumping important ones. True business transformation takes three to four years, at least. Ask yourself, “what share of my organization is focused on the future?” If it is far less than the share of the business you want to build, it is highly likely that this alone may keep you from getting there.(back)
- Advancements in technology make it far easier to test new ways of doing things. Breaking new ground typically requires relentless experimentation: test, learn, iterate. Instilling a culture of reimagination is underpinned by people not fearing that failure will hold back their careers, as long as they are in pursuit of a really big goal. Ask yourself: who is at the top of your organization? Are they risk takers or only from well-trod paths? Do you celebrate what you learn from failures as much as what you learn from winning?(back)
- When you are working to reimagine, success is driven by people. Technology is merely an enabler to challenge boundaries. Be uncompromising in pursuing the best people and screen carefully for the skills that really matter: great problem solving and learning agility, a bias for action, and comfort with ambiguity. Ensure you have a diverse range of perspectives. Do your leaders reflect your customers of today and the future? Are there enough people who ask unexpected questions, who sometimes make you uncomfortable? Move leaders regularly to refresh them. Most people do their best and most creative work when they are outside their comfort zone.(back)
- im Sinne von normalen oder einfachen(back)
- siehe auch Bord Annweiler (2020) in Point of Purpose S. 34(back)
- Dokument auf Yumpu.com(back)
- ING – Purpose & Strategy(back)
- Our Vision & Purpose & Our Values(back)
- Walking in other people’s shoes Empathy begins with paying close attention to the world around us. We listen and respond to the needs of our customers, employees and other stakeholders.(back)
- Doing the right thing Integrity means doing right by our employees, brands, company and society as a whole. Ethical conduct and social responsibility characterize our way of doing business.(back)
- Being authentic and innovative The pioneering spirit that started in 1873 with the very first pair of blue jeans still permeates all aspects of our business. Through innovative products and practices, we break the mold.(back)
- Standing up for what we believe It takes courage to be great. Courage is the willingness to tell the truth and to challenge hierarchy, accepted practice and conventional wisdom. It means standing by our convictions and acting on our beliefs.(back)
- Levis – About us(back)
- Banking does not have to be complicated – neither for the customers, nor for those who want to innovate it.(back)
- Transparency and fairness matter – not only in respect to banking solutions but also at our daily work.(back)
- We change banking by implementing the right ideas quicker than our competitors.(back)
- We want to offer the best banking experience in Europe – that’s why we always try to reach the optimal.(back)
- Daimler Brand Portal(back)
- Leaders Start to Finish (2012), S.77(back)
- We move fast and take big risks. We cultivate curiosity. We’re unafraid to fail, knowing that each mistake contains a valuable lesson and gets us one step closer towards creativity and innovation.(back)
- We have no time for internal politics. We lead with transparency and engage with open minds. Creating something new requires trust so candid feedback delivered with good intent is at the heart of everything we do.(back)
- We revel in what we do. We genuinely care about our shared Spotify mission, pushing ourselves to become masters of the part we play. We energize and inspire others around us, knowing that excitement drives innovation.(back)
- we recognize that we’re all in this together. Everyone is an integral part of the work we do with an equal opportunity to participate – we share ideas and best practices across business units and in spite of traditional hierarchies.(back)
- With all that said, we don’t take ourselves too seriously. We connect with each other. We celebrate successes. And just like a real band, we like to jam.(back)
- Spotify – Jobs(back)
- Starbucks – Third Place Policy(back)(back)
- … Creating a culture of warmth and belonging, where everyone is welcome. Acting with courage, challenging the status quo and finding new ways to grow our company and each other. Being present, connecting with transparency, dignity and respect. Delivering our very best in all we do, holding ourselves accountable for results.(back)
- Starbucks – About us(back)
- Mission-Statement.com – Starbucks(back)
- The Mission Purpose Report 2017(back)
- Schwingend in Brand Driven Progress (2020), S.51(back)
- We know that our business activity—from lighting stores to dyeing shirts—is part of the problem. We work steadily to change our business practices and share what we’ve learned. But we recognize that this is not enough. We seek not only to do less harm, but more good.(back)
- The challenges we face as a society require leadership. Once we identify a problem, we act.We embrace risk and act to protect and restore the stability, integrity and beauty of the web of life.
Not bound by convention ((Our success—and much of the fun—lies in developing new ways to do things.(back) - Patagonia – Core Values(back)
- in Fallstudien zum Internationalen Management, S.319(back)