“Less brandfill, more purposefull.” The 4.0 version of business places purpose first. Let’s look at the evolution:

1.0 Profit First (1790 – 1970)
2.0 Customer First (1971 – 1990)
3.0 Employee First (1991 – 2008)

To quote Simon Sinek in 2009, “People don’t buy what you do or how you do it, they buy why you do it.” Companies that embrace the 4.0 of “Purpose First” find that it drives employee engagement, connects with customers, and fuels the bottom line. According to Deloitte CEO Punit Renjen, “Exceptional firms have always been good at aligning their purpose with their execution, and as a result, have enjoyed category leadership in sales and profits.”

Every decision should be looked at in terms of purpose. Some decisions may be purpose neutral. But purpose is certainly not just a marketing issue or positioning of your brand image. “Purpose should impact every aspect of the firm,” says Raj Sisodia, author of “Conscious Capitalism.”

Takeaway: Don’t unload and dump your brand attributes in your marketing. Your brand is no longer just what you tell people it is. It’s the differentiated experience (DX) your customer has, how they feel, and most importantly, what they tell others. Find ways to leverage and activate purpose in everything you do.