Marketing With Purpose Kit: Growing Your Mission Without Losing Your Soul

**SPEAKER_1** (0:04)
The Bliss Business Podcast, the show about empathy, connection, and consciousness in business. Today's episode is brought to you by Zero Company, your paid search, social media, and programmatic ad experts.

**Stephen Sakach** (0:18)
Well, welcome back to the Bliss Business Podcast Series Marketing With Purpose, where we explore how to embed purpose into every level of your marketing. I'm Stephen Sakach here with my co-host Tullio Siragusa and Mike Liwski. Hey guys.

**Tullio Siragusa** (0:32)
Hey Stephen. Good to see you.

**Stephen Sakach** (0:35)
So today we are talking about something that scares a lot of leaders, and that's evolving your purpose. How do you grow your mission as your business changes without drifting so far that you lose what makes you, you? So purpose is your North Star, but it's not always carved in stone. As markets shift, as your impact deepens, or as you enter new phases of growth, your purpose may need to expand. Think of it less like changing course, and more like sharpening your focus or widening the lens.

**Mike Liwski** (1:13)
There's danger in clinging to a purpose statement that no longer reflects your reality. And things are always changing.
The markets are changing, your own company is evolving. It can actually make your brand feel a little out of touch with reality, with modern times. On the flip side, changing it too drastically can alienate loyal customers and confuse your team. The art is knowing when a shift is an evolution, not an abandonment.

**Tullio Siragusa** (1:46)
Precisely. And so we'll give you some keys that you could look for. Some signs that you might be able to use. So number one is your original scope. Has it been met? Maybe you've already achieved what you set out to do, and now you're really ready to take on the next challenge.
This one's also more common. Your audience's needs have changed. You still serve them, but in a new way. And there's plenty of examples out there, organizations that have done this. And then as well, does the industry shift, or has that industry transformed? Staying relevant means reframing your why, so that it's present or the why for the new context or the current context. And then your team is growing in new directions. So, their skills, their passions, their opportunities are really starting to expand. And so, then your purpose should really reflect that as well.

**Stephen Sakach** (2:49)
Ideally, it should feel as relevant to your day one customers as it does to your newest ones. A good purpose should grow with you in that regard.

**Mike Liwski** (2:59)
All right, so let's go through a few examples. We always like to give examples of what we're talking about. And the first one we can talk about is Airbnb. Everybody knows Airbnb.
Their original purpose was essentially to help people find affordable places to stay. But as they grew, it became belong anywhere. That evolution matched their shift from being a housing alternative to a platform for connection, cultural exchange and global experience. It also gave way to expanding their offering as well. So it was very strategic to evolve, but also give room for expansion.

**Tullio Siragusa** (3:39)
Now, another brand that we have grown up with, you could say, is National Geographic. When they first started off, their purpose was really heavily focused around the geographic exploration that they looked at. But today, that is really evolved into inspiring people that really care about the planet and what's going on with the environment. And so the broader scope lets them really lead on environmental storytelling while still being able to honor the needs that they had in their original roots.

**Stephen Sakach** (4:17)
And another one comes to mind, charity water. So this is evolved from simply funding wells to a deeper commitment to community-owned solutions and tracking the long-term health of water systems. So they didn't abandon their cause. They just expanded their definition of success.

**Mike Liwski** (4:37)
And then Netflix is another great example, very strong example. They began as a DVD rental by mail service. And then their purpose evolved into an entertainment made easy. And now they lean toward connecting the world through stories.
So that shift has allowed them to move into streaming, original content, and with a global reach. They've done it without losing their core of accessible entertainment. In contrast, some of their competitors went out of business. The people who just stuck with the DVDs at the store, what was the name? Blockbuster? So there's an example of not evolving your purpose or your mission.

**Tullio Siragusa** (5:22)
Right. Yeah, exactly. Redbox, another one that we know really well. So another example of a great organization that's evolved over time is REI. Started off initially as a climbing gear co-op with a focus around equipment for outdoor enthusiasts. But today, this is an example of where the audience has shifted. So their purpose has expanded to inspire, educate, and even outfit for a lifetime of outdoor adventure and stewardship. So even their, you know, their hashtag, opt outside, that whole movement was a very natural evolution that strengthened their environmental and their community mission.