We’ve spoken before about how, in today’s competitive landscape, marketing and creative agencies are discovering that becoming a purpose-driven agency is accelerating their growth. By aligning your agency with a clear and meaningful purpose, beyond financial objectives, provides your agency with a way to stand out, attract top talent and build long lasting relationships with clients.
But how do you discover your agency’s purpose? And if purpose varies in the size of intent and deliverable, how do you start weaving this through your agency business?
Let’s start with the definition of what a purpose-led agency is.
Being a purpose-driven agency is specifically about a need the agency is addressing for a greater benefit to society. Moving away from “take, make, waste” and towards putting more into society as an agency than you are taking out. For example, better jobs that offer financial security, equitable opportunities, servicing or providing access to an historically overlooked group, environmentally responsible or environmental solutions, giving back to the community where you operate.
Purpose drives the choices and therefore actions an agency leadership team and their stakeholders make. Once you have clarified and articulated that purpose, then you can start to make the strategic choice to solidify your impact on society.
So where do you begin?
For an existing agency to work out its purpose, start with a reflective and strategic process that enables you to clarify and refine your purpose by:
1. Reviewing your core values and mission
· Revisit the agency’s original core values and mission statement.
· Then assess whether these still align with both the current market environment and business operations.
· Are you happy that this is what you stand for?
2. Engaging your team and stakeholders
· Involve employees, clients and other stakeholders in discussions about the agency’s purpose.
· Gather insights through surveys, interviews and workshops to understand their perspectives and expectations.
· Is there a common purpose theme and something the wider team can get behind?
3. Analysing market and industry trends
· Study current market trends, industry developments and competitor strategies
· Identify opportunities and challenges that may impact your agency’s purpose
· Does this wider view offer you confidence that your purpose is aligned with what’s going on outside your own universe?
4. Evaluating your agency strengths and weaknesses
· Conduct a SWOT analysis to identify your agency’s internal and external factors
· Then determine how your agency’s strengths can support its purpose and address its weaknesses
· As you get closer, what are you learning about your agency?
5. Defining (or redefining) your purpose
· It’s now that you can articulate a clear and compelling purpose that reflects your agency’s values, strengths and market needs.
· Ensure your purpose is not just inspiring to your employees and stakeholders but is specific and actionable too.
· Take some time to consider and reflect on it; ask others for their thoughts too.
6. Aligning your purpose with your agency’s strategy
· Integrate the defined purpose into your agency’s strategic planning.
· Ensure that goals, initiatives and performance metrics support and reflect the business’s purpose.
· And remember, purpose can’t just be for the sake of purpose! It must run through everything you do and stand for.
7. Communicating your purpose
· When you’re ready, clearly communicate the purpose to all stakeholders, both internally and externally.
· Use consistent messaging across all channels to reinforce the agency’s commitment to its purpose.
· Consider the reaction you receive; is your purpose clear and ‘landing’ as you expected it to?
8. Embedding your purpose in operations
· Ensure you align your agency processes, policies and practices with the defined purpose.
· This includes daily operations and decision-making processes; do they reflect your chosen purpose?
· Take a short, medium and long-term view.
9. Engaging, and even training, your employees
· Foster a culture that encourages purpose-driven behaviours and decision-making across your teams.
· Provide training and development programs to help employees understand and embrace the business’s purpose.
· Engage the teams regularly, throughout your purpose journey; remember, your agency team want to be a part of the journey with you.
10. Reviewing, reflecting and refining
· Regularly review the business’s progress towards its purpose.
· Be open to feedback and make necessary adjustments to stay aligned with the purpose.
· Don’t be scared to make change or adjust your purpose; it needs to work for all.
As we’ve demonstrated, your agency purpose can’t just be a few words in a mission statement or company objectives; you need to demonstrate ongoing, strategic action. By following these steps, an existing agency can agree its purpose, ensuring it remains true, relevant, impactful and aligned with the needs of its stakeholders and clients.
Want to get started?
We’ve worked with many agencies on supporting them as they define their purpose and move to being a purpose-led agency. Contact us via partners@actus.consulting or 020 8133 1845 to learn more.
And remember, incredible things happen when you focus on growth with purpose!
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