Purpose-driven brands
- gillianjones48
- Jul 29
- 5 min read
I want to work with more purpose-driven brands, companies that have a mission and are values-led. They may work with sustainable materials, like a construction company, or be any company that sells products with a good environmental and social impact. It could be a company that has started with a clear mission - perhaps it wants to address a problem and provide a solution. Its mission will be the guiding light to how it strategises and makes its decisions.
A mission-led, or purpose-led, brand won’t be focused purely on profit or growth, but on the path it takes towards progress towards its goal. It is transparent and accountable for its actions and how it goes about doing things. I want to see more of this type of business and can think of nothing better than providing copy and content to such an organisation.
Can I think of any examples of purpose-driven brands?
Well, now you mention it, yes, I can. And once I’ve done that, I’m going to ask myself a question and provide an answer that will hopefully tie up this blog nicely at the end.
Patagonia (https://eu.patagonia.com/gb/en/activism/)
This is an American sportswear brand headed by Yvon Chouinard since 1973, who create “regenerative products that give back to the earth as much as they take.” I am super impressed with their website, and some of their taglines are brilliant. “We’re in business to save our home planet.” Nothing could be more prescient or present right now than Patagonia’s mission to promote activism and encourage people to buy their recycled outdoor clothes as well as repair them themselves. They are built to last from recycled and organic materials so people aren’t forced to replace items too soon.
Tony’s Chocolonely https://uk.tonyschocolonely.com/
A lot is going on with the Chocolonely website. It’s very colourful, and there’s a LOT of content. It almost feels like there’s too much going on, and unlike Patagonia, which in fairness also has a lot going on, it’s harder to take it all in somehow. It took me a while to find a piece of content that explains why the Dutch brand Tony’s Chocolonely exists, and this is to only buy cocoa from Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, where 60% of the world’s cocoa is produced. These two countries have over a million children in child labour, with many tropical forests stripped to produce more cocoa.
By hiring cocoa farmers directly, they earn more, so they’re able to support their families better. I wasn’t aware of any of this before finding them online, and now I know and understand the mission of the brand, I’m going to make sure to eat more of it and less of other brands who don’t share Tony Chocolonely’s ethos.
Finisterre is a British brand, similar to Patagonia in that they produce sports and outdoor wear. They’ve been in business since 2003 and, according to their website, are “committed to a deep belief: to make truly exceptional products in a more responsible and transparent way.”
Finisthere started as a three-page website, created by its founder Tom Kay, who went from a corporate job to creating a brand of surfwear that’s built to last. On the website, he says that he wanted to create an “innovative product built for purpose that would last. Committed to a better way of manufacturing, both in the fabrics we use and the manufacturers we choose to work with, seeking alternatives to what has gone before wherever possible. Then share this with our customers through an honest and open brand narrative.” The “ethos of functionality and sustainability” is something the brand is proud of and still works towards today, 23 years after its inception.
Like Patagonia, buyers are encouraged to repair their clothes rather than throw them away and buy more. There’s a repair service buyers can use, and you can also buy their pre-loved pieces so you’re recycling previously worn garments, and you can give back your own to be sold to someone else too.
Finisterre also use “Reskinned,” a textile recycling company that provides options for Finisterre clothes that are beyond repair. So the clothing you buy from Finisterre is constantly in a cycle from brand-new to pre-loved to being sold on to someone else or to be recycled once they're no longer fit for use. And I can go with that because with the environmental issues we’re dealing with, as well as the wildfires and use of fossil fuels and gas, I am super conscious of the impact I’m making on the environment.
What purpose-driven brand would I create?
So now we come to the big question - if I had an opportunity to create a mission, purpose-led brand, what would I create? Well, sustainable clothes and building materials are important to me, but I’m not an architect, and I don’t own a building company. Sustainable brands are so important, but I’m not sure what I have to contribute right now, other than my words.
If I had the money, the time and the support, I’d like to create some kind of Autism Centre. There are some that exist already in the North of England, not far from where I live, such as the Warrington Play and Sensory Centre, the SPACE Centre in Cheshire with sensory rooms and messy play, and role play areas which have been designed by parents. There’s also the Tim Lamb Centre in Newcastle and the Sensory World Play Centre in Dewsbury.
There are also some space hubs in North Wales, from Anglesey to Wrexham. So how would mine be different? That’s a good question. I think it would have the sensory rooms and designated play areas, but I’d like there to be an adult component, where there’d be spaces for them to work in peace and to have mental health checks whenever they wanted.
I’d also like a designated research hub, where autistic people could take part in research that would help understand autism better and provide better tools for both children and adults, perhaps even an older adult area so they can take part too. Perhaps a small room where they can read and relax. Many older adults who’ve had an autism diagnosis face a difficult old age with communal living and group activities - something many dread! A space dedicated to older autistic people would allow them the opportunity to calm their nervous system down in peace.
I’d make sure there were plenty of fidget toys, and stimming would be actively encouraged, with quiet areas for autistic adults with no expectation that they have to talk or socialise. Perhaps then there’d be separate areas for both adults and children.
There’d be an ethos and a mission statement, and to fund the Centre I’d sell autistic designed toys, tools and clothes that would provide little friction on wear, products that would be sustainable and made from recycled materials - that would be my contribution to sustainability. Most of it would be designed by other neurodivergent people too because they’d know exactly what would work and what wouldn’t.
All of this, of course, is only a dream, but who knows, perhaps one day. I’d also like to own my own animal sanctuary, but that’s a whole other conversation for another day. 🐐
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Listen, I have some free spaces in August, and I’d love to work with a mission-driven, purpose-led brand that is looking for copy and/or content. Ideally, I'd like to work with someone long-term. I can provide web copy, case studies, articles, blogs and newsletters. Get in touch, and in the meantime, take a look at my packages and services. Remember, my packages aren’t set in stone, and if you have something else in mind, I’d be happy to hop on a no-obligation call to discuss your ideas and whatever it is you’re struggling with. Now is the perfect time to get these jobs done before the busyness of autumn arrives. So why not drop me an email - you're not committed to anything, simply by getting in touch! Email: gillianjonescopywriting@gmail.com
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