Branding Mag (rightly) calls "shenanigans" on what feels like every company embracing the concept of "purpose" as a driver in their marketing. To the author's eyes, it is obviously self-serving and has been used to the point of uselessness. That's not good news for us employer brander folks, many of whom rely seriously on the concept of "inspiring purpose" in their EVPs (I mean, now many times in one newsletter am I allowed to use the term 'over-indexed' before this thing gets silly?). But there's some good, news, especially for brands who aren't just slapping a fresh of coat of "purpose" in the brand as the solution d'jour. Defining and proving how your company is trying to create a change in the world is the first step. Get it right, make it real, or just don't both.

If you see employer brand as crafting the rosiest picture possible around a company, the safest play is to write great stories to paint that picture. Done right, using text primarily to talk about your brand can hide a multitude of sins, effectively letting a brander put lipstick on the proverbial pig. But a brand isn’t just (or even) the words you use. It is found in the actions of your company.