How to Define Your Brand’s Purpose, Mission and Values

At co&co, we’re mega when it comes to brand strategy. We live for this sh*t and it’s what gets us out of bed in the morning.

Most brands don’t know who the fu*k they are. They cobble together some vague values, a recycled mission statement that could belong to literally anyone, and a purpose so generic it could make the phrase ‘Live, Laugh, Love’ sound more unique.

And startups – don’t think you’re off the hook. Just because you’re new doesn’t mean you get to skip this bit. If anything, it matters more. When you're building from zero, your purpose is your anchor. It tells people why you exist, not just what you're selling. Get that right, and everything else starts to click.

If you want to build a brand strategy that sticks in people’s heads and hearts, you need to figure your sh*t out. That starts with purpose, mission, and values. So let’s break it down. Here’s how to define what you stand for, and why it matters more than ever.

Why Purpose-Driven Branding Wins in Today’s Market

People don’t just buy what you do, they buy why you do it. Especially now. In a world of endless options and zero attention span, your brand purpose is your golden ticket. It’s the reason your brand exists beyond making money. And no, “we care about our customers” doesn’t count. That’s not a purpose, that’s the bare minimum lads. Everyone says it. No one believes it.

Purpose-driven branding is what gives your brand actual meaning. And meaning sells. Just look at the numbers👇:

👉 64% of people say shared values are the reason they have a relationship with a brand

👉Purpose-led brands grow twice as fast as the ones that don’t have a clear purpose or values

👉 77% of consumers buy from brands whose values align with their own

People want brands that stand for something. That doesn’t mean posting about sustainability while shipping everything in plastic, or slapping a Pride flag on your logo once a year if you don’t back it up with action and support. It means building purpose into the bones of your brand – your product, your packaging, your people, your policies. Not as a campaign. As your default.

TALA – Slow Fashion, Fast Impact

Founded by influencer Grace Beverley, TALA is all about sustainable activewear that doesn’t cost the earth (literally). Every piece is made with recycled or upcycled materials. TALA proves purpose and profit don’t have to be at war – if you build it right from the start. If your brand purpose doesn’t make people sit up and say, “Yeah, I’m into that,” go back and dig deeper. People are done with performative branding. They want brands that prove they stand for something – not just say they do.

Brands influence decisions. Real ones. Like skipping a cheaper dupe on PrettyLittleThing because TALA stands for something better. People will pay more, wait longer, and shout louder for brands that align with their values.

Crafting a Brand Mission That Connects With Customers

Your brand mission isn’t a paragraph of some corporate waffle written to impress investors. It’s the practical, day-to-day expression of your purpose. If purpose is your “why”, mission is the “how” – the thing you actually do to bring your purpose to life.

It’s what makes your purpose real – for your team, your customers, and everyone watching. It shows your audience what you stand for – and what you’re doing about it.

A good mission should do three things:

👉 Make your purpose tangible – It’s not enough to say you care about change; your mission should show how you’re making it happen. What are you building, changing, launching, or leading every day that brings your purpose to life? This is where you turn big ideals into action.

👉 Solve real problems – Your mission needs to respond to actual challenges your audience faces, not vague brand fluff like “empowering innovation through synergy.” If your customers don’t recognise the problem you claim to solve, your mission’s off. Make it relatable. Make it real.

👉 Inspire action – Internally, it should give your team something to believe in beyond the monthly KPIs. Externally, it should fire people up to support, share, and stick around. A solid mission gives everyone – staff, customers, partners – a reason to care and a reason to act.

Take Who Gives A Crap. Their purpose? Tackle global sanitation issues. Their mission? Sell brilliant, sustainable toilet paper and use 50% of profits to build toilets where they’re needed most.

It’s clear. It’s active. It doesn’t hide behind big words or empty promises. Just toilet roll with a mission. They even sum it up perfectly with: “Doing good has never felt better. Who knew changing the world could be as easy as changing your toilet paper? (Ok, we did.)”

It’s honest and on-brand. You know exactly what they’re doing and why it matters – and they’ve managed to make it funny, impactful and wildly successful while they’re at it.

If your mission doesn’t make people feel something – or at the very least, nod in respect – go back and rewrite it.

Aligning Brand Values With Audience Expectations

Here’s where most brands trip over themselves. They treat values like the office beer fridge – something to show off as “culture” but totally disconnected from how the company actually runs. A few pizza Fridays and a motivational quote in the meeting room don’t mean sh*t if your team’s overworked, underpaid, and guilted into pretending they love the grind.

Values aren’t wall art. They’re not perks. When it comes to brand strategy, values are your operating system – they guide how your brand acts, speaks, and shows up, inside and out.

If your team doesn’t believe in your values, your audience won’t either. You can’t claim to stand for “wellbeing” if you’re Slack messaging people at midnight. You can’t shout about “honesty” while hiding fees in the small print.

That kind of disconnect tanks trust. Fast.

Strong brand values should:

Shape behaviour – internally and externally. If it doesn’t show up in how your team works, it’s not a value, it’s a lie.

Values should guide how you hire, how you price, how you speak, how you launch. They’re the reason someone picks you over the cheaper, louder, faster option. They’re what make someone think, “I trust this brand – they get me.”

That’s the difference between brand loyalty and brand noise.

Resonate with your audience – values aren’t for you, they’re for the people you serve. Make them feel seen. If your values don’t connect emotionally, they won’t connect at all.

Drive consistency – not just in what you say, but in everything you do. Your values should show up in how you write Instagram captions, run campaigns, hire people, onboard clients, pitch to investors, and even how your show up on LinkedIn.

People are clever. They see through the fluff. If you want them to buy into your brand, your values need to be real and rooted in action.

This is why values matter so much in our brand strategy work at co&co. We don’t pull them out of thin air. We build them from the guts of your business. From your founder stories, your team’s beliefs, your customer truths. The stuff that actually means something.

So next time you see ‘integrity’ on a brand’s About page, ask yourself – do they actually walk the talk? Or is it just another word they threw in? Don’t be that brand. Be the brand that means it.

What Values-Led Branding Looks Like IRL

Patagonia

Yeah, it’s an American brand, but its UK following is massive – and for good reason. Patagonia doesn’t just shout about sustainability, it’s built into the brand DNA. From repairing old gear to encouraging people not to buy new stuff, they back up their values even when it’s not profitable. They literally gave away the company to fight climate change. That’s not a campaign. That’s conviction. And that’s why people don’t just buy Patagonia – they believe in it.

Monzo

A challenger bank that actually gives a sh*t about transparency. No fluff, no hidden fees, real-time notifications and customer support that talks like a human. Monzo’s values around honesty and customer empowerment show up in how they design, speak, and respond. Even when they mess up, they own it – and that level of openness is rare in finance. That's exactly why people trust them.

Gymshark

Started in a garage, now everywhere. Gymshark’s branding doesn’t just speak to the protein-shake crew. Sure, it hits with the fitness crowd — but it’s also got a hold on people who haven’t moved off the sofa all day. Why? Because their values go beyond this - Real support. Zero judgement. Everyone welcome. They’ve built a brand around self-improvement, confidence and comfort — not just six-packs.

From stretchy fits that feel good whether you’re squatting or scrolling, to mental health campaigns that actually say something, they’ve nailed relevance across the board. It’s not about performance, it’s about belonging — and they’ve made sure everyone feels part of it.

They don’t just talk inclusivity, they build it in. Diverse models, broad sizing, content that reflects real life. It’s not about being the best, it’s about belonging. And that’s exactly why it works.

Found

One brand smashing it? Found. They're not just another property company; they're the only 360 lifestyle operator in the UK, mastering the art of creating vibrant communities where people can truly live, work, and play. Their whole approach is experience-led, not just in marketing but in how they operate day-to-day. Everything they do – dedicated community teams, exclusive events, resident’s app, is driven by a clear belief: that people deserve more from where they live.

Their values show up in action. Community isn’t just a buzzword for Found. From in-house experience teams who actually know residents by name, to purposefully designed shared spaces that get people talking, everything is engineered to create connection. That alignment between what they say and how they deliver is what makes the brand land—with residents who feel part of something real, and partners who see the impact of values-led strategy done right.

Found proves that when your values drive everything – strategy, culture, experience – people feel it. And they buy into it. That’s how trust is built. And trust = loyalty = long-term brand equity.

Purpose, mission and values aren’t optional – they’re the start line. Get them right, and the rest of your brand has direction, meaning, and power.

You don’t need to be a charity or a world-changer. You just need to give a sh*t about something more than your margins.

At co&co, we help brands get clear on what they stand for and turn that into brand strategy that actually f*cking works. From start-ups to scale-ups, we build brands with backbone – brands that lead, connect, and convert.

Ready to stop faking it and build something real?

Let’s work together.