Purpose is neither marketing nor a statement

Pushing an idea beyond the sale of new products: REI making a better life, outdoors, accessible to all via a gear rental program

Brand purpose is all the rage, the cool kid on the block. Yet, the sudden trend feels simultaneously awesome and tragic.

Awesome, because citizens increasingly expect more from brands. We champion those with a clear, focused point of view about their role in society.

Tragic, because so many brands wrestle in public with why they exist. They make small…