Know Your Why: The Role of Purpose in Brand Development & Positioning
- Keara Peeples
- Jan 13
- 5 min read
Why Your “Why” Matters More Than Your Logo
Many entrepreneurs and business owners pitch the “what” before the “why”. In specific transactional contexts, this makes sense. However, when attracting new customers, this can damage a vendor's or service provider's reputation. When it comes to brand positioning, sharing your purpose (your "Why") and owning your story is essential for all business owners. This is becoming increasingly important for service providers in a saturated market. As Forbes shared "Brands with strong purpose have seen valuation growth of 175% over 12 years—more than twice that of medium-purpose brands." Purpose is linked to long-term brand growth and competitive advantage.
To put things into perspective, imagine you’re on the lookout for a new service provider as a potential client. You’ve worked with a few in the past who you felt didn’t prioritize your well-being. This time around, you want to ensure that whoever you choose to partner with next provides a better, more human experience. This is increasingly important to you because you have experience working with different service providers who didn’t provide high-quality or consistent experiences (outside of payment processing, that is). Perhaps there were multiple occasions when the transaction and the monetization of your exchange were the main topics of discussion, and your “why” as a customer engaging with the service provider was secondary or at times, maybe obsolete. How would this make you feel? Would you feel inclined to continue this partnership for much longer?
In this blog, we teach business owners in the brand development phase about the power of their “why” and the importance of establishing it to attract value-aligned customers.
What “Knowing Your Why” Actually Means
To start, let’s review the difference between the “why” and the “what”, as some business owners often blend the two, which creates a gray, unclear area behind their brand positioning.
Your why (purpose + motivation) - Why you decided to create your brand and the problem you wanted to solve, tied to your why.
Your what (products/services) - What services or products you offer at what price point.
Great, now that we have a better understanding of the power of distinguishing your why from your what, we will provide two examples of salon owners who take different approaches to their brand positioning on their “about us” page...
The “Why” dominant Salon Owner A
Positioning: My name is Jane Doe, Owner of The Beauty Salon. In my early childhood, I suffered from hair breakage, and it chipped away at my self-esteem. I realized throughout this period of my life that I was not confidently showing up in spaces, and this played a role in my wellness. I would visit multiple salons where the only thing that felt an impact was my wallet. I’d go to the same beauticians and found that, although the service was provided, my hair health wasn't improving. This inspired me to dive into researching all hair types, and I was amazed to learn about just how beautifully unique our hair is. I realize that in my experience as a client at certain salons, I didn’t feel as unique as I truly was. I received what felt like plug-and-play hair services. After successfully restoring my hair’s health, I realized I wanted to help others better understand their hair health as well.
After several years of research and certified training, I took a leap of faith. I opened The Beauty Salon, where we ensure each client leaves not only feeling beautiful but also well-informed about the best practices for growing longer, healthier hair. We provide silk press, hair extensions, and natural hair maintenance beauty services.
The “What” dominant Salon Owner B
Positioning: I'm Jill Doe, Owner of The Beauty Salon. We are based in Los Angeles, CA, and offer 12 years of qualified experience. We believe in the power of feeling your best at all times, starting with haircare. We provide silk press, hair extensions, and natural hair maintenance beauty services.
If you were a potential client with previous service quality issues, which salon owner would you trust to provide a personalized & high-quality experience?
How Your Why Strengthens Your Brand
Humanizes your brand - In a world where ChatGPT is increasingly used, people want to connect with humans. Your “why” reminds people that there is a real person behind the business. It helps your customers put a face to your logo. When you share your “why”, you lessen the chances of being seen as transactional.
Builds trust before the first sale - Trust is built long before a purchase is made. When your “why” is clear and consistent, people understand what you stand for and what they can expect from you. This transparency lowers hesitation, increases confidence, and establishes credibility before money ever changes hands.
Creates an emotional connection - People want to buy from people they like, know, and trust. A clear “why” creates resonance by helping your audience see themselves in your journey. When someone feels understood or inspired by your purpose, connection happens naturally. Providing this assurance early on creates the emotional connection needed for interest to turn into conversion.
When purpose leads, connection follows. A well-defined “why” doesn’t just support your growth; it anchors your brand in authenticity, trust, and long-term impact. This belief is at the core of what we are building at Peeples & Co.
Our Why at Peeples & Co.
At Peeples & Co., strategy and purpose go hand in hand. We are a boutique, family-owned growth agency based in Los Angeles, built to help emerging brands and individuals grow with clarity and confidence.
With nearly a decade of experience in Professional Services and Academic Shaping, we recognized a common challenge in our communities: visionary individuals with powerful ideas, but without the tools or guidance to bring them to life. We created Peeples & Co. to take control of our own future while equipping emerging entrepreneurs and professionals to do the same.
Our mission is to empower early-stage business owners and education leaders with the strategy, structure, and confidence needed to execute their vision and make a lasting impact.
Peeples & Co. was founded on a shared vision to uplift our community while doing the work we love. As a proud Black-owned business, we didn’t wait for a seat at the table… we built our own. We want to help you build yours, too.
How We Support Early-Stage Business Owners & Entrepreneurs
We provide market research support, including competitive analysis and target audience insights.
We help with brand clarity and storytelling development
We develop growth strategies that connect purpose to action
We offer strategic guidance for sustainable business building
Ready to build with intention? Contact us today and start leading your business with clarity, confidence, and purpose.
Written by Keara Peeples on Tuesday, January 13th 2026.
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