How brands like Who Gives a Crap and Heaps Normal benefit from purpose-led PR

The saying ‘it is cool to be kind’ has never been more true.

If you’re a business that wants to build visibility and secure media headlines, then look no further than your purpose and values when it comes to pitching your stories to media.

Whether it’s due to the climate crisis, the pandemic or growing wealth inequality (or a mix of all three), more and more businesses are prioritising purpose alongside profit. 

No longer can businesses sit on their hands while the world burns. Consumers are demanding more with purpose-driven consumers now the largest consumer segment. These customers are looking for products and services that align with their ethics and are willing to change their habits, and part with more of their money to support these brands.  

Purpose-led PR centres the business mission when communicating to customers. But make no mistake —  purpose-led PR isn’t about corporate greenwashing or subterfuge. It is a strategic communications tool that leans into authenticity.  

The purpose-led brands that effectively tell their brand story can expect increased brand value and a loyal customer base. 

Still need convincing that good business makes for good PR? 

Well friends, look no further than Outland Denim, Heaps Normal and Who Gives a Crap.

Outland Denim: a business model with the ultimate PR hook

Outland Denim is a pioneer in creating a more economically, socially and environmentally sustainable future for the fashion industry. 

Founded with the mission to help survivors of human trafficking in Asia, Outland Denim works with women who have been rescued from trafficking to teach them new skills while also paying a fair wage and offering training and employment opportunities.

Mission first, product second.

This makes Outland Denim THE ultimate news hook because it offers the holy trinity of:

• A killer product or offer;
• A great reason for why they do what they do; and
• A great story behind it.

As Outland Denim has a strong mission to support its brand story, not just a product to sell, it’s regularly featured in news articles, lifestyle features, fashion trends and founder profiles. 

Take a look at some of the headlines below: 

Heaps Normal: Transforming Aussie drinking culture

Categories are cluttered. This is especially true in the FMCG category where 

Brands compete for customers in a never-ending list of product options.  

However Heaps Normal, an Aussie non-alcoholic beer brand stands heads and shoulders above the rest, regularly featured in the media beyond Dry July and Sober October. 

Heaps Normal oozes its story through its name, packaging, social media and its mission to change Aussie drinking culture for the better.  

It’s hit the zeitgeist, a global shift in consumer behaviour towards drinking less, capitalising on this relevance to smash a new category. 

So, what is Heaps Normal getting right from a PR perspective?

• Heaps Normal is brand first: Heaps Normal built its brand from the ground up, around the sole mission of changing Aussie drinking culture. It is are authentic and didn’t need to retrofit a why story;  
• Heaps Normal loves its customer: Heaps Normal effectively marries brand with customer. Whether its are creating online content or offline experiences, such as monthly music gigs, customer is front of mind when choosing its channels; and 
• Heaps Normal aligns campaigns with values: Heaps Normal reinforces its brand story through the effective use of value-led campaigns. “This Is Not Normal” spread climate awareness ahead of the election while “Just Do Your Best” encouraged people to create mindful drinking habits year-round. 

Creating meaningful brands should be a holistic and considered process. However, all too frequently it’s one that is disparate and reactive, where one objective is prioritized at the expense of all others. By linking communication with its purpose to change Aussie drinking culture, Heaps Normal is able to build a strong brand story that is easy to communicate and inspires trust and loyalty from its customer base.  

Who Gives A Crap: How to sell $50,000 worth of TP

Consumers are increasingly willing to pay a premium for a brand that aligns with their values. 

Nowhere is this more evident than online toilet paper brand, Who Gives a Crap. 

Tasked with the seemingly impossible challenge of making toilet paper newsworthy, founder Simon Griffiths sat on a toilet on a live web feed until he sold the first $50,000 of product. 

Queue 2.5 million impressions on social media and the establishment of a brand that is renowned for donating half its profits, using sustainable materials in its products, not to mention its eye-catching packaging.   

While PR stunts should be used with caution, Who Gives a Crap found a way to link its product with the purpose-led mission of improving access to sanitation across the world by building toilets.

This stunt was also aligned with the brand personality of Who Gives a Crap: funny, memorable and meaningful — quite the achievement for loo roll. 

And while its customers pay a premium for the product, Who Gives a Crap continues to perform incredibly well with their customers and in the media.

Finding your purpose

Outland Denim, Heaps Normal and Who Gives a Crap are all proof that brands don’t need to start with deep pockets but with purpose. 

If you ever find yourself overwhelmed or unsure of your purpose, start by asking yourself these three questions:

1. What is your visionary point of difference?
2. How are you changing the world?
3. What is the social issue that your business has set out to solve?

In your answers you’ll find the roadmap to creating the sort of purpose-led brand that PRs dream about.