Brands need to find their Ikagai

I just read about a Japanese term: IKAGAI – pronounced ‘EE-KEY-guy’ – which means ‘finding your purpose’. As a word lover, I am a sucker for on-point foreign expressions that capture concepts for which we have no English equivalent. Just for your edification Iki means ‘life’ and gai translates as ‘value’, giving ikagai even more gravitas.

I think brands demonstrate ikigai by combining a passion for what they love and are good at with a business formula that aims to benefit the world. In an increasingly undifferentiated world consumers are looking for products and experiences with ‘soul’ to make them feel good.

In the last couple of years, we have been working with a wide variety of companies to help them find and communicate their purpose, creating dramatic positive impacts for customers and staff – and a more rewarding environment for all.

So, what’s your ikagai and how does it help consumers find theirs?