The Power of Common Purpose: Why Belonging is the Heart of Brand Building
The word 'community' comes from the Latin communitas—"things held in common." It's a reminder that at its core, community isn't a marketing strategy or business tactic. It's the natural outcome of people gathering around shared purpose, interests, and goals.
As I walked the beach at Modern Elder Academy in Baja, watching the sun set with a group who started as strangers and ended as community, I understood deeply what Mark Schaefer means when he calls community "the last great marketing strategy" in his book "Belonging to the Brand." In many ways, it's bringing us full circle—back to the most fundamental human need for connection and shared purpose.
This wisdom isn't new. Before digital advertising, before social media, before mass marketing, there was simply people gathering, sharing, and building trust through common purpose.
Learning Through Experience
My journey with community building has taken two distinct paths:
As a Participant: At Modern Elder Academy, I witnessed how shared experience creates lasting bonds. What began as a group of individuals exploring midlife transformation became a powerful network of support and inspiration that continues long after our time in Baja.
As a Builder: Co-creating First Year Forward, a growth-focused support community, taught me that when you give people a space to share their wisdom and experience, something magical happens—healing becomes collective, growth becomes collaborative, and transformation becomes contagious.
The Power of Common Purpose
Schaefer's research reveals compelling evidence of what humans have always known intuitively:
66% of brand community members demonstrate strong loyalty
27% say belonging influences their purchasing decisions
66% of companies report community directly impacts retention
But these aren't just statistics—they're indicators of our innate need to gather around shared meaning.
Building Meaningful Communities
Drawing from both successes and learning moments, here's what enables authentic community:
Create Safe Spaces
Enable authentic sharing
Foster genuine connections
Facilitate meaningful dialogue
Support collective growth
Enable Wisdom Sharing
Tap into collective experience
Encourage peer support
Share success stories
Enable collaborative learning
Build Sustainable Structures
Establish clear frameworks
Create consistent touchpoints
Enable organic growth
Support natural leadership
The Future of Brand Building
As Schaefer notes, once customers opt into an engaging, supportive, and relevant brand community, traditional marketing becomes less necessary. The most successful brands understand this—they won't just have customers, they'll enable belonging. They won't just sell products, they'll facilitate connection around common purpose.
Whether you're building a support network like First Year Forward or a learning community like MEA, the principles remain timeless: create space for authentic connection, enable wisdom sharing, and trust in the power of collective growth.
In our pervasively digital world, our hunger for genuine connection only grows stronger. The brands that understand this—that focus on enabling real community rather than just acquiring customers—won't just succeed. They'll create meaning that matters.
