April Monthly Briefing: Resetting Purpose Our views on what matters |
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It’s difficult to find an annual statement, company website, sustainability report, brand strategy or communications plan these days that doesn’t talk about ‘purpose’ in one way or another. On the one hand that’s great – it reflects a growing awareness and consciousness that the relationships we hold, the things we do, and what we create need to have meaning and a reason to exist. But ‘purpose’ as a term used in a corporate context is invariably misunderstood, misinterpreted and overused. We’d go as far as to say the concept is now contaminated – just witness the growing criticism of statements and claims put out by businesses as being ‘purpose-wash’.
This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t use the term; we should but do so honestly and authentically to describe the real reason an organisation, business or brand exists. As we called out in our ’10 Actions for Business in 2019’ we’ve called for ‘Purpose’ to be reset, to move away from being the latest corporate buzzword to something that fundamentally anchors an organisations values, relationships, products, services and operations in a common understanding of the role the organisation plays in society and the wider world beyond the need to make a profit.
This month we share a number of examples and ideas of how some businesses can – and are – doing just that, which will hopefully provide some inspiration and provocation.
Neil Davy
CEO, Corporate Citizenship
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| How Mars is embedding purpose and avoiding “purpose-washing”
Mars takes the purpose agenda seriously, including measureable targets to deliver “The world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today”.
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Google undermines its mission by blocking ads for anti-censorship in China
Google stopped distributing advertisements in China for two anti-censorship websites, challenging its expansion ambitions and pitching profit against purpose.
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Patagonia to focus on selling exclusively to “mission-driven companies”
Sustainability pioneer Patagonia is taking real action based on its purpose, having announced that it will supply only to those who demonstrate specific sustainability standards.
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| | Purposeful purpose or purpose puffery?
At Corporate Citizenship, we believe that corporate purpose should be seen as a lightning rod for why a company exists, and this is fundamental in an era when trust in business is on the line.
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| | Purpose in action: Lessons for organisational change
The Chief Purpose Officer for Tate & Lyle Plc, Graham Abbey, explains some purpose approaches and how these will make a greater positive impact in the world, and profitably grow their business.
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| | Climate Change: Breakfast invitation
Join us for a breakfast event on Tuesday, 11 June 2019 based on practical action that will help your business identify the risks and opportunities by bringing them to life through scenario analysis.
Read More and RVSP |
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