I had the pleasure of attending the Fast Company Innovation Festival in NYC and one of my favorite panels was "Can Dolls and Watches Save The World? A Study in Purposeful Brand Transformations." hosted by Weber Shandwick's Social Impact Team.
The discussion was centered around Lisa McKnight, SVP at Mattel/Barbie, Jaques Panis, President at Shinola and Paul Massey EVP, Global Lead of Social Impact at Weber and the question I kept asking myself was:
Is it mandatory to now structure your business to center around your Social Impact Mission?
The answer that kept coming back from the panel was YES. The future of business is a Purpose Driven Mission that makes an impact. Investors are seeking Purposeful Brands, Millennials are looking to work for Purpose Driven Brands, and companies are all transforming their entire operating structure to fulfill their Purpose Driven Mission. It doesn't take much more convincing that a all brands need to transform.
Here are 5 tips for Communicating Purpose that were shared:
- Be Bold - Communications need to elevate a strong heart-pulsing vision of purpose
- Be Authentic - The story can’t be invented. It has to be in the DNA of the company.
- Be Creative - the best work captures imaginations and shows what’s possible when brands contribute to a better world
- Be Transparent - The most powerful stories of purpose are often about the unexpected lessons learned along the way
- Be Sustained - Delivering on a core purpose is a life-long ambition. Communications need to deliver for the long term
