BRANDING ROUNDTABLE

DECEMBER 2017 #35

Where Is Why
Going? The
State of Brand
Purpose.
David Aaker
Prophet

DECEMBER
2017

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Where Is Why Going? The State of
Brand Purpose.
#35
It’s been just over a decade since
author and TED talk favorite Simon
Sinek first encouraged the world
to “Start with Why,” triggering
an avalanche of corporate soul
searching and countless quests to
discover, define and activate purpose,
for organizations and the brands
they own. In fact, it’s been such a
dominant trend in management and
brand philosophy that it’s begun to
attract the ultimate validation of
importance – naysayers (as we’ll
touch on later in the Roundtable).
4
To assess just where “why” may be going as it enters
its second decade at center stage of corporate
consciousness, we reached out to four notable thinkers,
authors and practitioners in the realm of purpose. You’ll
hear from:

David Aaker
Vice Chairman of Prophet

Sara Roberts
Executive Director in the Advisory Services practice of
Ernst & Young

KoAnn Vikoren Skrzyniarz

Founder and Chief Executive of Sustainable Life Media,
producers and conveners of Sustainable Brands

Jim Stengel
President/CEO of The Jim Stengel Company, former
Chief Marketing Officer of Procter & Gamble

We hope you’ll read the entire roundtable, and then

return to the introductory article, to leave us your
comments and insights.

Chuck Kent
Creator and Moderator of the Branding Roundtable

NOTE:
In two instances, not all participants elected to answer a given question.

5
 Q. How do you define purpose today,
relative to brands and the businesses
they support?
David Aaker, Prophet
I prefer the term “higher purpose,” because growing
sales or profits can be a purpose. To me, higher pur-
pose means some goal beyond short-term financials or
their surrogates. There are contexts in which “purpose”
is assumed to mean higher purpose of course, but the
term higher purpose is less ambiguous in my view. I also
distinguish between an offering-driven higher purpose
(for instance Apple – building insanely great products), a
social higher purpose (expanding access to clean water)
and an environmental higher purpose (reducing carbon
emissions of your firm and those that it touches).
Sara Roberts
EY “Purpose, or an
organization’s ‘why,’ is
the fundamental reason
why you do what you do
as a company.”
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Sara Roberts, EY
Purpose, or an organization’s “why,” is the fundamen-
tal reason why you do what you do as a company. In this
transformative age of unprecedented business com-
plexity and rapid change, purpose serves as your “North
Star,” an ever-inspirational guide that allows your enter-
prise to stand securely on its foundation while constantly
striving to create more impact. I believe tapping into each
company’s purpose, more so than its mission, strategies
or markets, has the power to focus an entire organiza-
tion, from the C-suite to the frontline.
KoAnn Vikoren Skrzyniarz, Sustainable Brands
Brand purpose relates to the driving value proposition
underlying a brand’s core “reason for being” beyond just
driving profits for the brand owner. In today’s connected,
informed and aware society, the longing for a refresh
on Madison Avenue’s version of the good life (which has
been sold to us since the 1950s), of having the bigger
house, faster car, whiter teeth and flashier persona, is
growing.
Our recent research within the general US population,
executed in collaboration with Harris Poll, turned up the
fact that, across gender, generation and geography, as
well as political or faith-based affiliation, we are collec-
tively shifting away from prioritizing the pursuit of money,
status and personal achievement. Rather, people now
favor the pursuit of what we call “Balanced Simplicity,”
and “Meaningful Connections” to one’s family, communi-
ty and the environment. Finding a way to deliver to these
new, mainstream aspirations will set a brand on the path
to sustainable success in the coming decades.
Jim Stengel, The Jim Stengel Company
Purpose is the reason a business exists beyond making
money. An activated purpose is what inspires, motivates
and retains employees and customers. It connects the
core beliefs and values of the people inside a company
with the people they serve.
A strong purpose is future-oriented, yet grounded in
the past. It is also connected to the reality of what the
brand or company does; it is not esoteric. A brand pur-
pose often hearkens back to the founder story, which
almost always holds insights and inspiration.
6 DECEMBER
2017
 Q. Must purpose apply to an entire
brand organization or is it possible
for individual brands to pursue distinctly
different individual purposes (if you will,
must it be a “Purposed House” versus a
“House of Purposes” approach)?
Sara Roberts, EY
I believe there is a bigger purpose that sits at the macro
level of an organization. This is what acts as the guide
and glue for all their businesses or brands. However, we
encourage each brand to articulate its nested purpose
(or, nested why), so they can help guide their own busi-
ness as to how they uniquely fulfill the overall organiza-
tion’s aim.
Jim Stengel
The Stengel
“With purpose-driven
Company icons like Dove, Lifebuoy,
and Ben & Jerry’s,
Unilever is a ‘House of
Purpose,’ yet each ties
together to support the
Unilever purpose.”
Jim Stengel, The Jim Stengel Company
Every brand is simply the collective intent of the peo-
ple who work on the brand. It’s not only possible for an
individual brand to have its own distinct purpose within a
larger enterprise, it’s a mandate. That’s the way the best
brand-building organizations run. With purpose-driven
icons like Dove, Lifebuoy, and Ben & Jerry’s, Unilever is a
“House of Purpose,” yet each tie together to support the
Unilever purpose.
To illustrate this concept, I like to use the metaphor of
a prism. The values and purpose of the parent compa-
ny refract into individual rays of brand meaning. It’s the
same light source, but each brand has its own unique
purpose. You must have both: the source of light and the
separate, beautiful expressions of that light.
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KoAnn Vikoren Skrzyniarz, Sustainable Brands
As a systems thinker who believes in the strength that
comes from integrity of design and design thinking, I be-
lieve the biggest upside possible for a “House of Brands”
is to have a corporate brand purpose that serves as an
umbrella for the individual brands underneath it. This is
not to say that each individual product or service brand
should have the same purpose. But each brand in a
house of brands should have a purpose that supports the
higher-level corporate brand purpose.
For instance, Unilever’s purpose to “Make Sustainable
Living Commonplace” offers a strong signal to its family
of brands to weave long-term thinking about environ-
mental and social value into each of its brands. The win
is that those Unilever brands that are effectively embed-
ding a sustainable living purpose into their brand DNA
are growing twice as fast as the rest of Unilever’s portfo-
lio, and delivering 60% of the growth at Unilever world-
wide.
David Aaker, Prophet
It can and should be both. Look at Unilever. There is
a rather broad purpose around sustainable living that
comes to life with programs around “improving health
and well-being,” “reducing environmental impact,.”
and “enhancing livelihoods,” all of which have a series
of quantitative objectives. In addition, their brands are
encouraged to have their own higher purpose. Knorr
is about “enriching lives through flavor,” Dove has ad-
dressed women’s self-confidence with the long running
“Real Beauty” campaign, and Lifebuoy has set out to get
one billion people to wash their hands better under the
“Help a child reach five” program.
7 DECEMBER
2017
 Q. Do you see a substantive business
difference between “functionally-
driven purpose” brands (see Clorox’s recent
attempt at a purpose repositioning) and
“higher-purpose-driven” brands seeking
social benefit (ala the usual suspects such
as Patagonia)?
Jim Stengel, The Jim Stengel Company
I don’t fully subscribe to the delineation between purpose
“types.” In order for any brand to be purposeful, it must
advocate for a high-order ideal and put itself in service
to people and the world. So, by definition, every pur-
pose-driven brand yields social or societal benefits. The
key is that this benefit must be authentic to the brand
and what it stands for. Barbie does it by inspiring possi-
bilities for young girls. Lowe’s does it by helping people
love where they live. Pampers does it by caring for ba-
bies’ happy, healthy development. The new Clorox posi-
tioning is beautiful and insightful – clean is the beginning
of new possibilities. Everyone has goals and dreams, and
for most of them, being clean is an important first step.
KoAnn Vikoren
Skrzyniarz
“There needs to be a
Sustainable
Brands
functional benefit of
some sort to every
brand as well, ideally
that aligns with its
deeper purpose.”
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KoAnn Vikoren Skrzyniarz, Sustainable Brands
Not really. There needs to be a functional benefit of
some sort to every brand as well, ideally that aligns
with its deeper purpose. Both are aiming the conver-
sation and engagement around a deeper human de-
sire that is connected to their functional benefit. Pa-
tagonia wants you to be warm and stylish, guilt-free,
knowing that pursuing this functional benefit through
their brand delivers the added benefit of a healthier,
more sustainable planet. Clorox is making a deeper
connection with us by pointing out that cleaning helps
us create a sense of control and even a meditative
state that can be good for us beyond just killing germs
(which is an outdated need, at least in the developed
world where we generally now know that keeping a
clean environment is good for our health and family).
David Aaker, Prophet
Yes. The offering-driven higher purpose, like Tesla’s
electric cars or GE’s energy group, can justify the in-
vestment and communicate the purpose in the context
of a business. The business itself delivers that higher
purpose.
The most respected “purpose” brands in Japan
are Toyota and Panasonic. Both earned that position
because of the visible parts of their business (Toyota’s
Prius and Panasonic’s energy conserving products).
Those with a social or environmental higher purpose
must justify the investment on the basis of being
the “right thing to do,” uniquely capable of making a
difference, able to create meaning for employees, the
basis of a relationship with customers, or the source
of energy and visibility for their brand. With share-
holders breathing down their necks, this task is not so
easy.
Sara Roberts, EY
I really cringe at the idea of companies using purpose as
“positioning” or as a marketing gimmick. It’s truly inau-
thentic – and most times you can tell when they are trying
to talk the talk but really don’t walk the walk. To quote
Lady Gaga, I think the truly authentic companies were
“born that way.” They came up from this desire to be a
force for good in the world, along with making money.
8 DECEMBER
2017
 I fervently believe, though, that the best leaders use
their influence and action to extend the power of purpose
beyond corporate social responsibility — that is, beyond
compliance and into the operating model and decision
making of each of their brands.
Q. Millennials have often been cited
as driving, or at least accelerating,
the larger move to purpose. Do you see
a continued dependence on generational
change or will purpose become a driver
across generations?
KoAnn Vikoren Skrzyniarz, Sustainable Brands
Not according to our spring 2017 study on our changing
view of what makes up a “Good Life” in the US. We be-
lieve that awareness of our changing world, and the fal-
lacy of some of the assumptions we’ve made about what
we’re supposed to strive for, is reaching all of us who are
online – and boomers are among the most connected.
According to our study, boomers confirmed their de-
sire for Balanced Simplicity and Meaningful Connections
as well. We certainly do believe Millennials expect to be
finding meaningful work more than their parents did.
Jim Stengel
The Stengel “This is a phenomenon
Company
that transcends
generations.”
Thus, one of the big values authentically positive brands
find is a competitive advantage in attracting and retain-
ing consumers. We believe respect for our planet and all
people, near and far, is an emerging part of our global
ethos. We’re finally starting to understand (despite what
we read in the news) that we all sink or swim together.
Again, we have lovely data that reinforces this, in our
Emerging Good Life study that will be released at the end
of November, 2017.
David Aaker, Prophet
There is a large subset of millennials that have a
strong bias to working for organizations that are in-
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terested in more than just short-term financials. They
need more than that for their professional life, plus
they don’t have a lot of respect for firms perceived as
simply greedy. In certain industries, where the compe-
tition for talent is intense, having a meaningful higher
purpose is an imperative. The impact of the attitudes
of millennials also extends to customers and inves-
tors. In each case there is a meaningful subgroup that
wants to support firms that share their values, a sub-
group that has enough influence and market power to
make s real difference.
Sara Roberts, EY
Let me share my thoughts on this question from an em-
ployer and employee perspective.
I think Millennials have done a good job sparking this
conversation and expecting this in an employer. Caring
about purpose or being purposeful, though, isn’t some-
thing new to their generation. Every generation, at some
point, has been noted for its idealism and passion. Sim-
ply, I believe that it didn’t really dawn on Boomers and
Gen X to ask their work to provide that for them. What
they used to look for at home or in their communities is
something they now expect to find where they work.
At a higher level, we, as humans, all want to contrib-
ute and be valued – we want to be a part of something
bigger than ourselves. It’s hardwired into us. The em-
ployers that recognize this are the ones who will be able
to create exponential impact, winning hearts and minds
in ways they couldn’t imagine.
Jim Stengel, The Stengel Company
This is a phenomenon that transcends generations. Pur-
pose and values are here to stay. Millennials and Gen Z
are pushing us to be authentic in how we operate brands
with purpose.
A nicely crafted purpose communication campaign is
insufficient. A truly authentic business running on pur-
pose will activate its purpose in every way, from recruit-
ing talent, to how it sources materials, to how it rewards
employees, to how it speaks to consumers. Everything is
tightly aligned with its purpose. And Millennials and Gen
Z aren’t afraid to call out companies publicly for not living
up to their purpose — and that is a good thing.
9 DECEMBER
2017
 Q. Most purpose-related surveys report
results in terms of what people believe,
say or intend. Can you point to research that
is more thoroughly based in business results
or behaviors than in business attitudes or
intent?
David Aaker, Prophet
There are a host of studies that show that higher-pur-
pose firms have a superior financial performance than
others. These studies are correlational rather that ex-
perimental but still are eye-opening. Look, for example,
at Fortune magazine’s annual account of 50 companies
changing the world.
From books we have, for example, the Firms of En-
dearment list of 55 US companies ranked high on be-
ing sensitive to all stakeholders, and performing much
better than the S&P over 5, 10 and 15 years. There are
individual firm quasi-experiments. Unilever, for example,
shows that their “sustainable brands” grow 50 percent
faster than their other brands.
David Aaker
Prophet “There are a host of
studies that show that
higher-purpose firms
have a superior financial
performance than
others.”
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Experiments are harder to find. In my book on Cre-
ating Signature Stories, due out next year, I tell the sto-
ry of one experiment, Barclays. At the time it was the
least-trusted brand in the least- trusted industry – but
it developed a higher purpose which spawned some 40
programs. Stories around those programs created a
dramatic impact on their image, and on measures of
business success as well.
Sara Roberts, EY
Two of our most recent EY Beacon Institute research
studies points to business results: “How Can Purpose
Revel a Path Through Disruption?” and The Business
Case for Purpose.”
Jim Stengel, The Stengel Company
In late 2011, when I published my book Grow, How Ideals
Power Growth and Profit at the World’s Greatest Compa-
nies, I partnered with Millward Brown Optimor to study
purpose and business results. We conducted a 10-year
growth study involving 50,000 brands. We selected the
top 50 brands — with extraordinary financial and con-
sumer results from 2000 to 2010 – and benchmarked
them against their competition. The Stengel 50, as we
dubbed them, grew three times faster over that 10-year
period than their competitors. There was a clear and
compelling relationship between financial performance
and these brands’ ability to connect with their customers
through purpose.
There have been many other studies since mine that
show similar findings: a strong, clearly articulated pur-
pose, which is activated across a brand’s activity sys-
tem, positively impacts performance. Examples of other
studies include “The Business Case for Purpose,” by
the EY Beacon Institute, in partnership with the Harvard
Business Review, and Interbrand’s 2017 “Best Global
Brands,” which showed that having a clear strategic mis-
sion and a meaningful purpose is a characteristic of top
brands.
10 DECEMBER
2017
Q. Bloomberg Businessweek recently took
corporate purpose and its poster child,
Unilever, to task in the article “If Unilever
Can’t Make Feel-Good Capitalism Work, Who
Can?” Do you see that commentary as the
inevitable counter-trend criticism or do you
share the concern that purpose won’t work
in a shareholder-first world?
Sara Roberts, EY
This begs, perhaps, a bigger (or inverse) question, I believe.
That is, can a “shareholder-first world” work anymore, given
the growing consciousness and the thrust for purpose-
ful companies? I don’t think there’s turning back from the
awakening and sentiment that we must and can do better –
many progressive companies (read: Amazon, Apple, and so
on) often think and invest long-term, and even tussle with in-
vestors and analysts at times when they’re too prickly about
the lack of immediate returns or the investments they make.
Jim Stengel, The Stengel Company
The headline is a little more negative than the arti-
cle. Unilever has done well under Paul Polman’s pur-
pose-driven leadership. The stock price has nearly dou-
bled since he took over as CEO in 2009. And revenue is up
nearly 30% during that time.
We need purpose now more than ever. Playing to
quarters isn’t sustainable. Two hundred and fifty-nine
companies on the Fortune 500 declined in revenue last
year. The average life expectancy of a Fortune 500 com-
pany today is 15 years, compared to 75 years in 1967. Big
companies are suffering, in part because of this share-
holder-first world.
As I learned in the research for my latest book, Un-
leashing the Innovators, big companies can change this
trend by learning from and partnering with startups.
They can learn so many lessons from startups that are
creating new markets, growing, and operating in a dif-
ferent way. The fastest growing startups are looking at
their future in decades, not quarters. They are driven by
an ambitious purpose to make a difference in the world,
which attracts and retains talent. They have a relentless
focus on the product or service they created, and they
care deeply about each and every consumer.
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KoAnn Vikoren Skrzyniarz, Sustainable Brands
Hmmm, I guess I didn’t read the piece that way. My
sense is that the jury is still out as to whether Unilever
will be a pioneer or an outlier. I can tell you from what
we see around the world, Unilever is a pioneer, along-
side many other companies who are steadily moving in
this direction — from P&G to Nestle to Campbell Soup to
Clorox to Ford to Dell and so many others.
“I think that it is not too David Aaker
Prophet
dramatic to say that
there is a battle for the
soul of capitalism and
the outcome is still
unclear.”
The train has left the station. The brands of the fu-
ture will be sustainable and regenerative. Becoming one
takes a new way of seeing the world, a raft of out-of-the
box ideas, and a new set of tools and partners to suc-
ceed. But the market drivers are broad and deep, and
will remain. Sustainable Brands exists to equip these
companies with the understanding of what a regenera-
tive future really means, and we are fortunate to have a
front row seat to those early leaders (of which Unilever is
certainly one of the most visible) who are paving the way
today for the rapidly shifting new norm of brand building
for tomorrow.
The innovative brands of tomorrow will integrate pur-
pose and profit.
David Aaker, Prophet
There is enormous momentum around finding a higher
purpose and putting meaning programs around them.
There are many reasons, but I think a thrust to provide
meaning to the professional lives of executives as well
as employees is a good part of it. The cumulative impact
has been enormous in so many ways and with respect to
so many problems.
There are a lot of good signs, but the war is not over,
for sure. Shareholders, who are driven by stock return,
which in turn is based on short-term financials, have the
11 DECEMBER
2017
power of ownership. If they buy a company, they can do
anything they want. Look at what 3G Capital did to the
people and strategy of Kraft when they took over.
Unless the power of shareholders is reduced or other-
wise neutralized, there is risk that this momentum could
be slowed or reversed — especially if there is a dip in the
economy and shareholders become even less patient.
I think that it is not too dramatic to say that there is a
battle for the soul of capitalism and the outcome is still
unclear.
ing its heritage to move beyond the hotel industry to – in
their words – “turn every dinner table, gaming table,
shop, venue and view into an entertaining experience that
blows people’s minds.” MGM’s stock price is up over 70%
in the last 17 months and its staff friendliness metric is
at an all-time high.
Another example is from India, in a totally different
category that is near to my heart. The brand is P&G’s Ari-
el, a laundry brand, and its purpose is to set women free.
This purpose inspired a social media-fueled effort called
#ShareTheLoad, which resulted in 76% increase in sales
by encouraging both men and women to share the load of
household chores.

Q. What companies or categories do you

see as having the most comprehensive
success with purpose these days?
“Success from purpose Jim Stengel
The Stengel
is category and business Company

KoAnn Vikoren Skrzyniarz, Sustainable Brands agnostic.”

Well, of course “green building” was an early breakout
leader, with food, textiles or fashion and mobility running
quickly behind. There is an enormous amount of envi-
ronmental and social purpose-led innovation happening
in these sectors, complete with success stories from
around the world that you can find on our website. The
cosmetics and personal care sectors are rapidly com-
ing along behind. Again, in another 20 years, we believe
brands that are not built solidly and demonstrably on a
meaningful human purpose (we see protection of the en-
vironment to be a deeply human purpose on many levels)
will be dead and gone.

Jim Stengel, The Stengel Company

Success from purpose is category and business agnostic.
Success comes down to fearless leaders who have the
personal drive to unite and galvanize their organization
around a purpose that makes a difference in the lives of
the people they serve. Leaders from companies rang-
ing from Suntrust Bank to Motorola Solutions to Airbnb,
show us that purpose works across business models and
industries.
Another example is MGM Resorts. This Las Ve- Other examples of brands deeply rooted in purpose
gas-based company is engaging all its 77,000 employees that continue to see long-term growth (and that were on
to activate their purpose of providing the most amazing the Stengel 50) include Jack Daniels, Starbucks, Pam-
entertainment experience in the world. MGM is leverag- pers and Samsung.

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Branding Roundtable 2017
David Aaker, Prophet
Probably the most successful purpose firms are those
with a CEO and board of directors that are on board with
a higher purpose and who have the talent and strategic
focus to develop programs that are well thought out and
implemented. Fortunately, there are many such firms.
One good role model is SalesForce.com, with their 1-1-1
model that has been adopted by over 70 other firms.
Sara Roberts, EY
I do think that Unilever is a very good example – because
Paul Polman isn’t just thinking about it from a CSR or
marketing and branding perspective, but extending it into
everything they do as a business. The impact is consis-
tent through all of Unilever’s brands. Dove has set out to
strengthen women’s self-esteem through its campaign
for Real Beauty, including setting up a self-esteem fund
and project that has reached more than 1.5 million Cana-
dian girls with workshops and online resources. Lifebuoy
soap, a hand-hygiene product, has kept its focus on pre-
venting the death of about 2 million children before the
age of five due to diarrhea and pneumonia by promoting
hand-washing.
Southwest Airlines, for example, is a highly recog-
nizable and meaningful brand for consumers, but that
brand is actually an expression of the airline’s clarity of
purpose. In turn, that clarity has guided some of South-
west’s biggest strategic decisions. Southwest Airline’s
purpose is to “democratize the skies.” This is consistent
with their business model, which holds that success in
the competition for airline customers is achieved not just
by winning share in the existing market but by making
the market itself bigger. When more people fly – because
costs are low, convenience is high, and people are com-
fortable – there are more customers for Southwest.
It’s easy to see how this purpose is embodied in the
Southwest Airline’s brand. Much of what makes South-
west distinctive is the company’s willingness to buck
conventional approaches to treating customers in a very
staid and regulation-heavy industry. Everything they
do is in line with that unconventional attitude – from
open-seating, to the informal jokes that put customers
at ease, to the low cost airfares – reflecting both South-
west’s brand and its purpose.
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Q. Conversely, what companies or
categories are struggling most with
purpose (either ignoring it or failing to live up
to its promise)?
David Aaker, Prophet
Firms that have financial measures dominate their mis-
sion and strategy. Look at the track record of 3G Capital
with their purchase of Kraft and Heinz. Among the stake-
holders that suffered were employees. I suspect, given
the stated 3G mission, that any higher-purpose programs
then in place were reduced in priority.
Sara Roberts, EY
The companies that are struggling the most are the ones
that are giving it short shrift (believing it’s the “soft” stuff
made from unicorns and rainbows), or who are ‘saying
but not doing.’ There are hundreds, even thousands of
companies (not naming names but they know who they
are) that are using purpose as a marketing ploy – and not
as a guiding light or decision factor inside their business-
es.
“The companies that Sara Roberts
EY
are struggling the most
[with purpose] are the
ones that are giving it
short shrift.”
The companies who activate and operationalize it
throughout their strategies and operating model are the
ones who are truly purpose-led companies. In these
companies, leaders use their purpose as the primary
lens for making the critical decisions. They constantly
ask, “Will this solution, action, or strategy help serve our
purpose?”
KoAnn Vikoren Skrzyniarz, Sustainable Brands
Anywhere that ‘cheap’ is the leading value proposition is
going to struggle, because, of course, doing things right
– not polluting, not exploiting workers, whether in retail
or in the supply, using materials that are non-toxic – all
13 DECEMBER
2017
of these things do cost more money. So, aspiring to afford
products and experiences that offer up this new, healthi-
er, simpler, more meaningful, connected life, rather than
stacking your closets with crap, is going to be the ‘Ameri-
can Dream’ of this century.
I have been saying for years (who wants to work with
us on this?) that we need to break free of selling on
price, and start presenting total value instead. Our New
Metrics work and conference is all about building a new
discipline around how we define and measure these new
forms of environmental and social value business can
generate.
Jim Stengel, The Stengel Company
While companies with high employee turnover face par-
ticular challenges, there is not one category or company
that struggles more or less with purpose.
Brands that see purpose as a separate component to
their company strategy or as a social-cause effort, do
not appreciate the full advantages of a purpose-driven
company. The key to success is how brands create and
activate their purpose. Purpose needs to be intrinsical-
ly tied to the brand heritage and the customers’ wants
and desires. It also needs to inspire how the brand and
entire organization thinks and acts across their systems
and processes. It needs to be driven by the leadership to
become part of the company DNA.
Q. What’s your advice to organizations that
have yet to embrace purpose, if indeed
you think they should?
Sara Roberts, EY
Without a doubt they should. Purpose is a fundamental
need for human beings, as individuals and in groups, in
our lives and in our work. Business has discovered that
few things are more powerful than shared purpose that
is aligned.
But leaders are only beginning to grasp that purpose
must be activated and embedded in the organization’s
people, processes, strategy, and culture. Otherwise it
will remain elusive, stuck in the realm of the inspiration-
al speech. If you go down this road (and I am not sure
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there’s really a choice anymore), you must be prepared to
not only talk about how you’re a purposeful company, but
to actually be it and do it.
The most productive, effective, and authentic way to
operationalize purpose in an organization is to figure out
how to support and drive value for the customer in line
with your purpose. When key questions are asked, deci-
sions made, and actions taken accordingly, the organiza-
tion can be said to be leading with purpose. That clarity
not only connects the business to the customer in a
deeper way, but it drives innovation in service of custom-
er value, leads to more sustainable growth and profitabil-
ity, infuses authenticity into marketing and brand, brings
employees and stakeholders together – and helps the
world become a better place.
“Leaders are only Sara Roberts
EY
beginning to grasp
that purpose must be
activated and embedded
in the organization’s
people, processes,
strategy, and culture.”
KoAnn Vikoren Skrzyniarz, Sustainable Brands
I would recommend getting on board quickly, because
those who wait too long are going to be left behind. And,
as I’ve said, changing the current paradigm about how to
build and sustain a successful brand is changing quickly.
If you think buying new technologies that help you pin-
point customers alone is the answer, you’re going to find
yourself barking up the wrong tree, with no one out there
who cares enough about your brand to find it. There is a
lot to learn — and those who have joined the Sustainable
Brands Community are learning together, making up a
new reality as we speak. No time like the present!
Jim Stengel, The Jim Stengel Company
The data is compelling. Brands with a strong purpose
win in the marketplace by improving the lives of those
they serve. I often suggest to leaders that they have a
14 DECEMBER
2017
discussion with their teams about their purpose – and to
have the same kinds of discussions with people through-
out their organizations. Once this conversation starts
it always leads to good places. And helping leaders and
brands pursue those conversations, and discover and
activate their purpose in all they do, is our purpose.
David Aaker, Prophet
First, look at the social, environmental, and economic
problems facing the global society. Second, look at the
risks to our firms, as well as the world, if they are not
addressed – and to the opportunities for your firm and
others if they are. Third, look at the limitations of gov-
ernmental responses and the potential effectiveness of
what firms can do with their assets and ability to be agile
and effective at creating and running programs. Fourth,
look at the benefits of moving it that direction in terms,
for example, of employee morale, energy cost savings,
opportunities to innovate, and gaining visibility and ener-
gy for your brand.
Q.
Finally, during this era in which regard
for traditional institutions of belief
and purpose (especially government and
religion) is arguably in decline, how far can
purpose-driven brands credibly step up to
support the human search for meaning?
KoAnn Vikoren Skrzyniarz, Sustainable Brands
Oh heavens, I’m sure I’ve written a few complete blogs
on this. The short story is that the institutions of the past
that have held our trust have lost it, but that doesn’t
erase our human search for meaning, which is an indeli-
ble part of what defines our species. Our interaction with
our economic system is pervasive for all of us, whether
you’re buying or selling sachets in the favelas in Rio, or
buying luxury styles from Eileen Fisher. It is natural for
us to be turning to brands that are an indelible part of
our lives in hope of finding an outlet for this yearning.
Our economy is supposed to be in service to our hu-
manity – helping enable all of us to live healthier, happier
lives. We’ve just gotten off track with that. The opportu-
nity to right our course is huge, and there will be win-
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Branding Roundtable
ners and losers. The good news is, to the degree that we
collectively support those brands that are helping deliver
a better life for all, we will all benefit, and that has all the
makings of the good news story we so desperately need
at this moment in history.
“Growth of the role of David Aaker
Prophet
a higher purpose can
be both an indicator
of a broader need for
meaning and a response
to it.”
David Aaker, Prophet
There is an amazing thrust for meaning in people’s pro-
fessional and personal lives. Perhaps that is a result of
the achievement of material things, or a realization that
material things are not all that important. In any case,
growth of the role of a higher purpose can be both an
indicator of a broader need for meaning and a response
to it.
Jim Stengel, The Jim Stengel Company
As Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl taught us, “We’re all
on a quest to find deeper meaning.” That quest touches
every aspect of our lives. Brands can play a pivotal role
in their categories, whether it is energy, social media or
health care. But the power of purpose is not limited to
brands. Embracing purpose would be a powerful way for
institutions to find their true voices, engage with their
constituencies, and create a better world.
15 DECEMBER
2017
This Month’s Branding Roundtable Members

David Aaker David, often referred to as “the father of modern branding,” is the Vice Chair-
man of Prophet, Professor of Marketing Strategy at Berkley Haas School of
Business, an inaugural inductee into the Marketing Hall of Fame, and the
author of numerous books, including the forthcoming Creating Signature
Stories: Strategic Messaging that Persuades, Energizes and Inspires.

Sara Roberts Sara is an Executive Director in the Advisory Services practice of Ernst &
Young, with a focus in strategy, organizational culture, and purpose-led
transformation. She is also a speaker and author whose latest book is Nim-
ble, Focused, Feisty: Organizational Cultures that Win in the New Era and
How to Create Them.

KoAnn Vikoren Skrzyniarz KoAnn is Founder and Chief Executive of Sustainable Life Media, producers
and conveners of Sustainable Brands, the leading global learning, collabora-
tion and commerce community of innovators focused on advancing the role of
brand in shaping a flourishing future.

Jim Stengel Jim Stengel, the former Chief Marketing Officer of Proctor & Gamble, is the
President/CEO of The Jim Stengel Company, advisor to leading brands, a
popular speaker, and the author of multiple books, including his most re-
cent, Unleashing the Innovators: How Mature Companies Find New Life with
Startups.

Chuck Kent Chuck is the Chief Conversation Officer for Lead the Conversation. He works
with top executives to develop more authentic thought leadership content,
and create meaningful industry conversations that can, in turn, create re-
lationships. A prolific writer, brand strategist and content creator, Chuck is
also a Contributing Editor for Brandingmag and the creator and moderator of
Branding Roundtable.

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Branding Roundtable 2017
 NEXT MONTH
on Branding Roundtable:

Change Management in
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Moderator:
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Editor-In-Chief, Brandingmag
flavia@brandingmag.com

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