S2:E2

Company Purpose Course

Leading companies these days, differentiate themselves also by standing for something greater than what they do. A purpose-based organization would assert that if it disappeared tomorrow, the world would lose something meaningful. Knowing the deeper ‘why’ your company or brand exists provides the foundation on which to build everything else. But actually living, breathing and effectively demonstrating a commitment to purpose is an infinitely larger task. 

This course explores how brands can help make the world, and their business, better faster by intentionally making ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ and ‘Sustainability’ efforts grounded in the brand’s core and purpose. For organizations to truly become purpose-driven, and harness the benefits, their efforts need to be deeply rooted in the brand’s purpose, positioning, and action plans. These efforts need to stem from an ethos that’s lived and breathed by every aspect of the organization. 

The intention of this course is to give people a complete end to end overview of what a company ‘purpose’ is. Why is it needed ? What are the benefits of adopting a clear purpose ? How does one go about it ? The process of Purpose Discovery, Articulation, Activation and Embedment. This course will cover various case studies from variety of industries, all new and relevant. It is highly practical if you dare starting this crucial journey of discovering your purpose and can be an inspiring catalyst for adoption in case you already discovered yours. 

The OBJECTIVES of this course are:

Understand what purpose is and how it is related to your mission, vision and values

Realize the business benefits of adopting a clear purpose

Evaluate to what extent companies matter and to whom

Internalise the required process of: purpose discovery, articulation, activation and embedment and what is needed at each step

How to live and breath purpose in a complex organisation environment

Day 1:

Purpose as the ‘Why’ You Exist

Purpose defined

Purpose vs. Vision, Mission, Values

Not all purposes are created equal 

Why All the Purpose Buzz Now ?

The trust crisis: living in a trust defect world

Millennials and Gen Z: who are they, what do they think and why should we care ?

The rise of the conscious consumer: from conspicuous to conscious consumption

Does Purpose Pay ?

Increased shareholder returns

Attracting and retaining top talent

Building greater customer loyalty and trust

Increased agility to innovation and 

Ability to drive transformational change

Navigating the CSR Landscape

Anchoring CSR efforts to international frameworks, e.g. Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), Environment, Social, Governance (ESG), UN Global Compact, Plan B, Future Fit Business Benchmark. 

The stages of CSR: from one-off projects to purpose-driven ecosystems.

The six major areas for CSR activities 

Day 2:

Brand Purpose, Making Brands Better, Faster

Purpose: the sixth P of marking. 

Progressive vs. regressive brands.

Brand activism’s six societal categories. 

Bringing Brand Purpose to Life - Discover

Inside out: unearthing employees’ sentiments, consumers’ insights, and company culture and ethos. 

Outside in: co-creation, engaging subject matter experts to help uncover the “need in the world” that the organization can meaningfully address. 

Identifying the organization’s ‘swords’ and ‘shields.’

Exploring social purpose ideas in three domains.

Creating social value: four ways a brand can create value for a social need. 

Bringing Brand Purpose to Life - Articulate

Developing and communicating a purpose statement. It Crafting a purpose statement and story in a voice and manner that resonates with employees and customers.

Sticky communications: the six common traits to making ideas ‘sticker.’

Bringing Brand Purpose to Life - Activate

Bringing brand Purpose to Life - Embed

Leadership, The role of the CEO