Quite some time ago, I recognized the need for consistency within a brand or organization and the difficulty to maintain it. Develop your purpose, story, core and stick to it…no matter what.
My thinking has evolved to recognize the importance, and even necessity, of change for survival. Take a look at Cadillac. This brand folds a decade ago if it wasn’t for renewal. Not to sound morbid or insensitive, but it’s audience was dying. It was no small task to take the brand we all recognized as our grand-parents’ vehicles and turn it into something our generation wants to be seen in. (the tag of the Kate Walsh spot has to be one of the top 10 over the past 5 years)
One of my current favorites, Old Spice, has successfully adapted and renewed…and they continue to do so. It’s a classic brand, but one that was losing more of its audience every day. Post-renewal, it’s stronger than ever and targeting 18-35′s, competing with the likes of Axe. I’ll have a full write-up around this Old Spice campaign in the coming weeks. It’s so good, and we need to understand why (so we can all copy it).
In realizing the need for change and renewal, while also recognizing the requirement of consistency, we either have a fundamental conflict or the need for clarification. I’m taking the latter.
To expound a bit on the image:
This is simply a vertical hierarchy. The highest level feeds our decisions into the levels beneath. The law is beyond our control, and we’re bound by it (or should be). We can’t make any decisions around our core or story that aren’t pre-determined by whether or not it’s lawful. Next is the core. I’m a believer in purpose-based marketing. Your purpose is your reason for existing as an organization outside of making money. Under no circumstance should this purpose change. Lastly, we have the story (or system). This is where our change and renewal comes in. What are we to do with audience feedback, bad PR or cultural and social changes?
Adapt the story but not the purpose.
Back to our examples. I’ve never worked with Old Spice (P&G). I don’t know it’s purpose, but I’d guess it goes something like this: to help men appeal to women without compromising “manliness.” This was the purpose when we saw the old bottles of aftershave sitting on our grandfathers’ bathroom counters. It’s the purpose now. The story, on the other hand, used to be: it’s the classic brand…the brand that’s given men confidence for years…experience, stability, classic reputation. The culture shifted. Right or wrong, young men don’t want to emulate their father’s anymore; they want to individuate and avoid conservatism. Now, the story goes something like this: be a man…not for the women, but for you – and don’t take yourself so seriously. The content brought a healthy dose of humor, subtly getting in shots at the brands that try to tell us what it means to be a man.
Old Spice had to renew it’s story. They’ll have to renew it again. Don’t be afraid to change your story; but don’t compromise your purpose to do it.
Chris Cornell made a stop in Houston a couple of months ago (former lead singer of Soundgarden and Audioslave), and I had the privilege of attending. I took a client and his wife and pretended that this was my treat to them (rather than a treat to myself). Halfway through the show, I was hacked off. Everyone at the show was singing so stinkin’ loud along with every song that I couldn’t even hear the guy I came to hear (who happens to have one of the greatest rock voices of my lifetime).
The concert I couldn’t wait to attend became me listening to the crowd…and even singing a little bit myself.
I “listen” a lot to some of the greats in our business: Alex Bogusky, Seth Godin, then I frantically write down everything I read or hear and try to figure out how to apply it. Alex and Seth have amazing voices…loud voices, and we should listen to them. They’re the guys up on stage right now.
But I can’t tell you how much I’ve learned from the guy in the crowd standing right next to me – or the guy who’s still singing along from the men’s room. These are the people with whom we work. The men and women we rub shoulders with every day…even the folks with whom we argue. Folks we engage with on blogs, Twitter, Facebook, our clients.
We have an amazing opportunity, now more than ever, to listen to the best voices in the world…learn from the best. But I hope we don’t focus so much on the guy on stage that we miss the sweet sound of the crowd. Even then, we’re not done. Going through my little journal and quoting Bogusky and Godin in every strategy meeting doesn’t make me any good…in fact, it could be detrimental if it’s causing me to lose site of my own purpose or vision.
As advertisers and marketers, we have to be amazing listeners. At some point, though, the listening has to translate to doing a little singing yourself.
If the word “money” is in your answer, I hope you’ll keep reading.
I’m not talking about your mission statement. I’m definitely not talking about your company culture or values. I’m asking the question, “why does your organization exist?” To make money? If that’s your answer, you’re in serious trouble because no one cares about that purpose except you.
I would never suggest that every organization’s purpose should leave a footprint the size of TOMS‘. Founder, Blake Mycoskie, started with a purpose and built a company around it. That’s what I’m suggesting.
Your purpose doesn’t change. EVER. As Built To Last, by Jim Collins, discusses, purpose is THE most important factor that has distinguished “visionary” companies over the last two centuries from the competition. Wal-Mart’s purpose is to allow the average person to buy products normally reserved for rich people. Disney’s purpose is to bring imagination and wholesomeness to everyone. TOMS exists to help those need. Changes in the economy, technology, management trends and so forth may change your mission; they may change your values, but they should never change why you exist as an organization. If there was suddenly no need for shoes (hard to imagine, I know), TOMS would still exist to help those in need; they’d just have to figure out a different way to do it.
Great. Why does this matter?
1. Branding. Simple. A brand has to have a voice, and it’s a lot more powerful when consumers understand and agree with what you’re trying to accomplish as an organization. See Chic-Fil-A as another great example.
2. Innovation. We won’t always do things the way we do them now. As an agency, the following would be a suicidal purpose: to strengthen client brands by building and engaging with online communities. That makes a lot of sense right now. 20 years ago, it would’ve left me scratching my head, and 20 years from now the “community” buzzword may only be found in our marketing text books. Suggested purpose for the aforementioned agency: “to utilize new media to strengthen client brands.” This purpose forces my agency to think ahead and prepare for changes in the climate of my industry…maybe even be an agent of that change. Check out Edward Boches’ blog on this front. Very interesting insights on where our industry is headed.
3. Getting the most out of your people. Seth Simonds begins a discussion on this topic in his blog post, Why You Can’t Find Better Employees. Seth encourages the leaders of the organizations to look inward here. His first point is the strongest of why your employees may not be living up to expectations: “You don’t have a clear vision of what you’re trying to accomplish.” You can encourage good work with financial incentive. Works great. You can also encourage great work by offering a clear and concise purpose toward which your employees should always be working. Nothing will drive down internal morale and productivity more than confusion or just going from project to project. Employees at Nordstrom know, beyond any doubt, that their purpose and the purpose of their organization is to provide uncompromised customer service. It’s short, clear and borderline obvious. But there’s no question. It’s been that way for a century, way before customer service became trendy, and it won’t ever change. If you’re unmotivated by that purpose, you don’t stay.
Oh, and thanks TOMS and Blake for having the guts to start with the purpose. I gotta be honest: your shoes are pretty goofy looking. But I know what you’re about, and I love it.
Have some good examples of companies that have been loyal to their purpose? Even more intriguing, know of any companies that have stood the test of time (at least 40 years) with no clear purpose that you can identify?
Why the hostility toward GM? They made a decision - fear not sm specialists, you will not lose your job. 2 weeks ago
This is gonna be fun RT: @Aggie_Sports Muschamp on SEC game at Kyle Field:"You ever been to College Station? It’ll be the only time you go.” 2 weeks ago
