Purpose: A Journey, Actions and Some Steps

Today I joined the PRCA National Conference along with my peers to discuss PR as a force for positive change. My point of view is this: in this prolonged period of incredible global disruption, there’s never been a more appropriate and critical time to talk about what organizations stand for and how they act to make a difference.

In a year dominated by uncertainty, by hyperbole, by misinformation, consumers and employees have turned in ever greater numbers to companies as a trusted news source. 

2020 has shown us that communication has never been more critical. COVID-19 has essentially confirmed what we’ve always known; that communication plays a vital role in building meaningful relationships and that it is especially important in times of crisis.  We’re already seeing communications lessons emerging from this crisis. Principally that communication can never be simply words.  All those purpose statements written pre-COVID are being put to the test and the pandemic is separating the companies that say something from those that do it. 

If your purpose cannot be used to as a lens to make business decisions, it's probably not a purpose but a strapline. I think the most challenging aspect that Purpose needs to come from the reality of who you are. Yet, it also needs to be aspirational.

So, I think it needs to be rooted in who you are, where you come from, and what it is possible for you to achieve.

It almost goes without saying that purpose without financial performance isn’t possible, and financial performance without purpose is meaningless. 

The Mars Family and 130,000 Associates of Mars view purpose as a journey. You can see and hear this in our Purpose statement: the world of tomorrow starts with how we do business today. It is both active and a call to action. It also recognizes that where we are is not in all cases where do we want to be.

So how do we stack up? Are we living in truth?

We can point to many examples of where we have been doing this for a long time.

Our original plan to be carbon neutral in own operations was from 2008. On 2017 we went further and looked across our whole supply chain with our Sustainable in a Generation Plan.

That came with a $1 billion investment to extend our focus deep in our extended supply chains. It is that plan that was a proof point at our purpose launch.

We’ve assessed our agricultural supply chains and prioritized 10 raw materials that have a big impact on our business, social and environmental challenges. It means that we are not shying away from talking about some tough topics. Poverty, deforestation, basic human rights. Few people thank you when you talk about them.

Looking at climate we have, over the last two years, broken the link between economic growth and carbon growth. And so that to some extent that is really the holy grail for environmentalism: you can be a more successful business producing more. And yet reducing your emissions. 

We have science-based targets in order to do our part to keep the planet from warming beyond two degrees.  

Our partnership with Danone on the Livelihoods Fund for Family Farming, this fund is investing 120 million Euros to develop sustainable agriculture projects that improve incomes for smallholder farmers, while also tackling food security and restoring ecosystems. We aim to positively impact 200,000 farms through this Livelihoods Fund.

For those of us practicing communications and corporate affairs, remember: there’s a thin line between what we think an organization should communicate and shaping the action. We should swim between the two. Purpose counts. To summarize:

1.     The most important thing is what you choose to do, rather than what you choose to say. Purpose is not a first and foremost communications discipline. Purpose is a fundamental business philosophy.

2.   From a communications professional's point of view, if you have a purpose that is clear and believable, and is real and aspirational, then that can be a very effective way of telling the story of the company. But that's the benefit. It's not the objective.

3.    Embracing Purpose and picking destinations means you have a point of view that not everyone will agree on. So if this matters you need to be willing stand for something and take the criticism. And in the age of algorithm and social media that criticism will always be heard – and sometimes that discourse is harsh.

4.   The role of corporations is evolving. Having a focused mission to deliver and communicate positive change is now a clear part of our mandate as communicators. 

5.    The way the world is moving now – the history we are living right now – is the biggest ever test case of a company’s mission. So walking the walk has never been so important.