There are many cuts of the three Ps within business. Many focusing on product and profit. I believe, in the current world we live in, there is an opportunity for change where businesses, public sector and charity organisations could share the same type of goals. It’s time that society moves to become more conscious of its environment and its citizens. A new vision for the whole economy that is more than profits and numbers.
We have evolved to a place where businesses and public services sectors are now taking notes from each other and progressing with similar ideologies. Hospitals have targets – schools have brand identities. Businesses care about staff welfare and how their services impact on the environment. Will there be a point in time where we’ve found the optimal shared set of values which ultimately require little debate?
Maybe not. Without differentiation and competition business slows down and the world doesn’t progress fast enough. But it is important that progression is focussed in a way that doesn’t damage us.
I’ve noticed a few marketeers and business leaders covering some of the themes below, but mainly through a CSR strategy, and only as part of the overall business plan. Maybe there’s room at the top, at brand level, to make significant change.
Progress
As part of a vision or a brand mission, instead of planning for profits or market leading positions, should we be talking about progression as a whole? How a product or a service can move society forward. Progress is never ending, whereas a vision can be fulfilled. Progress is far reaching and can cover all aspects of business or public service. It can be used to describe improvement of society from children’s education to scientific discoveries and product innovation. Progress is for a community, a country and a planet.
Planet
In recent years the planet and its survival (or rather ours) has been high on government agendas. We are writing our own demise and at some point, probably for future generations, all organisations will need to change and become environmentally driven. Real world examples of how society is already changing and companies are growing include the rise in plant-based diets, the growth of renewable energy providers and the investment into it, electrified vehicles and recycled products. I think many business leaders are aware of a great market opportunity and if your brand cares for the planet there’s probably a good chance it’ll succeed.
Renewable energy is the fastest-growing energy source in the United States, increasing 42 percent from 2010 to 2020 (up 90 percent from 2000 to 2020)
C2ES
People
Finally, the one we should all care about: people. Whether it’s a customer, patient, end user or an employee, they are the key that drives progress. We need human imagination. A.I. cannot succeed without us. It learns from us as we learn from customers and their habits. We build services that the public want and need. Great employees are often the ones that create the best audience experiences. To have the best people will undoubtably help build the best brands. Brands need to understand and connect with all people in its sphere of influence to ensure things work and get better.
As an example:
Lets’s say a company that made vehicles had a short term vision of being “a leader in high performance electric vehicles“. Instead we could have a progressive statement which may be: “Increasing sustainable transportation that people can enjoy“. In this case we remove ‘electric vehicles’ and focus on the long term changes in technology which may not be electric. By eliminating ‘high performance’ we consider the emotional benefit people get out a vehicle and allow the flexibility to adapt as as the environmental pressures change. The statement then delivers for the People, the Planet and is Progressive for everyone.
These three themes could in turn drive brand values or strategies within organisations and be a part of decision making at every level. They could be intrinsic to every work place and may help create a better place to live for future generations.
