- Andrew McMains

NEW YORK Jim Stengel's name-check of the Purpose Institute in his farewell letter to Procter & Gamble last month cast a national spotlight on a consultancy that heretofore was not widely known. So, just what is the institute and how does it fit into Stengel's post-P&G plans?

Purpose is a brand consultancy that Omnicom Group's GSD&M Idea City launched two years ago. It seeks to help for-profit brands and cause-based groups cultivate broader strategic ground. The goal, according to the agency, is enabling clients to discover and articulate their purpose and values.

To date, the unit has worked for corporations (Walmart, Whole Foods), nonprofit groups (American Red Cross), regional concerns (the State of Louisiana) and educational institutions (Texas A&M University).

A similar mix of clients is expected going forward -- but soon the institute will stand on its own. Early next year, the consultancy will relaunch as an Omnicom unit with its own leadership structure and profit-and-loss responsibilities, though it will continue to be based in Austin, Texas, where GSD&M is located. That shop's CEO, Roy Spence, will serve as chairman of Purpose, and Haley Rushing will continue as svp and "chief purposologist."

Stengel's interest in the institute stems from his kinship with Spence, whom he first met through a mutual friend about three years ago. Since then, Spence has spoken several times at P&G -- as part of the company's advanced general-manager training program -- and Stengel has visited GSD&M, which at one point he eyed as a potential agency partner for the packaged-goods giant.

More recently, as Stengel, 53, planned the next chapter of his career after 25 years at P&G, Spence, 59, invited him to become an advisor to the think tank -- a role Stengel will assume after publishing a book about marketing early next year.

How Stengel will contribute remains to be seen. Indeed, the institute is but a piece of his future plans, which also include teaching marketing at a major university.

Still, Stengel's presence is expected to generate greater interest in the institute, which will take on its own clients but also look to mine prospects for GSD&M. "He may be the most remarkable branding person I've met," said Spence. "We're going to be partners in Purpose. It's going to be exciting."

Stengel, for his part, is intrigued by the opportunity to work with Spence and particularly with for-profit corporations.

"We both want to see how this evolves. If it plays out as we hope it does and it becomes almost an Aspen Institute . . . we certainly could see running consulting out of that, running seminars, running training, running experiences -- both on our site as well as a client's site -- and eventually getting into the business of materials as well," said Stengel. "We're thinking of it as a change agent, a think tank. And then I can see myself getting involved on all those levels."

In a broader sense, the opportunity builds on Stengel's experience in challenging and motivating colleagues and agencies in his role as P&G's global marketing officer -- a position he held for seven years. Marc Pritchard, the company's president of strategy, productivity and growth, succeeded Stengel in that post on Friday. Stengel is set to leave P&G on Oct. 31.

"I see great energy in people. When you unleash this, I see big things happen for companies and people," said Stengel. "And when I think I have something to add because I've experienced it, I've led it and I have a lot of passion in this area, I like to help others kind of find their way. It's very rewarding for me to see when that happens."