Don't miss ADWEEK House at Cannes, June 16-19. Join us as we celebrate our 45th anniversary and explore the industry's now and next. RSVP.
As businesses realize the potential windfall from becoming more purpose-driven, such initiatives are increasing. There is no shortage of evocative statements coming from companies that had historically found pride in espousing naked capitalism and ruthless efficiencies.
These outward-facing messages and campaigns are imperative to look good in the eyes of the consumer and salve the shareholder itch for performance. And yet, there’s a massive disconnect between external communications and internal cohesion: No matter what good an organization says it does, it matters very little if it does not collectively align on and believe in the mission.
As ESG becomes the standard-bearer of a company’s purpose, it will increasingly need coordination and buy-in from all sectors of the organization—not just the marketing department. From finance to procurement, HR and investor relations, everyone needs to have the same ambition and drive for accountability.
It is said that a purpose-driven organization knows why it exists and who it is built to serve. If these two imperatives are not fully understood and embraced by everyone involved, then the company is in peril of falling flat at best and failing miserably at worst.
A study from Gallup that surveyed thousands of employees across hundreds of U.S. companies has laid bare the disconnect: Only 27% believe their company delivers on its purpose promise.
This is a staggering revelation. Despite the slew of corporate purpose statements, campaigns and leadership pledges that companies espouse, it is not registered by the very workers who must live it.
Organizations that unambiguously know why they exist and who they’re built to serve are indeed purpose-driven. The problem is where that knowledge is stored and activated. For most organizations, this understanding is housed and articulated only at the top and, unfortunately, rarely trickles down to rank-and-file employees.
How can leaders get their people to reflect on the purpose of the company, let alone their own purpose within it? How do the building blocks of an organization—business units, functional expertise, performance hubs, recruitment and development—get the autonomy and incentive to work more purposefully? How can purpose-driven actions like corporate social responsibility and philanthropy get integrated into the core of the business rather than remaining siloed and sidelined?
The answer may lie depend on how well a company does its “invertising,” as well as it does its advertising.
Companies spend millions trying to convince consumers that they have a purpose. So why do they spend so little convincing their employees? Major corporations and brands have tens of thousands of employees who are motivated by great messaging, creativity and calls to action, as much during their 9-to-5 as outside it. Applying the principles of consumer advertising to internal communications is a great way to get companies to deliver on their purpose promises and brand positioning.
Much like great advertising, great invertising can stir up emotion in employees. The more intense the emotion, the more personal it becomes for someone. And if work can become personal to employees, they’re more invested in the goals and successes of their organization. This is a great “secret sauce” for any company’s success.
Invertising helps to operationalize corporate purpose. Once a company or brand aligns with a cause, for instance, it can experientially bring the partnership to life with volunteer days and give-back programs. This is just the beginning; a daily practice of operationalizing purpose can include matching employee donations through platforms like Benevity, Millie or Alaya, and highlighting the ongoing work that employee resource groups are doing. Lobbies and corporate training centers can be redesigned to espouse corporate purpose rather than corporate largesse.
And invertising can also play a major part in talent recruitment and retention. Gallup research shows that even a small improvement in connecting employees with purpose leads to a decrease in turnover (8.1%) and an increase in profitability (4.4%).
The more employees are authentically convinced of the brand purpose, the stronger the brand becomes. This helps drive the ability to attract top talent, uncovers new distribution channels, makes it easier to introduce new products and services, and delivers a better return on marketing spend. In fact, it could be posited that great invertising can help overcome lackluster advertising.
Engaged and empowered employees can embody purpose more than any messaging. That’s how the intention of doing good can make a good business into a great one.
