Somehow I missed GSD&M’s creation of the Purpose Institute, despite the fact that they have enlisted some high profile execs including Ed Stengel, the former CMO of P&G. Here’s what Stengel said to AdAge about the Institute and why he was going to “consult” for them:
This idea of purpose-driven branding and finding the meaning and potential meaning behind each brand and orienting everything around that … is over my career what’s really inspired me. Now I simply want to take that to the next step and focus all of my energy on that.
Doing a little more homework on this, I found the bio of the founder, Haley Rushing, who sports the best darn title I’ve yet to see in our business, “Chief Purposologist.” Here are a couple of paragraphs on Haley that also help explain the purpose of the Purpose Institute:
Although she works for GSD&M, one of the top 25 ad agencies in the country, Haley Rushing doesn’t like to think of herself as being in the ad business. While her work may result in great advertising, her passion lies in helping organizations discover their Core Purpose, beyond making money, and uncovering the Core Values that create and define the culture of the organization.
When you meet her, she’s likely to begin the conversation by asking, “What difference do you really make? Would anyone miss you if you weren’t here?” Don’t take it personally. As Chief Purposologist, Haley leads a team of people who act as organizational therapists, anthropologists and historians. Every Purpose project involves a thorough exploration of the passions, underlying motivations, and strengths of the organization as well as a thorough examination of the impact of the organization in the lives of the people it comes in contact with.
First, it sounds like they are doing some really smart things at GSD&M (they are the folks who helped put Southwest on the map). Second, the Purpose Institute feels like it provides the services of a branding firm but with a Marketing for Good bent. Finally, as companies look to expand their products/services from one core competency to another, they would be smart to study how GSD&M created a viable sub-brand with a clear purpose.