• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, May 1, 2019

It’s called the Institute for Real Growth and it’s backed by a slew of top companies in advertising, media, education and recruitment. 

The mission: “helping organizations focus on sustained, long-term ‘real growth’ by equipping leaders with best practice approaches to strategy, structure, capability and leadership.” 

Sounds like classic B-School stuff to me, but I have to admit the list of companies backing this new non-profit institute is impressive. It includes WPP, Facebook, Google, Kantar, LinkedIn, Spencer Stuart, New York University School of Professional Studies and Said Business School at the University of Oxford. 

At the unveiling event in New York today WPP shared new findings from a year-long global study differentiating growth "over-performers" from "under-performers."

Some findings: 

Over-performers expand the definition of the market they compete in and offer constantly evolving experiences to their consumers. 

Over-performers offer a “whole-brained” approach, using data and insights combined with technology and creativity. 

Over-performers have organizations that are more openly and better connected both internally and externally. 

WPP CEO Mark Read stated that “clients tell us that sustained top-line growth is their number one priority but they face increasing challenges in delivering it.” 

Of course WPP is familiar with the problem too, part of the reason the holding company has crafted a three-year plan to transform itself. 

Read added that the institute “brings together influential partners to help organizations focus on long-term success, and promotes winning approaches based on unrivalled knowledge and expertise, academic rigor and transformative ideas.” 

Wow, I wonder if that means Google and Facebook are going to open up, share useful information and shed the recalcitrant “walled garden” mentality that frustrates many of their advertising clients.

Wouldn’t that be special.