• by Jean Brandolini Lamb , October 2, 2008

I spent the early part of my career in PR agencies. I found that many PR people believe in press for press' sake. Any coverage is good coverage. But if a tree falls in the woods, and it's turned into paper, and on the paper is printed a story that isn't relevant to the reader, did the tree or the story make a sound? It's likely that they hardly rattled a leaf.

Some PR firms prove their value by tearing the "clip," counting the "readership" and tallying "impressions." The truth is, that leaves one big taboo in the office: the bigger strategy. Why are we trying to reach our target, what differentiates us, what are our long-term goals? The "clips" are often just an assortment of individual stories rather than one focused initiative that builds a purposeful impression in the minds of the target audience. Who needs a bigger strategy if we're focused on delivering immediate coverage? Of course, this isn't the case for all agencies; most function as strategic partners to their clients and integrate their work skillfully with other initiatives.

The reason I tell this story is because it wasn't that long ago that marketing and communications tended to work in silos. We've all gotten much better at integrating our efforts and ensuring every partner delivers on the same efforts - we reach the target markets while highlighting the differentiation among us. However, one area is still taboo for many companies: stating what the company stands for and articulating its vision for the future. This is key to ensuring communications work for the long term.

This means stating a sense of purpose and articulating the why. Why does this exist? Why will this be valued? Why should we go to work each day? This vision should be a broad, simply stated goal tied to core ideology and set by leadership. This is much easier to say than it is to do, but it's certainly not impossible, and it's worth the effort.

Those companies that excel at this ensure their sense of purpose permeates everything they do. Toyota, for example, first published its Guiding Principles in 1990. One of its seven fundamentals is to "dedicate ourselves to providing clean and safe products and to enhancing the quality of life everywhere through all our activities." In this one simple statement, Toyota equated "safe and clean products" with an "enhanced quality of life" not just for employees or customers, but for everyone, "everywhere." So it's no wonder Toyota leads the green revolution among car companies. Sure, the company may have sensed a trend toward environmentalism, or it saw in its crystal ball that the price of gas was about to go through the roof. But really, the company was able to "go green" earlier than its competitors simply because doing so was fully supportive of its stated corporate philosophy.

Of course, Toyota made a bet that continues to pay off, but standing for something is crucial to our work as marketers. This vision may just be the most important input into the development of a brand strategy. It creates a sense of purpose that grounds the brand in the corporate culture while also providing the aspiration that is dictated by leadership.

If a company or product doesn't stand for something, stakeholders will create the vision. Often, their interpretation is myopic, which usually means they focus on short-term goals. This can lead stakeholders, including employees and marketing agencies, to see a limited and uninspiring future. If the marketers don't believe your company or product stands for something bigger, then even though their communications might be fully integrated, they're still missing the opportunity to leverage integrated messages to drive commitment for the long term.

In the groundbreaking Built to Last, authors James Collins and Jerry Porras state, "Visionary companies pursue a cluster of objectives. ... Yes, they seek profits, but they're equally guided by a core ideology: core values and sense of purpose beyond just making money. Yet, paradoxically, the visionary companies make more money than the more purely profit-driven comparison companies."

When the brand strategy, which should always be the core of integrated marketing efforts, is tied to the sense of purpose, your communications will work today and continue to pay off in the future. So, if your vision-infused, integrated communications efforts were like a tree falling in the woods today, would it make a sound? More than likely, it would be one that echoes into the future.

Jean Brandolini Lamb is a director of brand strategy and engagement for The Brand Union, New York. (jean.brandolini@thebrandunion.com)