Topics

Purpose Beyond Profit

From Strategy to Storytelling: Realizing the Bay Area of 2070

May 13, 2021 —

From Strategy to Storytelling: Realizing the Bay Area of 2070

In our line of work, we’re constantly thinking about the future. What’s the vision? What’s the ceiling? How does it scale? But seldom do we get the opportunity to engage with the future on a deeply human level. How will the Bay Area — this complex region we call home — actually look, feel, move, and grow over the next 50 years? In the Spring of 2020, SPUR, a non-profit public policy organization based in San Francisco, had just completed their Regional Strategy research. The body of work was a 50-year horizon project that proposed ideas and actions on everything from revamping our...
Read more >
Talking Purposeful, Global Leadership in a COVID-19 World: Interview with Emily Chang, Senior Executive

May 26, 2020 —

Talking Purposeful, Global Leadership in a COVID-19 World: Interview with Emily Chang, Senior Executive

An Interview with Senior Executive, Emily Chang: Purpose and Profit, Meaningful Global Leadership, Commercialization, Innovation, and Mentorship in a COVID-19 World We sat down with Emily Chang, a Senior Executive with 20 years of global experience in Customer Experience, Business Strategy, Cross-Cultural Team Leadership, Change Management & Organizational Renewal, and Brand Building at enterprise organizations such as P&G, Apple, IHG, and Starbucks. Emily is in the midst of writing a book that focuses on ideas of purposeful leadership, community, and culture. In this interview, she...
Read more >
Adopting a Human Mindset

March 31, 2020 —

Adopting a Human Mindset

Over the past weeks, we’ve transitioned to a new life at home, the place where everything now happens with little exception; a blurred, ever-shifting diagram dividing work, our relationships, family life, and rest. In this way, coronavirus has become the great equalizer. The pandemic has also clarified the differences between how we live our lives and the support we’re able to receive, or not. It has swiftly and single-handedly altered our needs as people. It has forced us to prioritize what matters most and accept what’s out of reach. As a result, we have competing practical needs;...
Read more >
Let’s Get Political: Can Brands Stand for More Than Profit?

February 14, 2019 —

Let’s Get Political: Can Brands Stand for More Than Profit?

These days, when you see a brand trending on Twitter, it can only mean one thing: they got political. Brands aligning themselves with a cause is no new thing, but there’s something about the social media age that makes it electric. Even a low-risk cause, like suggesting that men should aim to be the best versions of themselves, is enough to start hashtag boycotts and video challenges of people destroying their own property. For better or worse, we’re in an era where if people don’t like a particular cause you’ve supported, they will actively search and destroy your ad partnerships. The...
Read more >
CEOs: Building Trust and Living Your Values

March 8, 2018 —

CEOs: Building Trust and Living Your Values

The Truth Is Always Trending Good relationships are built on trust. Whether it’s between romantic partners, brands, customers, or government agencies, trust is the currency rate by which messaging is valued against. So, how much is your word worth? In today’s hyper-polarized landscape, it really depends on who’s speaking. In fact, the world is moving apart in trust. According to the 2018 Edelman Trust Barometer, “In previous years, market-level trust has moved largely in lockstep, but for the first time ever there is now a distinct split between extreme trust gainers and losers.” No...
Read more >
How CMOs Can Control Their Brand Message in the Age of Digital Sprawl

February 21, 2018 —

How CMOs Can Control Their Brand Message in the Age of Digital Sprawl

The New CMO What does a CMO do? Just a few years ago, that was an easy question to answer. You focused on building a brand. You managed your channels: press, radio, a TV spot, maybe even an outdoor installation if you were feeling ambitious. Like a conductor, you could orchestrate your brand message with Mozart-like precision. Marketing, itself, was a pure sport, clearly defined. Flash forward to today, and the blurred lines between technology, marketing, and sales are harder to discern than ever. Fluency in digital transformation has gone from a specialty to a requirement. CMOs need to be...
Read more >
7 Reasons Why it’s Probably Time to Transform Your Business

April 23, 2014 —

7 Reasons Why it’s Probably Time to Transform Your Business

What’s the matter? We met with some prospective customers over dinner the other day, and started the discussion with our favorite leading question, “So, what’s the matter?”. The floodgates opened. As we listened to the issues tumble out – and sensed the pain, anxiety and frustration they provoke in the company’s leadership – we thought about how so many businesses today face the same basic challenges. For example, how many of these challenges which our prospects are now facing, are inhibiting growth, innovation and motivation at your business? Your...
Read more >