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Warrior or Mercenary?

I read the Ad Age interview with Bob McDonald, Procter & Gamble’s new CEO, with great interest. Two things jumped out at me–in fact, they were the first two things he said. He started by referencing his military experience as an airborne infantry ranger trained in desert and jungle warfare. And then he launched into an impassioned discussion of P&G’s purpose, describing it as incredibly important but underexploited. This caught my attention because, in the world of marketing, the metaphor of war and the idea of purpose frequently seem to be at odds.

You may be familiar with the metaphors of marketing–War, Science and Story–which we discuss at Character Camp (if not, there is a one-page primer on the subject here). At Camp we teach that the war metaphor is the toolset marketers use to operate in a competitive landscape. Story, on the other hand, is the set of tools best suited to building a relationship between the brand and its customers. Brands frequently act as if war and story are in conflict–as if you are either fighting for share or building equity, but not doing both at the same time. At a deeper level, however, I believe there is great synergy between war and story, and the connecting link is brand purpose.

Purpose, framed as the objective of the protagonist, is what drives a story forward. Winning is often presented as the goal that drives a soldier forward. But what Bob McDonald’s interview reminded me is that in an actual war there is always an idea that is supposed to give meaning to the struggle and inspire the soldier to win. Without such a purpose, a warrior can become little more than a mercenary–motivated only by personal gain.

To underscore his point about purpose in business, Mr. McDonald cited his conversations with students at Harvard Business School who were looking for professions that would provide meaning for their lives. Interestingly, one of the first comments posted on the Ad Age website was openly cynical, assuring Mr. McDonald that, among Ad Age readership, it is not necessary to “frame CPG as an altruistic calling.” The comment concludes, “Does the world need more new Swiffers, more new Febreezes? No, of course not. Like you and 50 Cent, we just wanna ‘get rich or die trying.'”

I disagree. I not only support the Harvard MBA candidates in their search for a meaningful job, I think the evidence is pretty clear that they are more likely to be successful–both emotionally and materially–if their efforts are driven by a purpose that goes beyond just making money. This is particularly true in consumer products, because your customer can tell if you have a real interest in what you are doing that goes beyond the transaction. That sense of purpose gives your customer a reason to believe that you will be better at your business than a competitor who is just in it for the money.

It is interesting to me that the current thinking about counter-insurgency warfare is focused less on projecting power for its own sake–on killing large numbers of enemy soldiers, for example–and more on creating and securing the conditions in which the marketplace, along with the other aspects of civil society, can function. Even in war success ultimately depends on having a purpose that goes beyond winning for its own sake.

In other words, purpose is what distinguishes the warrior from the mercenary. And in the world of story, the mercenary never wins unless, like Han Solo, he turns out to have the heart of a warrior after all.

May the Force be with you,
David

“For B2B businesses, Character is a powerful tool. I have used Character three times in my leader marketing roles, 2x were in B2B businesses. The Character work was the foundation of a transformation in product innovation/commercialization, rebranding, M&A, sales growth, and employee engagement. Character’s work helped us take dead brands and make them relevant again and helped us establish lesser-known brands with high share in a B2B market. What’s so unique is that you don’t create something that the ‘marketing talking heads’ think the company needs, you use the history, culture and DNA that is already part of the company to bring out the true story that is unique to only your brand. The Character team is so special, genuine, and has the perfect mix of creative and business knowledge to lead cross-functional executives through this process. ”
—Melissa Minihan, Head of Digital Commerce & Marketing, Veritiv Corporation

“Character gets to the heart of what good storytelling is all about. They’ve helped Wendy’s focus on what makes us unique, different and special and that’s helped us to get people’s attention, keep their interest and keep the business growing. We compete with much larger brands, but by being overt about how we want to attack those differences, we’ve been able to have a lot of tension and conflict in the story that we are telling. That allows us to keep the story fresh and to fuel it. The more we do that the more positive attention we get as a brand and the more the brand continues to grow, which, in turn, builds our confidence in our storytelling and keeps the courage level high.”

—Kurt  Kane, President U.S. & Chief Commercial Officer, Wendy’s Corporation

“I’ve been through Character’s story framework process four times in my career, and it has always added extraordinary value. It was a central piece of Walmart’s rebranding effort in 2006, as we sought a new articulation of our brand narrative and our purpose. It’s an equally powerful tool for us now, as Walmart defines its place in a rapidly transforming retail environment. And we are currently using it to do the same for Sam’s Club.”

—Tony Rogers, Chief Marketing Officer, Walmart

“Character’s approach to brand building is unlike any other in the business. Jim and his team use the timeless truths of human storytelling to unlock story potential and connect deeply with brand audiences. I’ve worked with Character throughout my career, and my experience with Tabasco was as fascinating, inspiring, and productive as ever. 

Character worked with our team not only to help us re-examine and re-articulate the elemental truths of our iconic global brand but also to develop and apply practical tools that make the brand story framework user-friendly for our entire organization. 

I whole-heartedly recommend Character to any brand marketer who is looking to make intuitive and durable connections with their consumer.”

Lee Susen, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, Tabasco / McIlhenny Company