This practitioner-focused workshop was sponsored by the Chartered Institute of Management and the Chartered Institute of Marketing, and was a practical session to explore what it means to carry out marketing management in a way that is purpose-driven (primarily focused on serving society's long-term wellbeing – in a profitable way).
Private sector companies are increasingly seeking to clarify a higher meaning (purpose) above maximising profits. Companies like Unilever and PwC see this as a way to create a thriving organisation that can motivate and inspire stakeholders (customers, staff and collaborators). Marketing sits at the intersect between a company and society. It is therefore core to enabling a company to live out its purpose in a way that maximises societal benefit in a profitable way.
The workshop took a practical approach to the role marketing can take in driving purpose-driven businesses. A framework was presented, which progressed previous research into sustainable marketing. An example of how a company might use this framework was presented. Participants were then given the opportunity to think through how the framework might be used in their organisation, or those they are aware of to harness the power of marketing to realise their purpose.
The workshop was co-run by Dr Victoria Hurth (Associate Professor in Marketing at the University of Plymouth), Carole Bond (Gameshift and CIM board regional board member) and Nick Davies (CEO of Neighbourly – a leading platform connecting companies with their communities). It offered practitioners, and those interested in the topic, a way to rethink and re-enact marketing in order to drive highly successful, meaningful and sustainable businesses.
