News and Insights
Programming for the Permacrisis: Protecting Purpose and Organizational Value
October 28, 2024
Provoke Media’s 14th Global Public Relations Summit kicks off this week. Senior communication professionals will converge in Washington, DC, to hear from their fellow leaders who are meeting the challenges of modern communications. Hearing them share their wisdom, gained in a world where opinion is presented as fact and unintentional misinformation is undistinguishable from manipulative disinformation, will be an essential experience.
This year’s PRovoke Media theme, “Programming for the Permacrisis,” captures the complexity of these times. The challenges are stacked high, from the turbulence of political polarization to the accelerating threats of climate change and the potential impacts of artificial intelligence on workers’ job security. At the heart of this year’s summit is a much-needed conversation on aligning purpose with business goals. This goal resonates powerfully for our era when “whataboutism” can paralyze our ability to do good.
Among the three days of sessions is a panel titled “Protecting Purpose,” moderated by FINN Partners Amy Terpeluk, managing partner and Purpose and Social Impact Practice Lead. Amy is known for her insights on aligning organizations’ social impact objectives and stakeholders’ expectations.
Four exceptional leaders are joining Terpeluk on the main stage: Dina Ruden from Goodwill Industries International, Victoria Glazar from GE HealthCare Foundation, Mary-Kate Smitherman from Oatly, and Collin Lawson from the World Wildlife Fund. Taking place amid the Permacrisis swirl, this session is not just a discussion; it will be a source of practical guidance from five leaders who possess the expertise to navigate the communications and policy challenges of these times.
These professionals dedicate their efforts to shaping conversations around social responsibility. Their collective experience, which spans diverse sectors and global regions, offers a wealth of insights for organizations striving to integrate purpose into their business models.
The Permacrisis: A Challenge and an Opportunity
Living through a “permacrisis” requires communicators to work under a cloud of near-constant disruption. At a time when companies are shifting away from talking about diversity (while continuing to make inclusion operational policy) and skip-over talking climate change for the more accepted business language of sustainability, today’s communications professionals are responsible for protecting the corporate brand’s reputation and advancing its business purpose. Stakeholders are no longer interested in companies that pay lip service to values. They demand authenticity, accountability, and action – centering around solid performance metrics.
Purpose is not static; it must evolve with the social fabric. DEI initiatives, environmental sustainability, and public trust-building are no longer nice-to-haves; they are relatively central components of a resilient business strategy. Customers and investors expect C-Suite leaders from businesses and not-for-profit enterprises to be attuned to the pressing issues that matter to society—and, importantly, hyper-focus on why they exist and whom they serve. This year’s PRovoke Summit and the FINN-hosted “Protecting Purpose” panel enable participants to reappraise their communication strategies and consider how prioritizing integrity and empathy addresses fundamental organizational needs.
Protecting Purpose: A Cross-Industry Conversation
Each panelist in the Protecting Purpose session brings unique perspective to purpose-driven communications, developed through years of experience in sectors ranging from environmental conservation to health innovation and food sustainability. Their examples highlight how employment access, workforce development, and community empowerment change lives and social economics. They remind us that purpose in the health-innovation sector is measured by its ability to reach those often left behind. They reframe our understanding of how consumer choice intersects with environmental impact. They show how purpose-driven partnerships are crucial in tackling the world’s most pressing challenges.
These perspectives reflect a core truth: purpose is not just a talking point or a point of view. It is a living, breathing component of organizational identity and transforms brands into trusted community partners.
Purpose in the Age of Social Debate
Despite the national election being mere days away, communications professionals now operate within an era of seemingly endless campaigning, a polarized environment in which discussion about DEI and environmental action is a constant cause of societal tension. In this climate, protecting purpose requires a willingness to understand why an organization exists and a keen ability to balance stakeholders’ expectations with public policy mandates. By committing to purpose, communicators foster credibility and resilience. However, committing to the “wrong” purpose can undermine investor confidence and create a credibility disaster.
In the three days of this Summit, attendees will have the opportunity to learn from their colleagues on the main stage and in more informal discussions and can apply those lessons to strengthen their programs. This is more than reputation management; it’s about championing a belief system aligning with the broader social good. When the World Wildlife Fund partners with private enterprises, they create a bridge between corporate interests and environmental stewardship. Such collaborations underscore how purpose-driven actions resonate with people seeking more than transactional brand relationships and building a currency with value that far outlasts the latest controversy.
Purpose as a Long-Term Investment
Purpose is a north star that guides strategy on a sustainable path for organizations today. Companies that integrate purpose within their business objectives will find that it enhances employee engagement, builds brand loyalty, strengthens community ties, and improves the bottom line. Beyond the PRovoke Summit, when Amy Terpeluk guides conversations in boardrooms, she wisely counsels organizations to embed purpose within their DNA.
“Our own research show that when making purchasing decisions, social impact and purpose factors are viewed as more important than product features,” reflects Terpeluk. “Customers, employees, and investors are closely watching companies to ensure leaders are caring for the bottom line and investing in societal and environmental aligned with the business. If companies get this strategy right, there is reputational reward.”
Ultimately, purpose is not a campaign but a fundamental ethos that informs decision-making. As communications professionals, our role is to ensure that purpose is not sacrificed in the face of the latest manufactured crisis but is fully embraced and amplified as a source of organizational strength. The PRovoke Summit invites us to confront the complexities of a world that now seems in constant crisis and reminds us of our capacity to reshape that world by protecting and promoting purpose-driven values. Doing so aligns our communications with a larger mission: creating a better, more sustainable world.
POSTED BY: Gil Bashe
