Kirkus Reviews
A guide offers an intriguing perspective on business that views purpose in a broad context.
With an unusual background in both corporate human resources and investor relations, Pierroz urges business leaders to unearth their organizations’ “unique impact and contribution to society,” their “purpose in this world.” By intermingling the notion of purpose with the relatively new concept of sustainability, the author makes clear his belief that developing and marketing a brand today requires a good deal of both.
This comprehensive book is comprised of five sections that logically build on one another. The first section is a solid primer on sustainability that provides an overview of climate essentials, including carbon emissions, rising temperatures, and a useful discussion of the concept of “net zero.” Section 2 outlines the disruptive changes brought about by the current business focus on sustainability. A chapter that uses the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as a reference point to set sustainability strategies is particularly valuable. In the third section, Pierroz turns his attention to execution, explaining in detail the implementation of “The Impact Model,” a way to identify the economic, stakeholder, utilization, and societal impacts of an organization. Section 4 pays homage to engagement with stakeholders, both external and internal; here, the author lobbies for the creation of a “sustainability operating system” in midsize to large organizations. Section 5 is a purpose-driven marketing action plan of sorts.
One of the more captivating ideas Pierroz proposes in the last section is starting a “virtual project management office (VPMO)….VPMOs are temporary organizations assembled to support large scale projects or dynamic initiatives that require information access, content management, and accountability.” The manual delivers a convincing argument that purpose and sustainability play integral roles in marketing a brand. It goes without saying that initiatives such as the ones the author describes are driven from the top; he writes that a “leader’s role is to continually align their organization to its purpose.”
Writing with a command of the topic and citing meaningful examples, Pierroz supplies worthwhile strategic insights that should be food for thought for any business leader.
Authoritative, timely, and forward-looking marketing advice.