My Purposeful Journey

My first 120 days at Edelman

With my first 120 days at Edelman under my belt, I am finally able to settle in and reflect on the whirlwind of ideas, opportunities and new relationships these months have brought.  I have traveled over 10,000 miles and have met with executives from Fortune 500 companies, and heads of smaller fast growing brands and nonprofits. This past week alone I visited five cities on the West Coast.  I am more energized than ever.  There is an infectious excitement from speaking with leaders who show so much innovation and passion for giving their company brands greater purpose.  I have also made new friends at Edelman who share my interest of finding shared value between their companies and society. 

While I was in L.A. The Do Something Awards created some buzz, so I thought it would be worth reviewing in this post. 

 

 

You’ve got a choice

You’ve got a voice. 

You’re in a rut, get off your butt

And do something!”

– Jane Lynch

Social entrepreneur Jessica Posner, 23, did just that and last week was awarded with $100,000 at The Do Something Awards.   The fact that she won is a testament to the power of philanthropic crowd-sourcing. Each of the five candidate’s project was compelling, their message personally touching.  But the public’s decision was not based on personal charisma and sentiment alone.  If so, the prize should have gone to Jacqueline Murekatete who, at 9, lost her parents and six siblings in the Rwandan genocide.  After escaping to the US, she eventually started her anti-genocide organization. 

Instead, the prize went toward the organization that Jessica founded, The Kibera School for Girls and Shining Hope Community Center.  Jessica will use the money to invest in an income-generating program that will provide clean water for the community. The earned income will in turn fund the organization’s other initiatives like health and education.  Jessica’s use of the funds is impactful, a clear winner from a sustainable business point of view.

An investment in the “Rock Stars of Social Change”

Do Something’s approach represents something larger – a focus on the game-changers, the social innovators and powerful personalities who will find innovative solutions where corporations, non-profits and governments have not (innovation is costly!).  While the Awards are now in their 14th year, a national trend toward investment in entrepreneurialism has been happening.  You can see this through the national interest around the Pepsi Refresh campaign, Goldman Sach’s $100 million 10,000 Women  program and their more recent $500 million 10,000 Small Businesses program.

The Judging Criteria can be the guidelines for any socially-conscious purpose-driven leader. Among my favorites: relaying confidence and enthusiasm about being a leader; having a long-term vision for the growth and sustainability; cultivating long-term and respectful partnerships  within a community.  Being passionate.  Being committed and “Best-in-Class”. 

The power of The Awards also comes from another defining force, Millennials.

Build the engagement platform and the Millennials will come (but throw in some celebrities first…)

The Millennials were practically born socially aware. As the product of the Earth Day-creating Boomers and Gen X-ers, social responsibility, recycling and other things once considered “granola” are as part of their upbringing as peanut butter and jelly and reality TV shows.   The internet and advent of social media enable them to inform themselves and engage with causes. Geography is no longer a barrier and speed of information access has increased.  The declining employee loyalty of their parents has influenced a more entrepreneurial self-empowered mindset, irreverent of traditional corporate paths.  This has inspired innovation and entrepreneurship, and the corresponding confidence of success. 

 

Combine all these factors and you have an uber-engaged, hyper-active talent pool.  How times have changed from a generation ago.  As George Lopez pointed out on the Awards show:

 

When I was a kid doing nothing came very easy to me.  When the earthquake in Haiti struck it would have been easy to do nothing….but I finally did something.  We are here to honor the outstanding young people who understand the importance of making a difference.

The Awards elevated these young people to hero status, while also using social media to give other young people a chance to be heard.  As Michael Zeisser in his recent McKinsey article put it, this “recognition by peers is a powerful motivator, and brands that allow users to gain it deliver real perceived value.”  This ultimately generates Word of Mouth buzz that can be treated as another form of measurable media. 

This week’s Good Purpose blog post also discusses The Do Something Awards, and Clean & Clear’s “Join the Surge” campaign.

My new home: Edelman

To my friends and colleagues:

To continue my Purposeful  Journey, I am very excited to share with you, that today, I joined Edelman, the world’s leading independent public relations firm.  Why Edelman? Many reasons.

A lot of it has to do with their values and spirit.  They’re family owned, have a rich entrepreneurial ethos, attract really smart people who strive to deliver innovative, creative and roi delivering services to a broad mix of world class clients. They have a collaborative approach to client challenges, with strong delivery capabilities from local communities to countries around the world (54 offices with more than 3200 associates).

They’ve been a top agency for years, and like fine wine, get better with age. Their accolades could make any CEO really blush:  Advertising Age "PR firm of the Decade"; Adweek’s 2009 “PR Agency of the Year”; PRWEEK’s “ 20009 Agency of the Year” (for the 3^rd time in the last 4 years) and the Holmes Report’s “Large Agency of the Decade” and “2009 Best Agency to Work For.” CEO Richard Edelman has been named annually to PRWEEK’s top 25 professionals list and his blog, 6 A.M. is ranked the 4^th most read CEO blog.

To leave my own firm after 29 years, to give up autonomy and my namesake, the opportunity had to be aligned with my personal passion, values, drive, love of innovation and thirst for continuous learning and collaboration.

Over the years, I’ve kept my eye on them.  I grew to know Richard Edelman from our mutual membership in the Arthur Page Society.  Edelman’s  intellectual property, especially their Trust and now Health Barometers, and their goodpurpose research are thoughtful, insightful and generously shared  throughout the world. Their focus on the movement from a shareholder to stakeholder society is spot on.

“Companies will need to listen to and engage a wider range of stakeholders than in the past,” said the 2010 Trust Barometer. “Business must be ready to change its policies.  This is the time for business to demonstrate its ability to deliver both profit and purpose, to prove that capitalism is a force for change and for the common good. “

Simply put, they were aligned with my vision: past, present and future.

This is a new position with a new title: Carol Cone@edelman.  It will provide me with a platform to work across their organization in all industries, with current and new clients, with a great depth of resources.

My role will be to continue my “Purpose Journey”, working with clients and teams to help them continue to authentically infuse social issues into companies and brands, to build relevant and deep bridges with stakeholders, whether consumers, communities, partners, employees, ngo’s and governments.

I will also continue to create and share insightful research, especially on a global scale, and innovative new products to help companies and ngo’s more effectively partner to serve society and their organizations.

Over the coming weeks and months, I have A LOT to learn and so look forward to it.  I was born with an intellectual curiosity gene.  It gets more voracious with age.

I guess it is not surprising that the New Yorker (I was born in Lennox Hill Hospital, grew up in the NYC suburbs and then lived part time in the City when my parents moved to Greenwich Village) would return to New York.  It was just a matter of time and opportunity.

 Please stay in touch and tell me what you are up to in your purposeful journey.  I promise to do the same.

And if you are planning on visiting the City, let me know and let’s try to get together.

 

Best –

C

Leaving Home

Today was my last day at Cone, the agency I founded 29 years and 9 months ago. So many memories, friends, clients, programs created with such lasting impact on program receipients, company employees, social issues. But most of all it seems I nurtured many, many professionals who just blossomed before my very eyes. 

The comments I got from close friends, former and current employees, clients and even folks I didnt know well, touched me deeply.  Often it is hard to comprehend the impacts of decades of work, but the personal messages meant so much to me.

Anne Erhard, a vice-president at Cone sent me the most wonderful email. So I asked if I could share it, as it speaks so well to the subject of purpose work:

..... "here is just a few of the things I have learned from you that I am thankful for. There is more for sure, and I know there will be more to come!

Massively consume media!

My first meeting with you, you drilled into my head that I needed to keep reading at least 3 newspapers+++. I wish I could say I find the time every day to consume as much media as I want, but I do know that when I do, I am smarter, better prepared, quicker on my feet, and much more creative. Thank you.

Fearlessness and fun in presenting!

The first time I really formally presented to a client was an entire leadership team including board members at AHA. I was soooo nervous. At breakfast, we were making small talk while I am rehearsing in my head, trying desperately to stop shaking. This is when you say, “this is a really important group…you are ready right? Did you prepare? You’re not nervous are you?” I thought OMG, not only do I need to impress them but I need to do it in front of Carol Cone! I think I did a decent job that day; and following that day, I studied your presentation skills – not to replicate them, but to see how comfortable you were in your own skin and how you made each presentation your own – I always say, you are like an actress up there! I will never live up to your incredible theatrics – but I do try to instill fun, smiles, examples/stories, and going beyond the slides. Thank you.

Passion is contagious!

You have loved what you do, every single day. And when you talk about our work, everyone around you knows how important it is, how smart it is, and how much they want to be a part of it. I have tried to instill even a little bit of that passion in the work that I do with my teams, with my clients, and in my speaking. You have showed me that if you are passionate, they are much more likely to be on your side. Thank you.

Confidence is king!

Once when Kristian couldn’t make a meeting, I apologized for it and said that I was glad to be there – you told me after, never to do that. Just assume the shoes of the strategy lead and if I deliver no one would be any the wiser. I took that to heart and never did it again. I always try to fill the bigger shoes when they are laid in front of me. Thank you.

And lastly, I have to thank you for saving me from doing PR for money managers. If I were still calling the trades to pitch an institutional mutual fund, not only would I be miserable, but I would simply not be the same person that I am today. Thank you for letting me to do smart, relevant, impactful work every day since.

Please keep teaching me! "

Anne -- I will continue to teach you and others.  Of course, no longer at Cone.  But my new position, to be announced soon, will allow me to continue my purposeful journey, with new colleagues, new clients, lots of resources and on a global stage.  And of course, you and I will continue to learn through our book, Breakthrough Nonprofit Branding, that will be published this fall by John Wiley and Sons.

Thank you to all who strive to make their work purposeful.  Best -- C

 

Continuing my journey...

Effective March 31, I will be leaving Cone, LLC, the agency I founded August 1, 1980 to pursue new interests. Why?

As many of you know, last fall I followed the Dalai Lama at a conference about the power of community.  My focus was on compassion in business. Something happened there. His Holiness’ aura. His message. Following his speech I met with him. When he held my hand, looked into my eyes and smiled, I realized I had more to do.  Leaving Cone, although bittersweet, will give me the flexibility to pursue new ventures related to social issues, especially in content development and global public-private partnerships.

When I founded Cone I had a dream to create a highly innovative company doing extraordinary work.  Drafting my first client proposal, I had no idea of the journey or the eventual impact the agency would have. Almost 30 years later, I am deeply humbled by what has been created -- the expansive programs and their impact, relationships with wonderful colleagues and clients, and thought leadership that has coalesced an industry. As the world resets to pressing economic and social realities, what began as a alternative means of linking companies and causes, called cause marketing in its early days, is now an expansive approach to global corporate citizenship.  In today’s thoroughly interconnected world, a new equation for brand reputation has emerged, where organizations are judged as much by how they engage socially, as what they make and sell. This is the new normal.

I am so proud of the agency’s work over the decades. I am often asked about my favorite initiatives. They include: Rockport and Walking; the Reebok Human Rights Awards; Avon’s Breast Cancer Crusade; ConAgra Foods’ Feeding Children Better (PRWEEK’s 2001 Campaign of the Year); PNC Grow Up Great and Western Union’s Our World. Our Family (back to back CECP Global Campaigns of the Year), the American Heart Association cause movements, especially Go Red for Women and Start!; Proctor & Gamble Live, Learn and Thrive and ITT Watermark. While there were so many others, these are the ones I personally touched with my hands and heart.  Overall Cone's signature cause programs helped the firms' clients raise more than $1.2 billion for various social causes, as they contributed to forming authentic social movements.

Besides my love of brand building, Cone allowed the teacher in me to flourish. To move knowledge forward, ignite corporate support of this strategy, and guide effective collaborations, we commissioned more than two dozen research studies since 1993. The Cone/Roper Report, the industry’s first comprehensive study of consumer attitudes towards companies and causes, was so widely adopted, that I often received a conference nametag saying: Carol Cone/Roper! I am thrilled our research empowered so many individuals and organizations to convince their senior leaders at for profit and nonprofits that ‘doing good’ was good for business and society, and when done well, creates distinct competitive advantage.

In the months ahead, I will be focusing on a variety of projects. On the list is finishing my first book, Breakthrough Nonprofit Brands, along with co-authors, Jocelyne Daw, Kristian Darigan Merenda and Anne Erhard.  Published by John Wiley and Sons, it is due this September. I will be developing social issues related programming for big and small screens, will counsel new clients, industry trade groups and organizations and continue speaking to audiences around the world.

Over the past 29 years, my favorite achievements, beyond client work include: the hands on learning we created for more than 500 interns (I got my start as an intern); the Habitat for Humanity home I personally funded and built alongside my colleagues to recognize them upon Cone’s sale to Omnicom; being selected as one of two US judges for the first PR Lions competition at Cannes; my speeches at Cannes to a wonderful and engaged,  international audience, and Calgary, especially meeting  the Dalai Lama; Making Change for Katrina, the agency’s pro bono project helping victims of the devastating Gulf hurricanes; my election to the Arthur Page Society; being recognized in PRWEEK’s first ranking of the top 25 industry leaders and my Board participation with Net Impact, the international nonprofit that inspires and educates, individuals to use the power of business to create a more socially and environmentally sustainable world.

My deepest thanks to all who have been part of Cone, as colleagues, clients, partners, industry and personal friends.  What a journey we had.  My best wishes to all for continued success.  And please stay in touch. 

I end with this question, as I do at all my speeches:  What do you stand for? Please think about it.  Then act. There is so much more for us to do.

As of April 1, please contact me at:  carollcone@gmail.com  or on Twitter: @carolcone