System change, purpose and public relations

Not only politicians, corporates too should integrate the take-outs of the system change cry into the purpose and mission of their organisations and brands, which will help them win the hearts, minds and wallets of the citizen-consumer – Photo credit: Dinuka Liayanawatte

Every entity and leader today needs public relations to ‘relate to their publics’. Politicians want to relate to the public for their votes, but should reach out to serve them. Brands want to relate to their consumers to advocate purchase and adoption, but should relate to them with a higher purpose of making their lives better. Corporates seek public relations to become better known, safeguard their reputations and sustain their businesses, but should focus more on doing good for their stakeholders and operating environments, as the pathway to success. 

“What you do trumps what you say”

The one thing that stuck in my mind about public relations was said by Harold Burson, the great American icon who founded and led the global PR company I was a part of. He said “What you do trumps what you say”. We think of PR as being all about communications and profiling for visibility and reputation building, whereas it would be more useful to see it as doing good, doing no harm, and doing something valuable for the people who matter to us, our communities and our planet. That is where Public Relations and Purpose, the new insight that corporates desire to embrace as the trending buzzword, intersect. 

Lessons from the aragalaya

Let us take a recent, seminal starting point, to consider this nexus. The Aragalaya brought about the cry for “System Change”. The true narrative is that citizens who witnessed the corruption and failure of government and its ruling politicians, got on to the streets to protest the sad plight their lives had been plunged into, say ‘enough is enough’, and demand a change for the better. They came in their masses, overcame their divisions, and collaborated in their diversity, standing firm in their resolve and integrity of purpose to make their voices heard, till they got the change they sought, or at least made one big initial step towards it in sending home a ruling President.

The lesson that corporates, brands and politicians need to accept is that all is not well in our country and environment. The economy is in dire straits, poverty has increased, the young are disillusioned and many are migrating. So if they want to succeed, they must become a part of the change the citizens, who are ultimately their stakeholders, consumers and voters, seek. They must genuinely embrace system change. System change is not an untenable, utopian ideal, but an aggregate of real, felt and valued needs that citizens have asked for. 

System change was not just about better governance or regime change. Citizens also wanted many other changes that relate to Government and corporates alike. Inclusivity in power-sharing and decision-making; equality and an end to discrimination based on ethnicity, religion and gender; equity in wealth sharing and paying a fair wage as a means to end poverty; concern for society and the environment both of which need fixing and protecting; a system that overcomes the negatives of unbridled capitalism and crony capitalism. 

A higher purpose is needed 

These demands represent real needs of citizens, who are both corporate employees and customers. For a fleeting moment during the Aragalaya, corporates, under pressure, threw in their lot with the citizens, primarily their employees, distanced themselves from the Government, and voiced their concern. But now that the maelstrom has passed, do they continue to see themselves as needing to address these necessary system changes? These societal, environmental and governance needs as voiced by citizens, represent causes they could adopt and champion as their higher purpose. By choosing a cause that is best aligned to their mission, they could define their business in a different light, helping them to focus on growing their business in a way that changes the world for the better, drawing greater love from employees and customers alike, and reaping rewards and longevity.

There is no success to be found in a broken-down system. Acknowledging that we are indeed a part of that system, we must work with our stakeholders to fix it. Rebuilding is required. We must think afresh and build anew. We must focus on doing good, not doing harm, and doing what is of long-term value for our consumers, stakeholders and environment. This needs re-thinking and innovating for change.

But before that, we need to do a deep-dive and discover the purpose of our organisation. Making money, while benefiting shareholders, is not a good purpose. Purpose needs to be externally focused and must answer the question how your business serves the citizen-consumer, your stakeholders, and the community and environment in which you operate. Brands must discover, define and deliver on their higher purpose, not just their functional product benefits. Brand managers must begin to internalize, drive and communicate this even if they have been indoctrinated in the old-school-marketing of pushing features-and-benefits, and creating unbridled demand with unfettered use of resources, with little thought about after-use.

It is only by adopting an enlightened, deliverable and strategic purpose, can a brand succeed in today’s world. Purpose answers the question why the brand exists; to serve what good in the world. It goes beyond CSR and philanthropy. While philanthropy may be welcome in today’s poverty-stricken world, brands need to go beyond and define the purpose to which they can align their corporate social responsibility (CSR). Brands can then begin to serve their real mission of doing good and talking about it, or better still having others talk about it. 

Public relations

Public relations is called the discipline of Reputation Management. Public relations is not about spin doctors and shining a bad apple. But rather the building of your reputation on the good that you do to society, your citizen-consumers and other stakeholders. Public relations is not just communications or blowing your own trumpet, which may be counter-productive. We often see public companies trumpeting about their profitability in press headlines geared to driving up the share price. It begs the question whether such profitability was gained through screwing their customer. Public relations is based on getting others to speak well of you which acts as credible testimony to build your reputation and bring its rewards. It is also about not failing to do the right and necessary thing in times of crisis, which are the real “moments of truth”.

Politicians and PR

Returning to politicians, we often say that they have or lack good PR. Politicians, often engrossed with their own survival and work, forget to genuinely listen to and show interest in those who elected them and look to them for solving the problems that affect their livelihoods. While some have natural charisma, others may try to show it by kissing babies or engaging in small talk, leave alone those who try hard to impress. By definition, politicians have an in-built Purpose – to serve the people. So whether they are national leaders or subject ministers, they have the opportunity to shine by playing their role well and staying away from corruption, which is often associated with them. But the best of them would succeed if they embraced the much needed system change tasks and championed them genuinely in a spirit of consultation and collaboration. This would build their credibility and approval rating better than shunning activists and protestors as enemies, disruptors and stumbling blocks to progress and development. 

System change may seem an epic challenge that is too threatening, leading politicians to shun it. But it is real, and needs to be approached and understood by starting a dialogue with activists with a show of genuine intent and desire to muster the minds and voices of citizens. Jacintha Arden was a prime example of a leader who demonstrated empathy resulting in high respect. Barack Obama was a savvy communicator who shared his dreams “from my father” and for “a promised land” in his books. So is Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in his trademark military-style T-shirts, whose knack of connecting with his troops and international leaders alike, has helped him to muster support against a bigger invader. 

Everyone needs purpose and PR

Not only politicians, corporates too should integrate the take-outs of the system change cry into the purpose and mission of their organisations and brands, which will help them win the hearts, minds and wallets of the citizen-consumer, including the younger generation, to whom the broader issues that affect their future matter a great deal. Corporates should champion this epic dream of their citizen-consumers if they are to retain them as brand-lovers and an integral part of their market, which is fast depleting with migration and poverty. Not least, if system change is to be achieved by the citizens and young activists who voiced this as their raison d’etre, they need to sell this essential ideal to as many as possible who would go along with them to make it happen. They will need to gather and establish themselves as a genuine force-for-good and continue to be visible and heard. They too need public relations for that! 

(The writer is the Founder, Chairman and Chief Strategist of NGage Strategic Alliance, the pioneering PR and IMC agency he established 30 years ago, and NGage Goodvocacy, its advocacy-for-good arm. He is also a Founder Member of the newly formed Public Relations Association of Sri Lanka, Founder President of the Four As Sri Lanka, and a Past President of the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing.)