Sunday 14 August 2011

What is the social purpose of your business?

The Book Rapper and creator of the 1000 manifestos site Geoff McDonald says this Apple ad created by agency TBWA/Chiat/Day in 1997 is one of his all time favourite manifestos. It is one of mine too and I have the words (see below) on my office wall as a constant source of inspiration.



Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes.
The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can praise them, disagree with them, quote them, disbelieve them, glorify or vilify them.
About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward.
Maybe they have to be crazy.
How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art? Or sit in silence and hear a song that’s never been written? Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels?
While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.


I typed this on my mac computer and use an apple phone so clearly I am an Apple fan. I was very interested to see a retweet yesterday by David Coethica (who writes a great corporate social responsibility blog I recommend) of a Forbes articles by Paul Klein titled Where Is Apple’s Social Purpose. You can read the full article here.

I agree with Klein’s assessment “We love Apple, but we’re hungry for its social purpose. Today being the world’s most valuable company also means being the world’s most valued company—and Apple’s got a long way to go.”

I ask How is Apple actually changing the world for the better? Absolutely they are a prime example of changing what’s normal. I ask to what end?

What is the social purpose of your business?

Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian
Founder Differencemakers Community

Author of Changing What’s Normal

Partner of passionate and enlightened leaders in several countries since 1991, to change what’s normal for the good of people, our planet, and for profit.



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