Competing on Social Purpose

As more companies integrate social purpose into their brand promise, sustainability concerns have become paramount for many CEOs. However, the integration of environmental or community benefits into the growth strategies of firms is lacking behind other areas. Some Chief Marketing Officers perceive it as a distraction, or are more concerned with digital transformation than social integration.

Drawing on his research of existing brands who compete on social purpose, Dr. Rodriguez Vila will:

• share findings into the challenges that companies face when seeking to integrate societal benefits into their growth efforts 
• describe key capabilities and practices that are helping marketing leaders to effectively connect their growth needs with a social purpose for their brands 
• add to the ideas he covered in the October 2017 Harvard Business Review article

Dr. Omar Rodriguez Vila is an Associate Professor of Marketing at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. His areas of research include how firms are evolving their marketing capabilities in order to compete in technology led market environments and how environmental and social sustainability considerations are changing the nature of marketing activities. Prior to his career in academia, Dr. Rodriguez‐Vila held leadership positions in marketing at The Coca‐Cola Company including serving as the Global Vice-President of Integrated Marketing Communications and Integrated Marketing Director for Coca-Cola China.