In times of immense strain and crisis our truest colors often show through. As the entire globe faces the unprecedented and catastrophic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, we’ve seen moments of brightness during a fog of immense sadness and uncertainty.
This is the time when many things will be put to the test, including how business responds. In this moment of global need, we will remember those companies that stood tall, acted quickly and with humanity. We will also remember those that did not. For this is a moment when legacies will be made – and when those true colors will bleed to the surface.
How we act and respond will also remain a beacon for how to conduct business far into the future. The lens we look through today shows that business must act in service to individuals, broader society and the environment, and this must remain the lens moving forward. In perpetuity. Because the heightened expectations for business to be a leader, solution provider and force for good will not fade as the pandemic does.
At Porter Novelli we steadfastly believe in the power of Find. Live. Tell. For a company cannot live with Purpose without first finding and understanding its unique ambition. And a company certainly cannot tell its Purpose to the world without first living it. In this time when decisions must be made in a blink of an eye that could impact hundreds of thousands of employees and millions in communities around the world, companies must have a North Star to guide them. That North Star, that Purpose, acts as a filter through which leaders and businesses can make the right decision the easy one, because an organization understands at an innate level where its values and priorities lie.
Now more than ever before is the moment companies must Live their Purpose. This is about action. How will your organization respond and how will it prioritize stakeholders? In what way will it support employees? What products, services and resources can be redeployed in service of individuals and communities? How will it contribute to society in an authentic and powerful way?
To uncover American expectations of companies and when, if and how they should act, we deployed the Porter Novelli COVID-19 Tracker. We hope the data and insights forthcoming will be of value to you and your teams as we collectively navigate the current crisis and work toward a new norm.
Now more than ever, we are in this together.
David Bentley
Chief Executive Officer
