#109 | Designing A Better World With Mauro Porcini
November 1, 2022
Envision your organization’s latest design and marketing campaigns. Now, think of some things that could take it from good to great. Advanced tech, expert writing, a new social media strategy maybe? What about kindness, empathy, or emotional intelligence? This episode’s guest, Mauro Porcini, says the latter will take you further!
The PepsiCo SVP & Chief Design Officer, 2x author, innovator, and design savant says the secret to creating life-changing innovations is putting human needs at the center of any design process. During our conversation, he taught us how to move from marketing to “consumers” to marketing to “people”. We also learned the five steps to changing company culture and the key to winning the game of ‘risk and reward.
Keep reading for more on how to design a better world!
Consumer vs People
A concept Mauro developed that has changed the culture of PepsiCo and bled over into their campaigns is not calling people who buy or use their products “consumers”. I was curious to know when and why he made the switch from this common business term.
“If you look at people as consumers, you will create something that is meaningful for them in the act of consuming your products. The focus will be on your business goals and financial valuables. If you look at them as people, you will create something extraordinary! Something that makes a 360-degree meaningful impact in their life.”
Globalization, new technologies, and digitization make it easy for anyone to scale their idea and compete with companies big and small. The key to staying competitive is shifting our perspectives from “customer satisfaction” to “people love.”
Small Changes, Big Results
Positively affecting the people outside your company starts with those inside your company. But don’t expect overnight success. Mauro says big change comes in small increments.
“Because of the common business and marketing background many have, changing their minds is a challenge that could take years. (At PepsiCo) We decided not to do that. Instead, we have been building this culture over many years to have the population of the organization embrace it organically – step by step, project by project.”
If you’re wondering where to start, Mauro says you can bring your team on board with the change by employing ambassadors of the new culture.
“Find people that have the knowledge and ability to story tell the meaning and value of the new approach. You can hire them from the outside or identify them from within your organization. Then create a prototype asap!”
5 Phases of Company Culture Change
According to Mauro, every company goes through 5 phases when in the process of changing culture.
- Denial – In the beginning, most companies are in denial that there is a problem and try to protect the status quo. An executive must endorse the change to help others get on board.
- Hidden Rejection – Many may put up a good front about the new ideas but secretly reject them during initial meeting! Escape this phase by asking for a commitment – money, resources, etc. Don’t be surprised or discouraged by those who step back, it makes it easier to find your coconspirators who can take you to the next level!
- Occasional Leap of Faith – Prototype, show the value and prove points of your ideas as fast as possible, then more people will come. When you have proven points of success, the company will realize what you’re pitching is actually meaningful and will want to scale up.
- Quest for Confidence – The scale-up process! Here you combine scale, processes, and tools with intuition, emotion, and love.
- Wholistic Awareness – This final phase is where the new culture is embedded into the DNA of the organization.
I was surprised to hear Mauro’s goal is not to reach phase 5! He says, “It’s not about commissioning a project of innovation through an agency, it’s about having a culture of innovation and creativity within your company.” Basically, never stop growing!
Want To Skip Around?
06:56 Consumer vs People
09:32 Small Changes, Big Results
11:50 5 Phases of Company Culture Change
18:44 Why you never want to reach level 5
22:55 Questions to ask companies to see if they put people first
38:03 Building a safety net
Links Mentioned
https://www.mauro-porcini.com/
Mauro’s book: https://amzn.to/3xXN8S3
https://Simonsinkek.com/books/
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