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Why it is important for B2B brands to find their why: A case study of Akamai Technologies
Journal of Brand Strategy,
12
(3),
226-232
(2023)
Abstract
Soon after being named EVP and CMO of Akamai Technologies in March 2021, Kim Salem-Jackson realised that the brand was missing its ‘why’ — the reason it exists beyond profit. Working in partnership with Afdhel Aziz, Chief Purpose Officer at the purpose consultancy Conspiracy of Love, Salem-Jackson introduced a new purpose statement for the company: ‘We make life better for billions of people, billions of times a day.’ This paper analyses how the tech company selected its brand purpose, the strategies employed to bring leaders and employees along on the journey in an engaging and authentic way, and the unique role marketing plays in activating purpose for all stakeholders to drive growth and profitability.
Keywords: purpose; mission; vision; B2B; marketing
The full article is available to subscribers to the journal.
Author's Biography
Kim Salem-Jackson is the Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Akamai Technologies, the cloud company that powers and protects life online. She is a data-driven, global marketing executive, whose career has been focused on advancing brands and activating marketing as a growth engine, as well as amplifying marketing’s effect on the business. Kim is passionate about leading purpose-driven teams and empowering them to their highest potential. Previously, she served as Akamai’s Senior Vice President, Global Marketing & Corporate Communications, where she led global field marketing, customer marketing, channel marketing, events, corporate communications and the sales development organisation. Before that, Kim held marketing leadership positions at Informatica, IONA Technologies, Pegasystems, Houston Street and KHJ Interactive. Kim also serves on the Board of Directors of the Akamai Foundation, which is dedicated to supporting programmes to attract more diversity to the technology industry, providing disaster relief and humanitarian aid globally, enabling volunteerism to the local communities, and promoting environmental sustainability through investments in alternative energy.
Afdhel Aziz is the founder and Chief Purpose Officer at Conspiracy of Love, a certified B Corp and Minority Owned Business, where he is on a mission to solve one of the biggest problems facing individuals and companies in the 21st century: how to find purpose and meaning in their work and unlock the power of business to do good in the world. Conspiracy of Love works with Fortune 500 companies like Adidas, PepsiCo, Mondelez and Sephora. Mr Aziz is also the co-founder of content incubator Good is the New Cool, as well as co-author of Good Is the New Cool: Market Like You a Give a Damn and the follow-up, The Principles of Purpose.
