In the 21st century, businesses face an existential crisis.

Buy low, sell high doesn’t stick anymore.

Nor can any sector simply thrive on the mechanical productivity of human cogs.

We're living in an era where Maslow's hierarchy of needs has most of us teetering precariously at the top, poking at 'self-actualisation' like it's an elusive butterfly. Living wage, safety, basic rights, a bit of recognition, colleagues that don’t want to kill you – this isn’t the dream anymore. It’s expected.

But why do so many people say that businesses should bother to stand for something? What have the murky waters of ethics, values, and social responsibility got to do with finding a market gap, selling big and retiring early? THAT is actualisation, right? This trendy wokenomics can slope off back to the commune.

Well.

Let’s imagine a company, let's call it 'Exploit Inc.', channeling its might into nothing but the bottom line. Money comes in, products go out, and the wheel turns. Sounds good. Maybe sounds a little hollow. It’s as inspiring as a soggy cardboard box, but who cares?

But the resources – human, environmental, and creative – will eventually feel squandered by anyone who isn’t getting a dividend. It’s like Shakespeare performed by robots: technically impressive, but soul-crushingly dull.

We know that businesses that dare to have a bit of mission, that lean into the quagmire of social innovation, environmental stewardship, and human-centric design, are thriving. Why?

Because if you can make it work, and make a return, then you’re capabilities are already making you stand out. Corporate banality isn’t just bland – it is signposting a lack of skill or imagination.

Today's market is a bizarre cocktail of cynicism and idealism. It’s a hard nut to crack. Consumers wear their skepticism like armor, yet yearn for something to believe in. So what are you going to do?

Forward-thinking companies are not just selling products or convenience; they're selling logic, an idea that you might be part of something bigger, and a bit of optimism that social and economic decline is not, y’know, all it needs to be. Finding out your favourite chocolate bar is also a cure for existential dread is very cool.

Modern consumers are a complex bunch, jaded by advertising yet still hopeful that their choices matter. This is a crowd that can smell insincerity a mile off. Greenwash at your peril.

10 years ago Patagonia would have been a case study of ‘how not to build a business’. Buy less, they say -  repair your old gear, and if you like being outdoors and wearing our clothes – then you should help us protect it all no matter what it costs. And yet, it’s now the Business School pinup. Why? Because it stands for something.

Branding is now a flag under which a certain type of person rallies. The type that thinks, “Yes, I too like breathable waterproof fabrics and saving the planet.”

But this applies equally to accountants, grocers, hairdressers.

The ones that ‘get it’ understand that an engaged, fulfilled employee doesn't just churn out more work; they bloody love their work. It's infectious, like laughter or yawning or Rick Astley.

'Why bother?' is the wrong question. The right question is 'how can you not?'

In a world gasping for authenticity and some relief from the awful cycles of doom, businesses that stand for something are carving up the spoils. They're the ones making the 21st century interesting, inspiring, and worth getting out of bed for. They’re not scared of being on the right side of history. Top tip: never be afraid to not be afraid. It’s a lot more fun on the other side.

Always Possible