Episode description

An increasing part of John Jorgenson’s role as CMO of the Cambium Learning Group is to help his company explore its role and realize its purpose as a brand. He was excited to share his thoughts with JW Marshall to kick off the second season of Voices of eLearning.

Knowing what a company stands for is critical for education systems when they choose to partner with someone. The product matters, but a brand educator’s trust is equally essential, if not more. Easy, right? Easier said than done.

Jorgenson said purpose starts with a vision, not just a vision for the company, but a vision for the world in which the company operates. “If vision is about the future, then mission is about how you’re going to make that vision happen. What are you actually going to do? What are your primary goals for getting there?”

Missions can be powerful drivers for a company, and visions are great for pushing future boundaries, but what about a company’s purpose? Jorgenson said it all comes down to why a company exists.

“Your purpose can’t just be about your brand or your customers, or the external world,” Jorgenson said. “It has to start, and it can’t ever leave you. It has to be an internal thing that you live and breathe. You must walk the talk. You have to focus on how you are going to bring that purpose to life.” At Cambium, Jorgenson said they maintain the same purpose internally as for their external customers because if they can’t live their purpose, how can they provide it for others?

“Those are the things that a culture is all about,” Jorgenson said. “It has to be real.  It has to be personal. It can’t just be words on a wall. And it can’t be something that people aren’t seeing and living every single day.”