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The Road to Hell: How purposeful business leads to bad marketing and a worse world. And how human creativity is the way out.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions, says the proverb. Never has that been truer than in the case of corporate purpose, the movement that took over the business and advertising world following the financial crisis of 2008.
Guided by the mantra 'do well by doing good', businesses embraced a social purpose agenda that sought to align doing good for society with doing well in the marketplace. The result, according to author Nick Asbury, has been a wave of humourless and hubristic advertising, and a spiral of worse social outcomes, as businesses wade into issues beyond their remit, while neglecting their real ethical responsibilities.
Diving into examples including Bud Light, Patagonia, Cadbury and Unilever, Nick Asbury builds a compelling case against purpose - covering what it is, where it came from, how it leads to worse marketing, and how it leads to worse social outcomes. As a positive alternative, he makes the case for creativity, cognitive empathy and valuing the human over the corporate.
Amid the fierce and topical debate about purpose and corporate politics, The Road to Hell is a sharp and entertaining intervention, shedding light on how we got here - and where we go next.
Guided by the mantra 'do well by doing good', businesses embraced a social purpose agenda that sought to align doing good for society with doing well in the marketplace. The result, according to author Nick Asbury, has been a wave of humourless and hubristic advertising, and a spiral of worse social outcomes, as businesses wade into issues beyond their remit, while neglecting their real ethical responsibilities.
Diving into examples including Bud Light, Patagonia, Cadbury and Unilever, Nick Asbury builds a compelling case against purpose - covering what it is, where it came from, how it leads to worse marketing, and how it leads to worse social outcomes. As a positive alternative, he makes the case for creativity, cognitive empathy and valuing the human over the corporate.
Amid the fierce and topical debate about purpose and corporate politics, The Road to Hell is a sharp and entertaining intervention, shedding light on how we got here - and where we go next.
248 pages, Paperback
Published May 13, 2024
60 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 10, 2024
I'm giving this book a high rating not because I entirely agree with it, but because it does present compelling points against 'purpose' in the corporate world.
Like many purpose and impact-driven individuals, I was put off when I came across Nick initially. Why would someone make a case against people doing good for the world?
After putting my emotion behind, I was keen to learn more about how Nick came to his proposition. And after a few healthy debate/discussion with him, I began to understood where he's coming from and how the case against purpose and the discussion were needed before it all leads us to hell, per title of the book.
I became aware of how good intention doesn't necessarily leads to good outcomes, but that doesn't mean that I or everyone else should give up doing good. Nick's book serves more as a voice that tells all of us to stop and reflect on where we're heading. We stop, assess our approach and still move forward. However, 'We' is a dangerous word, as the book proposed, because of the diversity, that we're all different, that what works for one might not work for the other. So it's unfair for one to make a decision for 'we'.
As I mentioned to Nick, I think that world is set up so that we have a diverse group of people with different point of view, which can sometimes lead to intolerable division, and that either party will not stop doing what they think was right knowing that they can but perhaps it's more about managing and coming up with an integrative solution that works for all instead of abandoning one of the views.
Deep down we're all driven by something, that's purpose. And I think Nick knows that too, but he'd be better off writing a provocative book that makes us think and debate rather than being a nice guy with a solution, and I respect him for that.
Like many purpose and impact-driven individuals, I was put off when I came across Nick initially. Why would someone make a case against people doing good for the world?
After putting my emotion behind, I was keen to learn more about how Nick came to his proposition. And after a few healthy debate/discussion with him, I began to understood where he's coming from and how the case against purpose and the discussion were needed before it all leads us to hell, per title of the book.
I became aware of how good intention doesn't necessarily leads to good outcomes, but that doesn't mean that I or everyone else should give up doing good. Nick's book serves more as a voice that tells all of us to stop and reflect on where we're heading. We stop, assess our approach and still move forward. However, 'We' is a dangerous word, as the book proposed, because of the diversity, that we're all different, that what works for one might not work for the other. So it's unfair for one to make a decision for 'we'.
As I mentioned to Nick, I think that world is set up so that we have a diverse group of people with different point of view, which can sometimes lead to intolerable division, and that either party will not stop doing what they think was right knowing that they can but perhaps it's more about managing and coming up with an integrative solution that works for all instead of abandoning one of the views.
Deep down we're all driven by something, that's purpose. And I think Nick knows that too, but he'd be better off writing a provocative book that makes us think and debate rather than being a nice guy with a solution, and I respect him for that.
June 11, 2024
“Your business is none of my politics”
This book is the story of how the idea of a mandatory “higher social purpose beyond profit” gripped the corporate world, especially those involved in brand marketing and advertising. And the result: how purpose leads to bad marketing - and a worse world.
It’s a view, a perspective, backed up with substance, not an academic paper or text book (thank goodness). A lot of the argument resonated with me personally. Although I don’t agree with every word (which would be weird), this book has been an immense help to me in working out why I’ve felt some unease in my work as a freelance brand consultant over the last few years.
I guess everyone who works in brands or marketing has taken their own byway to Nick’s “Road to Hell”. Setting up as a freelancer in 2003, I was interested in how to reconcile integrity and responsibility with business. CSR was the buzzword of the time. Two ex-colleagues of mine from Saatchis, Giles Gibbons & Steve Hilton, had recently set up a consultancy called Good Business and written a book with the same title, described as a “radical manifesto for capitalism.”
To cut a long story short, I supported the concept of corporate (maybe not brand) purpose for many years, until I noticed that it had been hijacked and metamorphised into something else. In the book, this politicising of brands is covered in detail. I still remember the days when I worked for major brands who prided themselves on being “for everyone” and made a point of actively discouraging communication that could be perceived as political.
“The Road to Hell” is free of finger-pointing, preaching and ranting. It’s written with intelligence, charm, humour - and, most importantly, hope. There is redemption - it’s up to us to follow the pointers and find it. And not be too proud to retrace our footsteps.
I don’t buy business books often these days. So many of those lurking in airport bookshops tend to go stale very quickly. But “The Road to Hell” is one that will stand up to re-reading in years to come.
This book is the story of how the idea of a mandatory “higher social purpose beyond profit” gripped the corporate world, especially those involved in brand marketing and advertising. And the result: how purpose leads to bad marketing - and a worse world.
It’s a view, a perspective, backed up with substance, not an academic paper or text book (thank goodness). A lot of the argument resonated with me personally. Although I don’t agree with every word (which would be weird), this book has been an immense help to me in working out why I’ve felt some unease in my work as a freelance brand consultant over the last few years.
I guess everyone who works in brands or marketing has taken their own byway to Nick’s “Road to Hell”. Setting up as a freelancer in 2003, I was interested in how to reconcile integrity and responsibility with business. CSR was the buzzword of the time. Two ex-colleagues of mine from Saatchis, Giles Gibbons & Steve Hilton, had recently set up a consultancy called Good Business and written a book with the same title, described as a “radical manifesto for capitalism.”
To cut a long story short, I supported the concept of corporate (maybe not brand) purpose for many years, until I noticed that it had been hijacked and metamorphised into something else. In the book, this politicising of brands is covered in detail. I still remember the days when I worked for major brands who prided themselves on being “for everyone” and made a point of actively discouraging communication that could be perceived as political.
“The Road to Hell” is free of finger-pointing, preaching and ranting. It’s written with intelligence, charm, humour - and, most importantly, hope. There is redemption - it’s up to us to follow the pointers and find it. And not be too proud to retrace our footsteps.
I don’t buy business books often these days. So many of those lurking in airport bookshops tend to go stale very quickly. But “The Road to Hell” is one that will stand up to re-reading in years to come.
April 18, 2025
Well researched and with a compelling, human argument at its core
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews