The MTP Advantage

A strong MTP is especially advantageous to first movers. If the MTP is sufficiently sweeping, there’s no place for competitors to go but beneath it, in its shadow. After all, it would be very hard for another organization to pop up and announce, “Hey, we’re also going to organize the world’s information, but better.” 

By keeping its eye on its MTP North Star, a company can move quickly and strategically to deal with changing circumstances—while never losing its way. As a result, competitors are forced to deal with the previous shift while the company has already moved on to the next one. An MTP further serves as a stabilizing force during periods of rapid growth and enables organizations to scale with less turbulence.

A strong MTP also serves as an excellent recruiter for new talent, as well as a vehicle for retaining top talent—both increasingly difficult tasks in today’s hyper-competitive talent marketplace. Further, it is an effective attractor and retainer for customers and for the company’s larger ecosystem (developers, startups, hackers, NGOs, governments, suppliers, partners, etc.). As a result, it lowers the acquisition, transaction, and retention costs of these stakeholders.

Of course, MTPs don’t operate in isolation. Rather, they create and illuminate a community around them that influences every part of the organization. An impressive example of this is Red Bull, whose MTP is “Giving You Wings.” This MTP has empowered the company to look beyond its product line—energy drinks—to the entire world of energy-driven alternative sports, including skateboarding, climbing, and motocross, as well as more established sports like car racing, boxing, baseball, and cricket, both at live events and on television. Indeed, it’s hard to find a sport anywhere in the world where Red Bull isn’t present as a sponsor. 

The result is that a company that otherwise might have been just another player in the energy-drink market has become the dominant presence in the worldwide market, with unmatched visibility and a deeply loyal customer base. Meanwhile, employees are hugely proud to be part of such a celebrated company.

The success of companies like Red Bull has not been lost on other firms. As a result, the number of companies devising and adopting their own MTPs has grown exponentially. As a consequence, more and more companies like Unilever are becoming deeply aspirational in their operations. After all, you can’t pursue an MTP if you are not prepared to aspire to the uniquely high bar it sets. MTPs create a solid bridge between a brand promise and the real world—a challenge many brands have struggled to overcome.

That aspirational attitude creates its own positive effects: customers feel good about the products and are increasingly proud to be part of a larger, virtuous movement. Employees are proud to give unmatched service and support. Suppliers promote their relationship with the company. Aspirational branding helps lower costs, improve effectiveness, and accelerate learning by leveraging intrinsic, rather than external, motivation.

Finally, embracing an MTP comes with economic advantages. In a world facing many grand challenges, as Peter has noted, “the world’s biggest problems are the world’s biggest business opportunities.” As a result, it’s likely that smart investors will incorporate MTPs into their stock portfolio strategies over the next decade. And, of course, customers will want to be associated with a company they see as making the world a better place.