Channel Mastery - Ep. 63: Chris Sword PEARL iZUMi
PEARL iZUMi
how mission, vision, values can move a brand closer to its customers
“Companies that enjoy enduring success have a core purpose and values that remain fixed, and then strategy that evolves around those. You have to be dynamic but your core has to stay fixed, because that's your touchstone.”
- Chris Sword
EPISODE PREVIEW:
A lot of brands will set aside an afternoon to bust out a mission, vision, values (MVV) exercise. PEARL iZUMi took 10 months. That’s not a typo. Ten months!When Chris Sword came in as new president of the company in early 2017, he brought everyone who worked there in on the process. He recognized that the MVV was on opportunity on a broad scale. It was a pathway to listen to his new team (literally everyone) and to discover what the beating heart of PEARL iZUMi truly is. It was a way to set a course for the company by identifying the brand’s North Star. Cycling apparel changes seasonally. PEARL iZUMi’s MVV will be a guide for decades. Why am I dedicating an entire show to one brand’s MVV? Because Sword also recognized that MVV is a crucial opportunity to connect with consumers. Out of the new MVV, the team identified lofty goals that not only put an exclamation point behind what the brand stands for, but will also set new standards of leadership in the bike industry. Listen for more on how a seemingly simple exercise has transformed a company and is building stronger bonds with its consumers.
FEATURING:
chris sword
SELECT QUOTES:
“Companies that enjoy enduring success have a core purpose and values that remain fixed, and then strategy that evolves around those. You have to be dynamic but your core has to stay fixed, because that's your touchstone.”
“We did not create [our mission, vision and values], we discovered them.”
“Great companies understand that success is 1% vision and 99% alignment, right?”
“We have five values, and living four of them is not good enough. We have to live all five, and we are going to evaluate one another on that.”
“Unlocking the power of inspiration and impact is a big why. It guides what we do; it gives us meaning in our efforts. And we hope that Pearl Izumi and bike riding will be better for it. That is our big opportunity.”
