One of the really exciting experiences in our mission to spread the concept of Marketing with Meaning is the chance to meet up with brilliant people who have come to the same general conclusion of where the world needs to go next. Thanks to an introduction from our mutual friend Jim Stengel, I was able to spend some time chatting with Roy Spence last week.

Roy is the Chairman and CEO of GSD&M Idea City, one of the best and brightest advertising agencies in the world. He just released a book, It’s Not What You Sell, It’s What You Stand For, and had a great article in Adweek recently. Overall, Roy has a simple but meaningful message: “Companies that aren’t in the life improvement business are not going to be around for very long.” His firm has helped create memorable work and business success for many leading brands, including two (BMW and Southwest Airlines) that I mention in our upcoming book.

We immediately felt a common bond on the phone during this first conversation. I found Roy to be an incredibly personable and good-natured guy. In terms of our key messages, we share the same overall perspective but come at it in different angles. Roy is focused on convincing brands to focus their existence around a key purpose; Southwest Airlines, for example, is about democratizing air travel. Our Marketing with Meaning comes into play once brands have selected a purpose and need to start doing work that fulfills the purpose. It’s a great synergy and we obviously have a better chance at changing the world by teaming up around our common cause rather than debating definitions and interpretations.

Despite the fact that our companies operate within competing holding companies, Roy immediately suggested some projects that we might work on together, and mentioned several other business leaders and entrepreneurs who share our mindset. We’ll be getting together in person in a few months.

I encourage you to support the overall Marketing with Meaning cause by picking up a copy of Roy’s book today. Let me know what you think!