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The Contemporary Marketing Management Glossary

People × Purpose × Planet (3P)

Short Definition

A strategic formula expressing the integrated relationship between people, purpose, and the planet as the foundation for sustainable prosperity in modern business and marketing.

Context

The People × Purpose × Planet model—often referred to as P³—was introduced by Gabriele Carboni and Philip Kotler within the Impact Marketing and Enlightened Management frameworks. It evolves from John Elkington’s Triple Bottom Line (People, Planet, Profit), replacing profit with purpose to emphasize the cultural and managerial transformation from financial-driven growth to meaningful, regenerative prosperity. This shift reflects a deeper understanding of sustainability, where businesses are seen as living systems that thrive when they create shared value for individuals, communities, and the environment.

Extended Definition

People × Purpose × Planet = Prosperity (P³)

This formula expresses a holistic equation for enlightened growth:

People × Purpose × Planet = Prosperity

  • People (P₁): the human core—employees, customers, partners, and communities—whose well-being and creativity drive sustainable progress.

  • Purpose (P₂): the guiding reason for existence beyond profit; the moral and strategic compass that gives meaning and coherence to corporate actions.

  • Planet (P₃): the natural system that sustains all life and economic activity, requiring protection, regeneration, and respect for ecological boundaries.

When these three dimensions interact synergistically, prosperity (Π, the result) emerges—not as financial gain alone, but as shared, long-term well-being across economic, social, and environmental spheres.

In the Enlightened Management perspective, purpose acts as the multiplier: it amplifies the positive potential of human and ecological relationships. The model thus transforms the logic of profit into a logic of prosperity through harmony, making ethical growth the foundation of strategic decision-making.

Contemporary Example

Companies like Danone, Patagonia, and Brunello Cucinelli exemplify the P³ principle by linking human well-being, ethical purpose, and environmental care. Their success demonstrates that prosperity arises when organizations operate as ecosystems of meaning and responsibility.

See also

Part of chapter: Glossary