BBH Labs: So what exactly is a Chief Culture Officer?

I first met Grant McCracken a long long time ago when he was writing on the anthropology of consumer culture.

Grant (@grant27 on Twitter) now splits his time between his academic research into the anthropology of American culture, and consultancy work with big brands focusing on the area of the role of culturally aware visionaries and leaders within organizations.

His most recent book is Chief Culture Officer. McCracken argues that every company needs a chief cultural officer to anticipate cultural trends rather than passively waiting and reacting. CCOs should have the ability to process massive amounts of data and spot crucial developments among an array of possibilities; they will be able to see the future coming, no matter which industry they serve, and create value for shareholders, move product, create profit and increase the bottom line.

In this video, brought to our attention by We Are Social’s Nathan McDonald, McCracken outlines in brief what a CCO is, and why it matters.

Challenging stuff; who is the Chief Culture Officer in your business (or which group performs this function)?

Do you think you need that function in the first place?

Did you *ever* have someone or a group performing that function?

Who does it well, which companies?

BBH Labs