Good Business

Bill Novelli became a pioneer in using marketing to promote social change.

After climbing the corporate ladder at Unilever in the 1960s, Bill Novelli realized he wanted meaningful, socially relevant work. He found it with a new client, the Public Broadcasting Service, which wanted to promote its new show, Sesame Street, and increase its audience.

Sesame Street spurred Novelli to dedicate himself to social issues. In his 50-year career, he developed social impact marketing, fought against the tobacco industry, helped get older people Medicare coverage for prescription drugs and protected Social Security. He now heads the Georgetown Business for Impact (GBI) center, which connects students, causes and business leaders, and helps companies, nongovernmental agencies and governments profit while exerting a positive social impact.

Novelli recognized that individuals and companies can make money while addressing global issues through exercising corporate social responsibility or pursuing a triple bottom line. Organizations benefit when they generate both earnings and social value.

In 1970, he ...