--- title: THE 2020S | NEW RULES. NEW TOOLS. description: Explore the shift towards purpose-driven business in the 2020s, as companies redefine 'essential' beyond metrics to focus on values and societal impact. image: https://blog.millsjames.com/hubfs/2020s-new-rules-new-tools.png --- [Skip to content](https://blog.millsjames.com/mills-james-through-time/the-2020s-new-rules.-new-tools#main-content) [![MillsJames-logo-1](https://blog.millsjames.com/hs-fs/hubfs/MillsJames-logo-1.png?width=180&height=32&name=MillsJames-logo-1.png)](https://millsjames.com/) - [ABOUT](https://millsjames.com/about-mills-james/) Show submenu for ABOUT - [ABOUT US](https://millsjames.com/about-mills-james/) - [OUR STORY](https://millsjames.com/our-story/) - [CAREERS](https://millsjames.com/careers/) - [CONTACT US](https://millsjames.com/contact-us/) - SERVICES Show submenu for SERVICES - [Events](https://millsjames.com/for-events/) Show submenu for Events - [Live Events](https://millsjames.com/for-events/live-event-creative-production/) - [Virtual Events](https://millsjames.com/for-events/virtual-events-streaming/) - [Event & Trade Show Videos](https://millsjames.com/for-storytelling/event-trade-show-videos/) - [Videos](https://millsjames.com/for-storytelling/) Show submenu for Videos - [Commerical Production](https://millsjames.com/for-storytelling/commercial-production/) - [Virtual Production](https://millsjames.com/for-events/) - [Social Media Content](https://millsjames.com/for-storytelling/digital-media-content/) - [Hospitality](https://millsjames.com/for-hospitality-venues/) - [WORK](https://millsjames.com/portfolio/) - [BLOG](https://blog.millsjames.com/news) - LOCATIONS Show submenu for LOCATIONS - [Columbus](https://millsjames.com/columbus/) - [Cincinnati](https://millsjames.com/cincinnati/) - [Cleveland](https://millsjames.com/cleveland/) - [Mexico](https://millsjames.com/mexico/) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [ABOUT](https://millsjames.com/about-mills-james/) Show submenu for ABOUT - [ABOUT US](https://millsjames.com/about-mills-james/) - [OUR STORY](https://millsjames.com/our-story/) - [CAREERS](https://millsjames.com/careers/) - [CONTACT US](https://millsjames.com/contact-us/) - SERVICES Show submenu for SERVICES - [Events](https://millsjames.com/for-events/) Show submenu for Events - [Live Events](https://millsjames.com/for-events/live-event-creative-production/) - [Virtual Events](https://millsjames.com/for-events/virtual-events-streaming/) - [Event & Trade Show Videos](https://millsjames.com/for-storytelling/event-trade-show-videos/) - [Videos](https://millsjames.com/for-storytelling/) Show submenu for Videos - [Commerical Production](https://millsjames.com/for-storytelling/commercial-production/) - [Virtual Production](https://millsjames.com/for-events/) - [Social Media Content](https://millsjames.com/for-storytelling/digital-media-content/) - [Hospitality](https://millsjames.com/for-hospitality-venues/) - [WORK](https://millsjames.com/portfolio/) - [BLOG](https://blog.millsjames.com/news) - LOCATIONS Show submenu for LOCATIONS - [Columbus](https://millsjames.com/columbus/) - [Cincinnati](https://millsjames.com/cincinnati/) - [Cleveland](https://millsjames.com/cleveland/) - [Mexico](https://millsjames.com/mexico/) - [LET'S CONNECT](https://www.millsjames.com/contact-us/) [LET'S CONNECT](https://www.millsjames.com/contact-us/) May 1, 2020, 2:38:00 PM # THE 2020S | NEW RULES. NEW TOOLS. [Mills James](https://blog.millsjames.com/mills-james-through-time/author/mills-james) Share: [facebook-f icon](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://blog.millsjames.com/mills-james-through-time/the-2020s-new-rules.-new-tools) [linkedin-in icon](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://blog.millsjames.com/mills-james-through-time/the-2020s-new-rules.-new-tools) [Twitter icon](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://blog.millsjames.com/mills-james-through-time/the-2020s-new-rules.-new-tools) [pinterest-p icon](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://blog.millsjames.com/mills-james-through-time/the-2020s-new-rules.-new-tools) [envelope icon](mailto:?body=https://blog.millsjames.com/mills-james-through-time/the-2020s-new-rules.-new-tools) THE 2020S | NEW RULES. NEW TOOLS. 2:00 “What’s truly essential” is worth analyzing more deeply these days. Since 1984, the company has defined it in business-like terms, based on shifting client production needs. To this point, Mills James was slowly becoming less of a production company and more of a strategic communication company, just with a giant warehouse of production firepower. Clients increasingly loved our *everything under one roof* differentiator but wanted us to define it as strategy + creative + production under one roof. But another “essential” has emerged, one that has nothing to do with service breadth:  our sense of purpose. “What’s truly essential” was no longer only about business metrics alone. It was increasingly about our “why,” too. Dynamics coincided in this decade to push the company to be more purpose-driven. Companies all over the country faced more skepticism about their pitches and the nobility of their capitalistic intentions. Attribute it to the speed of information, the power of social media, or the growing cynicism of younger people who saw generational outcomes that hurt their families and themselves. What emerged has been an epic pushback. “I’m no longer buying what you’re selling.” Calls-to-action that have existed since the 1950s — “buy buy buy” — are now met with a single-word response from millennials and many others: *Why?* Why should I buy from you? What are your values? Are you part of societal solutions or societal problems? With all the company’s business acumen — from our 35 years of blood, sweat, and tears — we as a company still needed to take one more step forward. By looking back, we found our answers in the story above. **Our Values** Connection, Accountability, Nurturing and Growth, Trust, and Respect **Our Mission** To craft and deliver experiences that deepen human connections and inspire people to care and act. And then came a worldwide pandemic — a chapter we’re all still writing. ## Related posts [![](https://blog.millsjames.com/hs-fs/hubfs/2000s-new-owners.png?height=200&name=2000s-new-owners.png)](https://blog.millsjames.com/mills-james-through-time/the-2000s-resilience) ## [THE 2000S | RESILIENCE](https://blog.millsjames.com/mills-james-through-time/the-2000s-resilience) [Mills James](https://blog.millsjames.com/mills-james-through-time/author/mills-james) May 1, 2018, 2:33:00 PM Y2K. A computer bug caused the world to fear the internet would crash on January 1, 2000. And all... [Read more](https://blog.millsjames.com/mills-james-through-time/the-2000s-resilience) [![](https://www.millsjames.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/who-we-are.jpg)](https://blog.millsjames.com/mills-james-through-time/the-2010s-the-secret) ## [THE 2010S | THE SECRET](https://blog.millsjames.com/mills-james-through-time/the-2010s-the-secret) [Mills James](https://blog.millsjames.com/mills-james-through-time/author/mills-james) May 1, 2018, 2:38:00 PM Two events over the past 20 years have had the most impact on the company. One was scary and the... [Read more](https://blog.millsjames.com/mills-james-through-time/the-2010s-the-secret) [![](https://blog.millsjames.com/hs-fs/hubfs/1990s-making-history.jpg?height=200&name=1990s-making-history.jpg)](https://blog.millsjames.com/mills-james-through-time/the-1990s-making-history) ## [THE 1990S | MAKING HISTORY](https://blog.millsjames.com/mills-james-through-time/the-1990s-making-history) [Mills James](https://blog.millsjames.com/mills-james-through-time/author/mills-james) May 1, 2018, 2:39:00 PM Cameron has dyslexia, a diagnosis he didn’t receive until he was 36 years old. “My first-grade... [Read more](https://blog.millsjames.com/mills-james-through-time/the-1990s-making-history) --- ![MillsJames-logo](https://blog.millsjames.com/hs-fs/hubfs/MillsJames-logo.png?width=168&height=30&name=MillsJames-logo.png) Mills James is one of the largest production companies of our kind in the country, known for integrating agency-level creative and production under one roof. Our expertise spans broadcast television, video production, not to mention virtual and live event production for some of the country’s biggest brands. **LOCATIONS** [Columbus Headquarters](https://millsjames.com/locations/columbus/) 3545 Fishinger Blvd. Columbus, OH 43026 [(614) 777-9933](tel:(614)777-9933) [Cincinnati Office](https://millsjames.com/locations/cincinnati/) [(513) 407-5593](tel:(513)407-5593) [Cleveland Office](https://millsjames.com/locations/cleveland/) [(216) 443-0468](tel:(216)%20443-0468) [Mexico Office](https://millsjames.com/locations/mexico/) [+52 1 998 339 1825](tel:+52%201%20998%20339%201825) **SERVICES** [Events](https://millsjames.com/for-events/) [Video](https://www.millsjames.com/for-storytelling/) [Hospitality](https://www.millsjames.com/for-hospitality-venues/) [CONTACT US](https://www.millsjames.com/contact-us/) Copyright © 2024, Mills James ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Mills James", "url" : "https://blog.millsjames.com/mills-james-through-time/author/mills-james" }, "dateModified" : "2024-05-28T18:38:44.632Z", "datePublished" : "2020-05-01T18:38:00.000Z", "headline" : "THE 2020S | NEW RULES. 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