You’ve probably heard this expression before. But for those who don’t actually use ‘triple bottom line’ in everyday speech (heaven forbid), it’s one of those terms that can creep up on you.

You know the drill: first you hear it in a meeting, then an important acquaintance mentions it in conversation and you nod knowingly… and so on, until one day you realise it’s far too late to ask anyone what it means without seeming like that kid at school who thought the word ‘Flemish’ described someone with a chest infection. (Such ignorance must be a cross to bear for the people of Flemland.)

So to clear up any misconceptions, ‘triple bottom line’ does not refer to any of the following: an outwardly obvious indication that someone is wearing three layers of underwear; the result of a slapdash fake-tan application; a triptych of nude paintings. This explanation could yet save some readers from an awkward moment at a shareholder meeting/Christmas party/art-appreciation event. So to those people I say, with the utmost discretion: you’re welcome.

Anyhow, now that we’ve established what the term isn’t, let’s talk about what it is. The triple bottom line is the pursuit of economic prosperity along with environmental and social advancements. It derives, of course, from the somewhat naked (as it were) ‘bottom line’ – which is to triple bottom line what Scrooge McDuck is to Mother Goose. A fowl analogy, I know, but you get the idea: for businesses to be successful in the 21st century, they need to balance more than just books. That is the bottom line.

Ryan Wallman is a Senior Writer at WellmarkPerspexa, specialising in brand-building (some would say rule-breaking) B2B, corporate and healthcare communications strategy and execution.

Where do you stand?

Add comment (0)  |  Trackback  |  Follow comments (RSS)  |  More by Ryan Wallman