The Agony of Defeat
For those of you who remember the famous sports broadcaster Jim McKay from ABC’s Wide World of Sports highlights show, you probably also remember his famous catchphrase: “The thrill of victory…and the agony of defeat.” That phrase, and especially the second half—the agony of defeat—became a widely recognized and oft-cited expression for the pain and disappointment of losing.
I feel a little bit like that today. Since 2014, I have been a part of the paper and packaging industry and was lucky enough to help build and lead its consumer marketing program. We have had our share of thrilling victories, to be sure. I feel nothing but pride in the work we have done, and the collaboration I have been a part of with our wonderful staff, agencies and talented paper industry leaders, all of whom were dedicated to achieving the seemingly impossible task of uniting the industry behind this common cause.
It is difficult to see a successful sustainability marketing campaign like ours end at a time when consumers are looking for alternatives to plastic packaging and digital communications. Our experience, research, and data showed us that though our sustainability story is exceptional—truly unique—but it is nevertheless poorly understood. I remain convinced that the best way to change that is through speaking with a unified voice even though our companies make different things, or sell in different places, or work with different folks in the supply chain. Working together as an industry - that was the thrill of victory for me these past eleven years.
I extend my sincerest appreciation to the companies and employees who dedicated their time, talent and energy to this effort. Your contributions have been invaluable and your commitment has left a lasting impact. The positive strides we made together will help shape the industry's future as more consumers embrace sustainably-made paper products.
Additionally, I want to acknowledge the outstanding work of the P+PB staff and our agencies and research partners whose dedication and expertise have driven the campaign’s success over the past 11 years.
As we close this chapter, let us not view it as an ending but as a foundation upon which we will build future successes. The paper industry remains vibrant, innovative and poised for continued growth. I won’t forget the great work we did together and hope that the lessons learned remain instructive even after our mission ends.
