Quora Answer: Does a Business Have to Solve a Global Issue or Change the World?

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “Does a business have to solve a global issue or change the world?” 

The primary aim of any business is to be a going concern.  It has to make money.  It makes money by providing goods or services that address a need.  In the course of addressing a need, through market positioning and marketing, a company shapes consumer behaviour.  If the customer base is large enough, that has a profound impact on the world.  In an age of activist consumerism, companies shape their customers as much as customers shape these companies.  That is this change in the world, positive or negative. 

Addressing global issues can only be done my creating a company culture that is cognisant of these issues, and shapes business policy, strategic decisions, and marketing campaigns that serve to educate the client base on these issues, and where the company stands on it.  It is a luxury afforded to companies that are able to generate significant revenue.