Game Changers Volume V, November 2013

CEOs, Here’s How to Market a Business on ‘Only’ $1 Million Per Year

In the first year of founding a digital marketing agency (Three Ships Media) my team conducted background interviews with 17 senior marketing executives at mid-market companies. One well-known CMO remarked to us that each day, he felt like his CEO was either going to beat him with the “innovation stick” or the “ROI stick.”  Only half-joking, he said, “I know I’ll be whacked.  But I’m never sure from which direction.”

The Least Understood Member of the C-Suite

Everyone thinks they are a good marketer.  And yet, marketing may be the least understood business function in the C-suite by both the outside world and internal audiences.  Certainly, the CMO job spec varies widely between organizations and the maturity of that organization’s marketing function.  So what makes a good CMO?  In today’s world where marketing and technology are converging, and where the customer reigns supreme, the CMO is becoming more important than ever.

“Creative” Is Not Just a Department — Creativity Is Everyone’s Responsibility

When I tell people I work in advertising, they invariably ask, “are you a creative?” I have always struggled to answer this appropriately. While I am not in the creative department, I have always felt responsible for the creativity of the thinking and work on the teams and accounts I have led. While I don’t normally come up with the creative ideas for ads, I help my team generate them, I foster them, I direct them, and help build them. So, yes, I am a creative. And I believe everyone in business needs to be one, too.

The Case for Big Strategy, As the Means to Fuel Brand Movements

In the last few years, we’ve seen an extraordinary convergence between what was once advertising, journalism and entertainment, driven by technology, social media and big data.  This transformation has occurred because people, (not “consumers” because people create and consume) dictate that they should be reached if, where, when and in whatever way they chose. And of course technology allows them to instantly block anything that doesn’t match their criteria.

Feeling Overpowers Qualities

There seems to be growing interest to measure, control and manage business development using data. Design has not been outside the scope of this development. The Finnish Design Business Association (FDBA) conducted a joint research program called Design ROI. Its aim was to study and develop a tool and methodology to measure the economic impact of design before implementation. One of the outcomes of Design ROI was an indication that the immediate design impact can be evaluated in advance.

The Next Great Disruptive Innovation

Ever driven in a Tesla Model S? I have, albeit as a test drive. Problem is, in terms of the technology adoption lifecycle, I’m a pragmatist. Much as I reveled in the exuberance of accelerating from 0-60 mph in 4 seconds with no lag or engine noise, I’ll just have to wait. Truly disruptive innovations like Tesla can re-invent the gas-powered automobile industry started way back in 1893. It is one of those rare innovations that create a new paradigm, much like Apple did with smart phones and Amazon has done with online retail.

would be happy to provide a complimentary assessment of your talent requirements. Contact Norman Sherman at norman@troyanosgroup.com or 914-479-1802.