The Future is Digital
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Michael: Today’s sessions have been great so far and the conversations in between have been just as intriguing and exciting.With all of this activity, how would you summarize the first full day of the CGT Sales and Marketing Summit?
Jim: There is definitely a consensus and recognition that the consumer is driving their relationships with products and their manufacturers in the market. Someone once said that sacred cows make the best burgers, and leading companies are definitely making the moves needed to respond to the era of the Connected Consumer. Michael Senackerib of Campbell’s Soup said it best today that achieving “digital fitness to drive growth and innovation is a lifestyle change – not a fad diet.”
Michael: This is making me hungry…That’s a great direction and philosophy, but what changes can companies make to get there?
Jim: Clive Sirkin, CGT 2014 CMO of the Year said you have to “stop being insane and start being crazy.” One of those “certifiable” moves is for everyone to think of themselves as part of the marketing process and the extended marketing function. We’re all responsible in our companies to realize that we collectively build – and potentially damage – our brands through every interaction and impression we make throughout the shopper’s journey. Scott Stratten, visionary of Un-marketing, accurately stated that “Customers do not see silos” and that “Problems exist when the silos are exposed.” If this collective responsibility sounds crazy, then I guess you’re on the right track.
Michael: Someone once said that “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.” So, in the midst of this revolution, how do we manage the risks in taking bold steps?
Jim: It’s important to be smart and think about a strategy, but also to get started quickly but intelligently. Valeria Maltoni provided some great advice today urging brands to “architect experiences” for their consumers the same way that the software development world uses Agile methodologies to experiment and adapt. Think globally, and act locally, you might say. This is the the intersection of marketing and technology and of course the CIO and the CMO.
Check in tomorrow for more updates from the final day at the show!
