Consumer Corner with Jim & Michael

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Michael: What a week. Just found out, among other things, that consumers really don’t care about big brand logos. For old-guard marketers who still thought they owned the story, this is going to come down hard.
Jim: I know, I know… And then there was that example of a video gone viral with a FedEx employee tossing a computer monitor over a fence, receiving over 4.5 million views in a matter of days. That can’t be good for the brand! To their credit, the company responded with a video of their own, taking responsibility for the incident and declaring “This goes against all FedEx values and is just not who we are.” Talk about making lemonade from lemons. Whew!
Michael: Smart exec, since we are now in the age of what one wag called “marketing at the speed of the consumer” where the average shopper now looks at 12 sources of information before making a purchase decision. We used to say it was about “the moment of truth” when someone stood in front of your product, so carefully placed on its shelf. Now they are making choices before they enter a store or even leave their homes.
Jim: Did you see the Campbells CMO presentation? Here’s a VP who gets it. Knows that he can’t control all his messaging, sees the potential for risk and reward inherent in addressing today’s connected consumer, and so forged a strategic partnership with his CIO counterpart.
Michael: He’s on the vanguard. Figured out that a well-rounded digital strategy can drive growth and innovation and has built a collaborative and practical framework for marketing and IT managers to work together. I was impressed.
Jim: You closed the conference with the CIO of CONAIR.  He also seemed to understand the implications of the digital age and the need to link with other departments.
Michael: I think it was made quite clear at this event that business as usual is probably bad business. Informed managers have known for years it’s about “people, process and technology.” The smartest and most progressive marketing and IT executives, like our Campbells CMO and Jon Harding at CONAIR, have embraced this notion and are now putting it into actual, measurable practice.
Hail the consumer!