This is the second article of a two-part series. To read Part One, click here.

These trends will force us to communicate with external service providers in new ways. Here are my recommendations:…

Stop issuing RFPs to outside firms for your strategic initiatives. RFPs are sales prevention tactics to keep administrative people busy and dehumanize marketing. They may be great for buying coffee service, but not for building your digital presence. Are you going to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars, maybe millions of dollars with an agency based on price?

I recently helped a major media company kick-start innovation within their marketing organization. This summarizes our engagement, and may trigger ideas on how we might help you achieve similar results. (For competitive reasons, we are unable to share the name of the organization.)

For decades, this media company cultivated strong print readership with its marketing strategies. But as consumer preferences shifted to mobile and digital platforms, they needed new, multi-channel digital marketing approaches, and a more consistent focus on innovation….

How does a small LED display manufacturer compete and win against likes of LG and Samsung? By making marketing innovation and an intense focus on the customer their number one priority.

CMOs are expected to be brand ambassadors and masterful communicators. As you assess your abilities in that area, ask yourself: are you making it easy for people to engage with you—or are you creating confusion?

Our 3rd annual CMOs Leading Innovation Conference (CLIC ’17) was a huge success. We focused on helping our participants overcome innovation resistance over the 1 1/2 day confab. Our media partner from MKTGinsight created a nifty  marketing innovation ebook that summarizes each session perfectly.

For example, MKTGinsight’s Ginger Conlon shares how we opened the conference with Leon Logothetis. He challenged attendees to use kindness as inspiration for innovation. “Next time you’re creating a campaign, ask yourself, Will it help more than the bottom line?…

Dorie Clark’s latest book, “Entrepreneurial You,” isn’t just for startups. Her strategies apply to CMOs and marketing leaders. Here are 3 highlights.

At our 3rd annual CMOs Leading Innovation Conference, Jeff Perkins provided our group with 7 modern marketing strategies to think like a “Startup CMO.”