Many promising marketing innovations never see the light of day because we do not fully understand the importance and timing of the idea incubation process. Naming your idea, then allowing ample time for testing and idea sharing, are essential steps in any innovation cycle.
July 5, 2022
Marketing innovation is about applying creativity to improve your stakeholders’ condition. It requires us to challenge our established beliefs and assumptions. It often also demands that we learn from our past as a way to inform our future. We often need to set aside the past, and begin with a clean slate. This process helps us design an empowering narrative to guide us forward. It bolsters our resilience.
That’s the underlying theme of our 6th annual CMOs Leading Innovation Conference (CLIC ’22): “Growth Curves Ahead: The Resilient CMO.”
We’re gathering in historic Charleston, South Carolina at the International African American Museum….
May 4, 2022
Did you encounter a silver lining from the past pandemic era?
I certainly did. I witnessed an extraordinary number of people who paused, and confronted their existential crisis head-on.
In The Earned Life, Marshall Goldsmith and co-author Mark Reiter meticulously capture the existential moments that we endured. In Section One, Marshall describes how CEO clients become goal-obsessed. It leaves them feeling empty and deflated. He has witnessed these behaviors at the highest levels;…
December 21, 2021
Two years into the pandemic, things still feel heavy. To cope, some professionals have turned to self-medication versus meditation (or other healthy habits).
For many of us marketers, our creative candles have flamed out.
Instead of focusing on discussing the theme, “The Great Resignation,” what if we made 2022 “The Year of PLAY?”
In Episode 51, we explore the connection of PLAY to performance with my colleague, Gary Ware.
You may think I’m glossing over the severity of the pandemic….
December 21, 2021
For marketing leaders, 2021 was a year to remember—and not repeat!
Customer expectations shifted rapidly. Some great marketers left their lofty roles to be their own bosses. In fact, recent Labor Department data show that the number of unincorporated self-employed workers has risen by 500,000 since the pandemic.
Many top team members either resigned or re-tooled, leaving costly gaps.
One of my top clients, for example, had to delay a new product launch valued at $1B because of talent gaps and burned-out teams. …
November 30, 2021
When it comes to our careers and our customer relationships, the way we FEEL frames our reality.
Yet there is a “reality paradox” happening in our workplaces.
On the one hand, we are witnessing declining unemployment (now 4.8% in the USA), soaring corporate and consumer spending, and a frenetic hiring pace for marketing and CX professionals. 50% of my clients have either been promoted or changed careers in the past 22 months.
On the other hand, drug overdoses in the USA have surpassed 100,000 this year….
October 19, 2021
Now more than ever, every marketer must equip themselves with the visual leadership techniques required in this new hybrid world.
The absence of body language and cues we get from face to face conversations demands new skills for effective communication.
Listen to Todd Cherches on how to get others to “see” what you’re saying and inspire others to take action.
August 25, 2021
Many people call themselves managers, but the word “manager” has undersold leadership for a very long time. In this episode, I share the screen with Don McGuire, the CMO of Qualcomm. He discusses how to creatively and proactively engage teams in today’s hybrid settings, marketing and connecting effectively with customers and strategic partners in the digital world, and leadership strategies that no longer work.
July 12, 2021
If you are a CMO or marketer who is considering a promotion, then it’s your job to be effective with your board.
I recently sat down with Jim Schleckser, bestselling author, founder of Inc. CEO Project, and friend, and we explored this topic.