The nation’s most influential marketers spoke to nearly 2,000 attendees at the Annual “Masters of Marketing” Conference of the ANA (Association of National Advertisers). At the end of each of the speaker’s presentations, Bob Liodice, President and CEO of the ANA, asked for his or her key takeaway.
Below please find each of these insights:
• Marc Pritchard, Global Marketing & Brand Building Officer, Procter & Gamble: “Consumer insight, plus creativity – if you do that, you will win.”
• Kimberly Kadlec, Worldwide VP of the Global Marketing Group, Johnson & Johnson: “We are responsible to be connecting with people in ways that are instructive and not disruptive. We are seeing such great work being done that is much more relevant and much more conversational. The disruption is over.”
• Neil Golden, SVP & CMO, McDonald’s USA, LLC: “Honest assessment and bold action. We have to make sure we have standards – that we know what we stand for. We have to assess if we are fulfilling those standards and if not, take steps to fill those gaps.”
• Alfredo Gangotena, CMO, MasterCard Worldwide: “Make the world a better place. Work as hard as you can on your brands and communication to focus on what is positive.”
• Ted Woehrle, SVP & CMO, Newell Rubbermaid Inc.: “It’s more than listening. It’s giving a voice and showcasing work and words.”
• John Kenny, EVP, Head of Planning, Draftfcb, Chicago: “Crowdsourcing shouldn’t be seen as competition but a source of inspiration.”
• Luke Dowdney MBE, CEO & Founder, Luta Limited: “With every opportunity comes responsibility – so if we are going to sanitize brands let’s make sure to sanitize them.”
• Jim Farley, Group VP of Global Marketing, Sales and Service, Ford Motor Co.: “We are all intoxicated by shiny new things. I would say, take care of those shiny new things and innovate where others have gone on autopilot.”
• Keith Weed, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, Unilever: “It’s an exciting time in marketing – lots of changes, but also huge opportunities. Think about your brands – they are great agents of change and they can lead the agenda. Business can be a leader and brands can engage people to think differently and act differently.”
• Brian Pope, SVP of Marketing, popchips: “There is more value to the brand in building a deep connection with one consumer than connecting in a more superficial way with 100 or more.”
• Lisa Cochrane, SVP of Marketing, Allstate Insurance Co.: “Don’t be afraid to jump into the mayhem and create your own. Stick to the pure truth for your consumers and your values and mayhem can be your best friend. It can create significant action that makes a difference.”
• Alison Lewis, SVP of Marketing, North America, Coca-Cola Co.: “Patience and failing forward is very, very important in trying to transform.”
• John Seifert, Chairman & CEO, Ogilvy & Mather: “Believe in your culture – if you have a culture that believes the right things and stands for something and are prepared to live by the values, you can get through.”
• Luc Bardin, Group Chief Sales & Marketing Officer & Group VP, BP p.l.c.: “Every relationship you have, just think about how you can push them forward to create true partnerships.”
• David Mastervich, Manager for Catalogs and Saturation Mail, USPS: “Consider the full palate of marketing options that are out there. Let’s integrate all marketing together to make it as powerful as we can.”
• Paul Matsen, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, The Cleveland Clinic: “As marketers, we have to continue to test and invest and innovate, every year. Also, give yourself that opportunity to try something new, let it fail and then evolve it to something fresher.”
• Marc de Swaan Arons, Founder & Executive Chairman, EffectiveBrands: “Are we consistently in everything we do, permeating and demonstrating the brand purpose? And does everyone in the organization feel empowered to do that on behalf of the brand or organization?”
• Harit Talwar, EVP, President, U.S. Cards, Discover Financial Services: “It’s all about discipline.”
• John Adams, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, The Martin Agency Inc.: “Find creative, incisive ways, that aren’t frivolous and fluffy that get right at a problem. So much of the story, is a story about focus.”
• Saga Shoffner, Vice President, Global Marketing, Owens-Illinois: “Think about glass, choose glass, advocate for glass. And at some point, find milk in a glass bottle and just try it. It tastes amazing.”
• Evelyn Neill, Executive Creative Director, Doremus: “Care deeply. It will make all the difference in the world, not only in how well you do, but in your enjoyment of it.”
The ANA held its 2012 Annual Masters of Marketing Conference from October 10-13, 2012, in Orlando, Florida. The theme of the conference was “Growth: Mastering Brands & Driving Results.”
About the ANA
Founded in 1910, the ANA (Association of National Advertisers) leads the marketing community by providing its members with insights, collaboration, and advocacy. ANA’s membership includes 450 companies with 10,000 brands that collectively spend over $250 billion in marketing and advertising. The ANA strives to communicate marketing best practices, lead industry initiatives, influence industry practices, manage industry affairs, and advance, promote, and protect all advertisers and marketers. For more information, visit www.ana.net.
