Mike NarodovichDirector, Merchant Services
InfoPower
Linked In: http://cn.linkedin.com/in/mikenarodovich
Twitter: @mikenarodovich
What site(s) do you have to visit every day for Marketing news?
Tech: Engadget (product positioning and reviews), AppleInsider (many links to tear downs on product packaging)
What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
ChinaLawBlog: I enjoy reading the anecdotes about business in China. I always learn a lesson and have a few laughs. I also make sure to watch TED podcasts over mealtimes; taking time to process the talk keeps me from getting right back to work.
Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?
Listening. It's hard to deliver something new that is not already on the radar of an audience. Truly great designers and communicators can do this effectively, but few of us operate at that level. By listening, I learn how to deliver messaging in a way that reflects my audience's needs & wants in a package that they can accept - especially in the cross-cultural environment I work in.
What's the recent "it" Marketing phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost every day and what does it mean for the industry and the marketplace?
The foreign business owners I work with in China equivocate social media with free advertising. Everyone loves "free", but does broadcasting equal marketing? Creating effective communication channels and 1:1 marketing with customers when the domestic internet is not in their native language is a challenge. This is one area where I hope to add value.
There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?
Corporate Social Responsibility. Relabeling "community building" as CSR and patting ourselves on the back seems a bit tacky. Creating global PR to show that a company now engages in ethical business practices creates more questions in my mind. I think that the brand differentiation opportunities related to CSR are actually very narrow. There are many other non-mktg. benefits to motivate CSR programs, and in these instances the efforts don't need a global press release.
What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of Marketing specialty?
I avoid the pigeonhole! Working with IT solutions can be like ordering food from a menu: an expectation of what is coming, when, and how much will be paid is natural. That model was desirable when I worked with engineers. Working with other marketing professionals, I want to exceed their expectations AND be perceived as flexible to meet their dynamic needs. This encourages dialogue and increases customer satisfaction. Whenever I've become pigeonholed, the communication flow is inevitably one-way and the customers become increasingly critical.
What's an imminent hurdle in the Marketing world that you think will cause significant changes to the way we market to consumers or businesses?
Technology products are marketed by their capabilities. Using computers as an example, capabilities are often wrapped up in mystifying specifications: processor speed, screen resolution, memory size (and type, and speed), video card model, how many polygons can it process, etc... What's a polygon? As an industry evolves it should not require a 'secret decoder ring' just to understand what you're getting. Smart companies give the customer clarity and position their product without a dizzying menu of specifications.
Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?
There are plenty of stories of firms trying to mimic validated approaches from abroad only to meet failure in China. I respect the chasms that separate cultures; some ideas can leap over them, some can't, and that difference is often market segment and/or culture specific. To me, this makes localization the more effective (yet slower and costlier) approach.
Best piece of advice you have received?
On my first day at my first job my boss handed me a printout of "A Message to Garcia", a short reading on the value of people capable of doing things by themselves. Promoting this image of reliability and integrity in my career continues to open doors for me. Read it at:
Growing up, what was the first think you can remember wanting to be?
I only ever remember wanting to be a teacher, probably because I got picked on a lot and teachers were the only people who were nice to me. It amazes me when I meet people who have pursued a dream since early in life; that clarity of vision and sense of purpose is inspiring.
Linked In: http://cn.linkedin.com/in/
Twitter: @mikenarodovich
What site(s) do you have to visit every day for Marketing news?
Tech: Engadget (product positioning and reviews), AppleInsider (many links to tear downs on product packaging)
I'm one of the least web savvy people out there, I just find it too distracting. I'm mostly on the phone or with customers.
What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
ChinaLawBlog: I enjoy reading the anecdotes about business in China. I always learn a lesson and have a few laughs. I also make sure to watch TED podcasts over mealtimes; taking time to process the talk keeps me from getting right back to work.
Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?
Listening. It's hard to deliver something new that is not already on the radar of an audience. Truly great designers and communicators can do this effectively, but few of us operate at that level. By listening, I learn how to deliver messaging in a way that reflects my audience's needs & wants in a package that they can accept - especially in the cross-cultural environment I work in.
What's the recent "it" Marketing phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost every day and what does it mean for the industry and the marketplace?
The foreign business owners I work with in China equivocate social media with free advertising. Everyone loves "free", but does broadcasting equal marketing? Creating effective communication channels and 1:1 marketing with customers when the domestic internet is not in their native language is a challenge. This is one area where I hope to add value.
There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?
Corporate Social Responsibility. Relabeling "community building" as CSR and patting ourselves on the back seems a bit tacky. Creating global PR to show that a company now engages in ethical business practices creates more questions in my mind. I think that the brand differentiation opportunities related to CSR are actually very narrow. There are many other non-mktg. benefits to motivate CSR programs, and in these instances the efforts don't need a global press release.
What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of Marketing specialty?
I avoid the pigeonhole! Working with IT solutions can be like ordering food from a menu: an expectation of what is coming, when, and how much will be paid is natural. That model was desirable when I worked with engineers. Working with other marketing professionals, I want to exceed their expectations AND be perceived as flexible to meet their dynamic needs. This encourages dialogue and increases customer satisfaction. Whenever I've become pigeonholed, the communication flow is inevitably one-way and the customers become increasingly critical.
What's an imminent hurdle in the Marketing world that you think will cause significant changes to the way we market to consumers or businesses?
Technology products are marketed by their capabilities. Using computers as an example, capabilities are often wrapped up in mystifying specifications: processor speed, screen resolution, memory size (and type, and speed), video card model, how many polygons can it process, etc... What's a polygon? As an industry evolves it should not require a 'secret decoder ring' just to understand what you're getting. Smart companies give the customer clarity and position their product without a dizzying menu of specifications.
Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?
There are plenty of stories of firms trying to mimic validated approaches from abroad only to meet failure in China. I respect the chasms that separate cultures; some ideas can leap over them, some can't, and that difference is often market segment and/or culture specific. To me, this makes localization the more effective (yet slower and costlier) approach.
Best piece of advice you have received?
On my first day at my first job my boss handed me a printout of "A Message to Garcia", a short reading on the value of people capable of doing things by themselves. Promoting this image of reliability and integrity in my career continues to open doors for me. Read it at:
I only ever remember wanting to be a teacher, probably because I got picked on a lot and teachers were the only people who were nice to me. It amazes me when I meet people who have pursued a dream since early in life; that clarity of vision and sense of purpose is inspiring.
To tweet or not to tweet? Is it a fad or here to stay?
For companies its a no brainer to tweet. First, I think many of us find tweets more convenient to monitor press releases, blog posts, etc... as opposed to feed readers. In 100+ characters I determine if a tweet fits me or not, that's fast. Tweets help me focus, they're efficient and I want companies to keep it up. Second, searching to see what is being said about your brand and the ability to reach out directly to the people saying it is a game-changer, akin to spying on word of mouth recommendations. I expect US firms to outsource more mktg. assistants in Europe/Asia to monitor discussions 24/7/365 to respond to customer concerns ASAP before they snowball into bad pr.
On the personal side. I'm interested in the concept of online reputation management. In the U.S. its common for people to separate their work and personal lives. I hope corporate employees aren't broadcasting company tweets on their account. The self-employed/entrepreneur has a choice of managing multiple accounts (disparate personalities) or self-censoring to project a unified and controlled image. In Greater China image control is an important part of the culture. In the US, I expect more management of multiple profiles - people will take the time to fully express themselves.
What are growth opportunities within the Marketing industry, as people are looking at their careers?
I'm in China now, where marketing is not valued nearly as much as in the U.S., so I can't comment on detailed opportunities. I'll talk about marketing as a career in the technology segment. I'm very inspired by Mark Cuban's recent blog post (blogmaverick.com, Apr 06 '10). As I've transitioned from marketing analyst to commercial leader; a scale now balances in my head between "thinking" and "doing". I feel that a marketing leader who balances thinking (spending money to create the future) and doing (acting now to create revenue and win friends in sales, but not always chasing the competition's tail) can be successful anywhere and will move to exec levels.
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