ME 52-28: Two Sides to Every Good Marketer

At ME52 we wanted the perspective of those in all industries and across all marketing expertise. That includes those in the professional and academic worlds. Ifeolu Babatunde, fits both molds, having gained professional work experience in the digital advertising world she now finds herself in the academic world of business school. Her perspective is not only strategic, but also tactical, and allows us to take a peek into both the 40,000 ft. deep and 4-mile wide view of marketing.

Ifeolu Babatunde

Kellogg School of Management MBA Candidate

Marketing Concentration, Class of 2011

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/ifeolubabatunde

What site(s) do you have to visit every day for Marketing news?

I get most of my news via podcasts and RSS feeds, but make sure to always check Brandchannel, PSFK and AgencySpy.

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?

I recently got back from a two-week trip to Japan and have become obsessed with Harajuku district street-fashion. If I feel like I need some creative inspiration I'll check TokyoFashion.com or JapaneseStreets.com – the creativity and style of Japanese urban youth is just bursting at the seams and I’m surprised more of it has not caught on in the Western hemisphere. I'm also into independent music so I'll check Fader, Pitchfork, XLR8R, Big Stereo, and The Tripwire for the latest music news.

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?

Empathy. In order to be a good marketer you need to be able to put yourself in the shoes of the target consumer that you are trying to reach. This becomes difficult when you cannot truly sympathize with the thoughts, feelings and emotions of another person.

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 marketplace?

Augmented Reality. As consumers attention spans continue to diminish marketers will seize upon any opportunity that promises engagement. Augmented reality provides engagement by enhancing what consumers see, feel or touch. However, augmented reality is most helpful when it truly adds value to the consumer experience outside of pure entertainment. A great example is the Ray Ban Virtual Mirror which allows consumers to virtually “try on” glasses that best fit the shape of their face without having to make a trip to a physical Ray Ban store. This is augmented reality done right.

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?

Twitter. Whether you like it or not, Twitter is here to stay. Now that the company is looking to unveil its new ad system of “Promoted Tweets” to more advertisers, we’re going to see more marketing companies using Twitter as not just an education tool, but also a promotional one.

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of Marketing speciality?

I am a first-year business school student studying alongside former bankers, consultants and engineers. What I have found is essential NOT to do while working with others with non-marketing backgrounds is to assume that their viewpoint is less valuable. This could not be farther from the truth. Sometimes it takes an untrained eye to uncover the insight that can help “crack” the marketing business cases that we study.

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?

Privacy. During the rise of blogging and social networking in the late 90s and early 00s, consumers gladly posted pictures of their vacations and shared information about their lifestyles and interests for the whole world to see. All was fine, until it became known that these blogging and social networking communities were selling this information to advertisers. Now, consumers have decided that they want their privacy back, and marketers must adjust to this change.

Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages?

Marketing ideas can travel across continents and languages as long as the theme is global, but it’s the execution that must be localized. A great example of this “glocal” approach is Visa’s “Go” campaign as well as McDonald’s “I’m lovin it” campaign. Both of these marketers launched global campaigns with universal themes that could transcend country borders, but made sure to allow their regional offices to execute the message in a way that resonated best with the local market.

Best piece of advice you have received professionally or personally?

The best piece of professional advice I received was from a manager that I reported to at my first job out of college, and was something along the lines of “Spend more time building your strengths than trying to compensate for your weaknesses”.

Growing up, what was the first thing you can remember wanting to be?

A teacher, a writer or a journalist.

Recent campaign you liked and why?

I love OgilvyOne’s “World’s Greatest Salesperson” campaign because it brilliantly reinforces Ogilvy’s brand equity as an agency of superior salesmanship and truly get’s to the heart of founder David Ogilvy’s credo “We sell, or else”. Plus, it’s fun – who wouldn’t want to follow a contest where contests upload videos on YouTube displaying their best sales pitch for something as mundane as a red brick?

Is Marketing more of an art or more of a science?

If marketing were just created to dazzle and entertain the masses, it would be purely an art form, but marketing also has an obligation to sell a product or a service, which makes it a science as well. Good marketing is a blend of the two where you can’t tell which form –art or science – is leading.

ME 52-27: Refining the Future of Print One Marketer at a Time

Amy Thorkilsen is an expert publishing marketer driving the marketing, planning and promotional execution for a variety of categories and for some of the most respected print titles in the world including TIME, The New York Times, Sport Illustrated and Fortune. Her role focuses on providing the advertising sales team with the necessary marketing support to sell integrated marketing programs across platforms and across titles. Her interests in food, travel, photography and art give her a unique perspective when it comes to creating programs that extend beyond the page and impact the other senses too.

Amy Thorkilsen

Expert Traditional Media Sales Development Consultant

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/amy-thorkilsen/3/993/61

What site(s) do you have to visit every day for Marketing news?

AdAge, NY Times, Brandweek and WSJ

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?

When I am stumped/blocked on a creative idea I find it really helpful to have a good laugh; Cake Wrecks is the website that makes me laugh so hard I snort and ultimately cry…and my stomach always hurts after a fifteen minute read. I defy you to check it out and not laugh out loud (definitely close the office door first!).

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?

The ability to be a bit of a chameleon (in a good way): you’ve got to wear a lot of hats and work with a lot of different personalities to achieve your goal efficiently and effectively. Working with sales to ferret out the true goal(s) of the advertiser, analyzing research to glean specific “tentpole” strategizing, brainstorming with other team members on the overall concept, coordinating with the right vendors, and producing a truly creative presentation that demonstrates your idea powerfully and succinctly to the client.

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 marketplace?

Social media. I think marketers need to be careful to choose when and where it is really right for advertisers. There’s a push now from clients to incorporate social media into everything and I think the approach needs to be carefully crafted so it doesn’t look like it was just included for the sake of saying that one is engaged in social media. It has to make sense and have a relevant and targeted reason for being part of a campaign. In other words, don’t do it just to say you did!

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?

One word: iPad. Of course, I have always been an Apple girl through and through, but I do believe that as the iPad is refined in the future, being ready with iPad savvy apps is prudent. Look at what print media is doing to stay relevant as it relates to the iPad: NY Times, TIME, WSJ, etc.

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of Marketing speciality?

You need to be honest. Every campaign doesn’t have to have every bell and whistle to be successful. It’s really all about the idea. When the idea is spot on, then everything flows from that. Maybe a single campaign will include print, TV, OOH, social media, events, and more…or maybe the idea is really only perfect for one or two media. If you’re honest and have integrity and sincere strategy behind your choices, your idea will stand out and truly resonate. Otherwise you’re just throwing spaghetti against the wall and hoping something will stick.

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?

Those of us who work in big cities in the U.S. and tend to be early adopters of technology sometimes forget that there are lots of regions where consumers still have dial-up internet connectivity… and cell towers are sparse…We need to remember that consumer’s needs and make sure they aren’t neglected. I also think that mobile platform needs more analysis before it can really have an impact.

Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages?

Does globalization work or is localization more effective? Certainly there are overall concepts which translate easily across continents and languages, but localization is the key for making an idea resonate with a specific consumer/nationality.

Best piece of advice you have received professionally or personally?

I don’t know if this is the best piece of advice, but it certainly helps keep things in perspective when you’re up to your eyeballs on a project: consider the TIME, QUALITY, COST triangle – pick any two.

Growing up, what was the first thing you can remember wanting to be?

Probably a designer…I remember drawing a lot of clothes and accessories in colored pencil and totally loving trips to large fabric stores where I would wander around and touch all the bolts of fabric and imagine what I would make from each of them.

Is Marketing more of an art or more of a science?

My personal approach to marketing is that it is an “art” I like to base on “science” as much as possible. I like to use research as a starting point and see what it tells me directionally. Then I switch to the other side of my brain and see what concepts best incorporate the strongest research underpinnings but are still fun and impactful in a targeted way.

Recent campaign you liked and why?
There are several, and all are very visually oriented: I love the American Express print and television ad campaign “Don’t Take Chances. Take Charge.” That begins with the unhappy faces comprised of everyday objects then segues into happy faces with Bach cello music playing underneath with minimal voiceover.

Another is the new Sherwin Williams animated paint chip commercial. Really puts a great spin on the colors of nature and how many subtle colors actually make up a natural object/animal etc.

A long time favorite is the AT&T “hands” campaign which I never get tired of seeing – each new version is so creative and straight to the point – a great global campaign example that certainly translates into any market.

I like all of these campaigns for essentially the same reason. As a photographer with a graphic arts background, I respond immediately to the visual appeal. The way each takes everyday objects and causes the viewer to respond to them in new and different ways…all of these really engage the consumer’s creativity and imagination which is key to establishing a strong relationship with the brand.

ME52-26 Mobile Marketing is NOT online marketing

Adam Grenier - who put out fires and possess true marketing salesmanship - manages the innovative mobile marketing, online video, and interactive chat services at Zoosk Inc. Adam says to really make mobile marketing work is to use it as a medium instead of a channel, and the rationale deployed for online marketing cannot always be replicated for mobile marketing. His favorite campaign? Text Haiti- which successfully drew people to get involved, without asking them to do anything extra than they do not already do on a daily basis.


Adam Grenier
Marketing Manager, Mobile
Zoosk Inc. www.zoosk.com/about

Twitter @AKGrenier




What site(s) do you have to visit every day for marketing news?
In addition to industry news, I think it is just as important important to keep up to date on what is big in consumer and tech news, as they often precede what changes happen in marketing. I listen to a couple podcasts, follow twitscoop and subscribe to about 50 RSS feeds ranging from news on NYT, MobileMarketer and VentureBeat to blogs like Mitch Joel’s Six Pixels of Seperation, and David Armondo’s Logic+Emotion.

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
I read tech, mobile and gaming news for fun as much as I do for work. So sites like TechCrunch, BoyGeniousReport, CNet and GameSpot tend to make their way to my browser at some point during the day.

Greatest skill a good marketing professional requires?
The brass to question things other people are passionate about. A good marketer is someone that can help improve on the brand and consumers experience – rather than someone that simply processes the work they’re asked to.

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 marketplace?
Location based targeting. FourSquare, Gowalla, Facebook, Google, etc. have all raised the bar when it comes to reaching your consumer in ultra-relavant scenarios and tailoring your messaging. What it means for the industry, is that we have to ensure that our use of this technogogy is not only timely but valuable, as to not abuse our consumer relationship.

There have been fads in the marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?
Along the same lines as the previous answer, I think the location excitement is here to stay. Although, I don’t think it will look the way it looks today. I see location playing a much bigger role by deepening existing experience vs. standing on its own. Asking the masses to check in to things, something they don’t already do, is a huge hurdle. I’ve asked my wife’s foodie friends what they think of things like Foursquare, and they either don’t get it or scoff at the idea of changing their behavior. However, they love the idea of walking into a restaurant and geting a message that lists dishes their foodie friends and favorite bloggers have tried and what they thought. When it “just happens,” location creates a beautiful wow factor.

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your specialty?
I can’t stress enough that mobile is NOT online. Using the exact same online rational for mobile marketing strategy, or lessons learned by the growth of online to make assumptions about mobile, will weaken your final product. Mobile is a medium, not a channel.

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?
I think the various mobile wars happening right now: iAd vs. everyone else Apple vs. Android vs. WinPhone vs. … Apps vs. WAP Smart Phones vs. Feature phones ATT vs. Verizon vs. Sprint … WiMax vs. LTE These battles are going to mislead marketers to react to buzz instead of do what is best for their brand. Before its release iAd has already done more to promote spend in the mobile space than 10 years of emerging marketing managers pushing it internally. Is that good? Yes and no. Yes, because more brands are thinking about mobile as a legit marketing medium. No, because the excitement is going to cause brands to overlook necessary strategy in such a personal space.

Can marketing ideas travel across continents, countries and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?
Yes and Yes :-) Globalized marketing strategies can absolutely make sense and be extremely effective and efficient. However, localization will always be more effective because it (should) create a more personal experience. The issue is that proper localization can be very costly. My advice, if you’re looking to go global: go. But, take your time and be considerate of cultural differences, and be willing to adapt to local responses. Even if that adaptation means not existing in every local market.

Best piece of advice you’ve received professionally or personally?
The relationships you build vastly out weigh the companies on your resume.

Growing up what was the first thing you can remember wanting to be?
A fireman or an angel … now I put out fires and try to convince people what the right choice is.

Where are the pockets of growth and opportunity withint the marketing industry for people, as they're looking at their careers?
It feels too easy to say mobile. But, I think it’s the truth. The more I speak to various marketers, agencies and publishers the more I realize that, at the end of the day, most “mobile” strategy being developed, and budgets being spent, is done by online marketers. If you are a digital or online marketer, take some time to read up on the nuances of mobile from both an advertising and tech perspective. With that knowledge, speak up whenever there is an opportunity where mobile makes sense. The only caveat – don’t stop at mobile. By this time next year, the mobile pocket may very well be over full.

What is a recent campaign/presentation (not from your own company but your field of marketing) that you admire?
The work that Mobile Accord and the Red Cross did to support the earthquake in Haiti was awesome. It’s a perfect example of asking everyday people to do something they are comfortable doing – text messaging. No QR code, no app, no glitz. Just a medium for people to get involved, without asking them to do anything they do not already do on a daily basis.

ME52-25: The shift into social targeting by tapping into user graphs

A True Social Media Guru and strategist, Chris Pitre is ahead of the game in social graph and social-targeting; working with ahead -of -the- trends of tapping into user's graph to cater more relevant advertising and brand experience. However, he still states the fundamental importance of understanding human behavior and your audience.

Chris Pitre
Social Media Strategist
IDEA http://www.ideaii.com/

Twitter: chrispitre

What site(s) do you have to visit every day for Marketing news?

The beauty about social media is that my news comes to me. I don’t have a site, per se, that I visit daily like my grandparents did with the local newspaper back in the day. Rather, I get constant updates from Mashable and Ad Age throughout the day (via email and Facebook timeline). Depending on whether I need to dig deeper, I may click to read more. But, I’m on Facebook or Twitter to get the shorter descriptions first.

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?

Facebook. I have fun and get inspired by my friends. From there, I get driven to a number of sites and experiences that pique my interest.

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?

First, I wanted to say storytelling. But I know great marketers who don’t understand plots and character development. Then I thought the ability to be 100% genuine, but I know some situations require you to savor your opinion and true sentiment in the name of professionalism. Then I thought passion, but that’s so cliché. The greatest skill? The ability to discern people. This will drive any engagement tactic that you must face (whether in sales, with a client, consumer marketing, or interpersonal relationships). Being able to read people and shift your communication style or approach is key to winning anyone over. So, by understanding human behavior, decoding nonverbal cues, and reading between the lines, marketing professionals should be able to discern whether their ideas, strategies, and messaging resonates with their audience or not (and should shift accordingly).

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?

Transparency. As more and more clients, as well as brands in general, get involved, educated, an active in social media, they begin using the word “transparency” in their conversations and goals, which is a good thing. I love receiving requests for proposals that express the desire for transparency. As us marketers begin looking at the transparency in our messaging and making sure that what we’re saying is truth and not sales-speak, it changes the relationship we can build with customers. It changes the way we approach marketing projects. And it changes the way we conduct our business. And that’s when consumers will notice. Not when we say what we do, but when we do what we say.

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?

Well, I’ve been knee-deep in the new announcements from Facebook’s f8 conference two weeks ago. Looking at the implications and possibilities of the new Open Graph and Social Plugins could mean a dramatic shift in the way marketers approach web strategy, including user experience and content strategy. By tapping into a user’s Graph, brands can totally shift the user experience and content on their website for the user and cater to their likes, events, friends, and other aspects of their personal profiles on Facebook. That’s HUGE in the space of “Social Targeting,” an IDEA-coined subset of behavioral targeting. As things progress and marketers get wiser, it will be interesting to see the conversion rates that take place from social targeting compared to sites without it. I’d imagine there would be a huge difference favoring social targeting.

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of Marketing speciality?

Present invalid ideas and strategies. By invalid, I mean ideas not proven through valid research, understanding of the client’s business, and knowledge of technical and creative limits.

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?

Ignorance and comfortability. In many cases, decision-making marketers are in the dark when it comes to digital, especially social media. With the safeties of known media and traditional marketing strategies, many marketers have become comfortable with the control, pace, and expectations that accompany traditional methods. So, it’s my belief that when marketers understand the possibilities, return, and effectiveness of digital and social media when well-executed, their willingness to invest in digital will increase and see a significant return.

Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?

On a human level, yes. On an executional level, no. Research has proven that humans have universal needs, emotions, and behaviors. So, when marketing ideas are rooted in an essential human element and lead to the solution of universal human problems, I do think they are borderless and transcend language. However, the way that idea is communicated, shared, or displayed will likely be vastly different from region to region. I think localization is always going to be more effective, but let’s be honest. Resources will always be a major factor in a brand’s ability to localize messaging. So, whether a message gets localized will be driven by resources, return, and other numbers that will help validate the investment.

Best piece of advice you have received?

“Stop being so f***ing timid.” I think when an old boss told me this (when I was a student…yikes), it still reminds me that being straightforward in a tactful manner doesn’t make you rude. Many times, we bite our tongue or over-react to professional situations when there’s a place in the middle that ensure we get heard but still don’t alienate our colleagues. Finding that balance and removing timidity in your communication is more of a help to the listener than you know.

Growing up, what was the first thing you can remember wanting to be?

I wanted to be an anesthesiologist and live in Sugar Creek (in the 3^rd grade, it was an affluent suburb). Why? Because Katherine Hauber said that’s what she wanted to be. This was my first lesson in originality and following the crowd.

What is a recent campaign/presentation (not from yoru own comapny but your field of marketing) that you admire? and why?

I recently judged the National Student Advertising Competition for the American Advertising Federation’s District 7. The winning team’s presentation blew my socks away. These university students were so inspiring and buttoned up. It felt like a large agency was pitching. The students at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) presented a sound strategy rooted in research along with strong creative. A cut above the rest.

Where are the pockets of growth and opportunity within the marketing industry for people, as they're looking at their careers?

I talk to many students, and I think understanding the digital landscape as a newcomer opens up more doors. For veterans in the marketing world, bridging digital to traditional campaigns.