We sat down with three distinguished and diverse minds in the marketing and advertising industry – all of whom are speaking at #FFWD2015 Advertising & Marketing Week – and asked them for some perspective on what’s happening, what’s important, and where things are going.
If you’re an aspiring big shot, you’ll want to hear what they had to say (click on the names and titles below their quotes to see when they’re speaking).
At its core, marketing is all about…
“Two things. First, advertising is about making a promise to a consumer: “If you buy my service, here’s what you’re going to get in return.” Your job is to make the right promise in the right way at the right time and right place so that the consumer sees it, hears it, and wants it.
Then, marketing is the ability of the organization to deliver on the promise that advertising is making… if they don’t do their job with the product or service, this is where you see people experiencing disconnect from what they expected and significant dissatisfaction with the experience. People don’t buy concrete things; they buy promises.”
Kenneth Wong – Distinguished Professor of Marketing, Queen’s School of Business
“…trying to understand people and how they think, and getting them content that provides insight. Answering the question: ‘What do people really need to know?’ It’s also about appealing to all the senses and doing a lot of upfront planning for all channels so that they build upon each other and have the best chance of getting noticed and driving people to react.”
Jennifer Campbell – General Manager, Enterprise Marketing at Canada Post
“…building brands that are going to be resilient enough to withstand the inevitable chaos. The old model where you build a brand and leave it for someone else to sell is going away; instead, there is a healthy dose of listening and innovation needed there. There’s more ‘design’ required… the seat usually occupied by marketing is often now occupied by a practice of innovation.
Marc Stoiber – Creative Strategist & Consultant
What are the biggest impacts on the world of marketing and advertising? What should keep us on our toes, or worse, up at night?
“Especially because of the proliferation of digital and social, we need to further embrace the power of the physical; it cuts through. It’s the only way for a marketer to literally get into their customers’ hands where nothing is being interfered with by bloggers or internet connections. Having something physical to drive you online is key and understanding how that gets into the overall mix is more important than ever.”
Jennifer Campbell – General Manager, Enterprise Marketing at Canada Post
“The shifting realm of the consumer; people, more than ever, have taken control of their own destiny. Technical empowerment has a lot to do with it, but I think much of it is fuelled by a larger loss of belief in our institutions; economic meltdowns, climate change, cultural weakening. A lot of things have created incredible anxiety and caused us to question everything. So with that questioning, technology has facilitated a switch from being the recipient of a megaphone to now saying, ‘Yeah, I’m just going to go over here to find out what I need to know’.”
Marc Stoiber – Creative Strategist & Consultant
“We have to be careful to distinguish the fundamentals from the tools that support them. The tools may be better… but what still remains is the understanding of what segmentation is and what drives a consumer to act the way they do. There’s a whole new set of media and technology, and a whole new way of interacting with our customers. But I still have to do a great job in understanding the fundamentals of what makes people want to engage in an exchange with my business. New media might be trending over old media, but mark my words: there will always be a place for the best person in old media.”
Kenneth Wong – Distinguished Professor of Marketing, Queen’s School of Business
You have the attention of an up-and-coming marketer or advertiser; with what key thought or perspective do you want them to walk away?
“There is tremendous opportunity for people that know what they stand for and where that intersects with what the people around them truly need. In the past we’ve strayed too far trying to be everything to everyone. What’s exciting is finding out what you stand for and why you deserve to exist. After that, it all sort of falls into place.” Marc’s latest book, Didn’t See It Coming, is available now on Amazon.
Marc Stoiber – Creative Strategist & Consultant
“Never overlook physical marketing; it’s not just about inter-‘action’ but about making people ‘TAKE action’. Put a lot of upfront thinking into how all the channels will build upon and engage with one another; channels interacting are much stronger than any one might be in isolation. Oh, and try to never tick anyone off. It’s a very small world.”
Jennifer Campbell – General Manager, Enterprise Marketing at Canada Post
“Make sure you’re entirely passionate about what you do. The point is not to play the game; it’s to win the game. Just playing will make your parents happy that you’re not moving back home, but it won’t get you where you want to be in your professional career.
Without passion there’s no persistence and there’s no perfection. If you’re not working to give them perfection, you’re not going to win the game, and you’re not going to be happy.”
Kenneth Wong – Distinguished Professor of Marketing, Queen’s School of Business
#NOTABLE
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