"Masters of Marketing" Recipe For Success — Adage

Marketing 'Masters' on How to Win
No Blueprint: Insights From Speakers at This Year's ANA Conference Are Varied but Profound

The 97th ANA Masters of Marketing Conference has just concluded -- leaving behind a massive dose of insight and learning. We were all privileged to tap into the mind-sets of some of the most influential and powerful marketing minds in America today.  

By Bob Liodice

Published: October 29, 2007

After three days of this conference, I find myself in awe of this industry. It is big, it is complicated, it is confusing and it is ever-changing. There is lots of sage advice, there are boat loads of insights, there are tons of experiences to lean on -- but there is no blueprint or manual for success. In fact, we often don't know what success looks like.

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This conference was about hearing what the successful marketing professionals had on their minds. They are the ones who have found a bucket of order in a sea of consistent seismic ground shifts. Here are some of the snapshots of the key lessons espoused by the "Masters of Marketing."

TRUST YOUR BRAND. TRUST YOUR AUDIENCE. NOTHING CAN HELP YOUR BRAND MORE.
Mr. Gore was certainly an inspiration for the conference. After a heartbreaking loss in the 2000 presidential election, Mr. Gore transformed himself into an Oscar- and Nobel Prize-winning individual -- while elevating the worldwide dialogue about global warming. Mr. Gore is a part of an Emmy-winning brand -- and he had some wonderful lessons about the emerging world of consumer-generated media and advertising. If you trust your brand, your consumers will become your advocates -- and may make a flattering commercial or two that heralds its attributes and key benefits.

DIGITAL, DIGITAL, DIGITAL. IT IS THE FUTURE OF ALL MEDIA.
This is hard to argue with. Technology has truly transformed the marketing landscape. During the past three to five years, we have seen an explosion of nontraditional media that is digitally based -- with lots more to come. Even TV will have to truly become "all digital" in 2009. Mr. Ballmer's forecast is an exciting one as it will provide marketers with increasing ability to target key consumers, improve marketing efficiency and forever move accountability to the front burner with metrics and measurements that will make the finance guys smile.