Can do, just do attitude

The Marketing Society is promoting bolder leadership and from their Global Conference it is clear to see that they are applying this vision to themselves. If there is one thing I will remember from the conference, it is that Marketing is just a means to an end, a way to achieve higher business goals. If you are ambitious, aim for the top of the company not just the top of your organisation- CMOs should aim at being CEOs. If you are a nation entering the Olympics, aim for the top just like Team GB did in Rio, and you might be surprised.

The Annual Conference had ambitious goals, but succeeded in delivering very simple and actionable advice that could change your life or your business, without waiting for the 2017 New Year resolution and your “2020 Road to Success” strategy plan.

By looking at things with more perspective you understand what is really important. That was one of the messages delivered by Doctor Ed Lu, an astronaut who spent six months in space: “Don’t put things off as you don’t know what’s going to happen”. He was talking about personal matters like calling a loved one or finally having that dinner, but the same lesson applies to work. Simple.

Mark Wilson, CEO of Aviva, also gave some down-to-earth advice: “Kill any product if it can’t be described in a tweet”. True to his words, his strategy for his Hoxton Square startup is “Compete and Cannibalise” against his traditional business. Simple, impactful and tweetable.

The best way to have an impact on a business is to focus on revenue: the ultimate KPI in the boardroom. Paddy Barwise and Thomas Barta shared a few tips on how to get closer to the CEO:

• Tackle big issues
• Side with the revenue camp and make your investments sounds like revenue instead of costs
• Get a compelling story to hit the head and the heart (you marketers should be good at it)
• Show the fire in your eyes

All the speakers were a good example of the latter, as they spoke with passion about their business. Silvia Lagnado from McDonald’s was great at explaining why she loves her job and her brand. She showed a lot of empathy towards her customers and I liked how she reminded everyone that social media is a great place to listen. Marketing is not just about advertising.

When it comes to advertising, we all know it is ideally about living an experience, which the Global Conference delivered very well. An experience is better lived than read about, so I can only tell you that you missed a brilliant report on how to make business in a futuristic, crazy society (China) or that of The Body Coach shooting one of his famous video in front of the audience. Beautiful demonstrations of a can do, just do attitude.