Business 2.0 asked 50 of the brightest minds in business how they do what they do – and how you can cash in on their advice in the year ahead. Here’s Crispin Porter + Bogusky CEO Jeff Hicks’ response:
Make Your Brand Part of the Conversation
There are three things I think about the most when it comes to making it as a marketer these days. The first one is there’s no amount of money I can pay to get my commercial in front of you, because you can powerfully edit what you spend time with. So my job as a marketer is no longer to interrupt, but to produce content that is so relevant, interesting, entertaining, and involving that my best consumers won’t want to live without it.
The second thing is understanding that instead of brochures and trade shows, marketing now really begins with the product. Great companies are investing a lot of time and attention into trying to make products that market themselves.
The last piece is that user-generated content has made it possible for consumers to own your brand, and if they don’t, you’re not doing your job. The brands that are adopted, blogged about, and parodied the most are the ones that are going to win because they’re involved in the evolution of pop culture. If you’re scared to have your brand played with, you’re going to be left behind.
