How Brands Can Get Ahead of the Creative Curve with Allen Gannett

“Everyone is so stressed out. All of the marketers I talk to. There are so many channels and so many reports to prove our existential existence!” What’s an overwhelmed marketer to do? Allen Gannett is founder and CEO of TrackMaven, a company with a left-brained marketing focus. However, he just wrote a book on cultivating creativity. Marketers can overcome today’s challenges by mastering both hemispheres and getting creative with how we organize our work. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast.

About Allen Gannett

Allen Gannett is the founder and CEO of TrackMaven, a marketing analytics platform whose clients have included Microsoft, Marriott, Saks Fifth Avenue, Home Depot, Aetna, Honda, and GE. He has been on the “30 Under 30” lists for both Inc. and Forbes. He is a contributor for FastCompany.com and has an upcoming book The Creative Curve, on how anyone can achieve moments of creative genius, coming out in June 2018 from Currency, a division of Penguin Random House. He was also once a very pitiful runner-up on Wheel of Fortune.

Episode Highlights

Wait. What’s that about Wheel of Fortune? Before we talked about marketing and creativity, I had to ask about Allen’s experience on Wheel of Fortune. “I was beaten by Joan from Alexandria. Never forget!” Despite hitting ‘bankrupt’ on the game twice, Allen found a path forward …

“Most marketers are right brained.” With a background in Facebook performance marketing, Allen saw the opportunity to do something different with TrackMaven. “We’ll be your left brain!”

Organize differently. With new channels, new features, and complex sales cycles, we have to rethink how we organize our teams around the work. “One thing that’s working really well is structuring marketing teams around personas. Say your persona is moms. You have a social person, a digital person, and a content person for that persona. We’re also seeing people organizing around funnel stages.”

Creativity IS something you can nurture. Creativity is key, now more than ever. And yet, we still fall prey to the same stereotypes. “I’m not creative enough …” Allen’s new book The Creative Curve is all about debunking this myth and illustrating that creativity is a developable skill.

What’s one quick creativity tip? In his interviews and research from creatives from all walks of life, Allen learned that a common theme was consumption. Creatives consume huge amounts of content. However, it’s not just any content. It’s a “huge amount of content in your narrow field. The best wine makers are obsessed with wine.”

What brand has made Allen smile recently? Allen couldn’t wait to answer this question — Old Spice’s “Hand Gym.” Embedded below for your enjoyment!

To learn more, go to allen.xyz and thecreativecurve.com.

As We Wrap …

Before we go, I want to flip the microphone around to our community …

Sean Carpenter gave us a shout on Twitter for our recent episode featuring Dean Noble. Thanks for listening!

Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show.

On Brand is sponsored by my new book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. Learn more.

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Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet!

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