

How I Made it in Marketing
Daniel Burstein
Marketers are the artisans of commerce. Our palette is ideas. We ply our craft to facilitate choice. To empower every person creating value in the world – sharing their inventions, their service, their good works. And ultimately, to keep a society built on choice functioning.But also…This is one of the most fun, wildly creative, never-grow-up, 99% boring meetings followed by 1% of sheer creative brilliance, funny-yet-frustrating-yet-fruitful career choices you can make.Let’s explore the dichotomy.In this podcast, Daniel Burstein of MarketingSherpa dives deep into marketers’ and entrepreneurs’ careers to inspire your next great campaign, give you strategies for winning approval on your ideas, and help you navigate the trickiest decisions in your career. The curious, comprehensive style of these interviews allows marketing and business leaders to do what they do best – express themselves to communicate a key lesson.Listen in as we probe marketing leaders about how they crafted campaigns, built their careers, and what they learned along the way. We’ll get deep, we’ll wring insights form our guests to help you, and we’ll have fun doing it.This podcast is not about marketing – it is about the marketer. It draws its inspiration from the Flint McGlaughlin quote, “The key to transformative marketing is a transformed marketer” from the Become a Marketer-Philosopher online course (https://meclabs.com/course/).
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jun 1, 2023 • 55min
Marketing Leadership Lessons: Kill snakes, create the category, assume noble intent (podcast episode #61)
The How I Made It In Marketing podcast is underwritten by MECLABS Institute, the parent organization of MarketingSherpa. To learn how MECLABS Services can help you get better business results from deeper customer understanding, visit MECLABS.com/results.I love a really good turn of phrase.Hey, as a writer, I’m a real sucker for words.So when I saw this phrase on a podcast guest application it grabbed my attention – “Kill snakes.”I gotta admit, that is not one I have heard before. So I went to the Google, and it served me up… a lot of… how to kill snakes around the house.So then it was time for AI. And according to ChatGPT, “’Kill snakes’ is an idiomatic expression that means to tackle or deal with a difficult or unpleasant task or situation in a direct and forceful way. The phrase is often used to describe someone who is brave, decisive, and not afraid to take action when faced with a problem. It can also be used to encourage someone to be bold and take action instead of being passive or hesitant. The expression is most commonly used in informal contexts and is often associated with a sense of urgency or importance.I thought that description was the perfect way to set the tone for the discussion with Shafqat Islam, Chief Marketing Officer, Optimizely (https://www.optimizely.com/).Islam manages a team of 100 with a $30 million marketing budget. He had zero CMO experience when he got his current role. Optimizely is owned by Insight Partners. Insight acquired Episerver, NewsCred, and Optimizely. It combined the companies into one, which it branded as Optimizely. Insight Partners is a private equity and venture capital firm with $90 billion of regulatory assets under management.Stories (with lessons) about what he made in marketingSome lessons from Islam that emerged in our discussion:Never, ever, ever give upCategory creation Is hardKill snakesAssume noble intentGive people outsized opportunity and they will make you proudHave a plan, communicate it, stick to it, and just execute like crazy for as long as it takesRelated content mentioned in this episodeMarketing: Sometimes you have to throw the business model out (podcast episode #34) (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/marketing-business)About this podcastThis podcast is not about marketing – it is about the marketer. It draws its inspiration from the Flint McGlaughlin quote, “The key to transformative marketing is a transformed marketer” from the Become a Marketer-Philosopher: Create and optimize high-converting webpages (https://meclabs.com/course/) free digital marketing course.This episode was distributed through the MarketingSherpa email newsletter (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/newsletters). Sign up for free if you’d like to get more episodes like this one.Apply to be a guestIf you would like to apply to be a guest on How I Made It In Marketing, here is the podcast guest application – https://www.marketingsherpa.com/page/podcast-guest-application

May 22, 2023 • 49min
Biotechnology Marketing: As a marketer, it’s important to lead up, down, and side-to-side in companies — not just top-down (episode #60)
The How I Made It In Marketing podcast is underwritten by MECLABS Institute, the parent organization of MarketingSherpa. To learn how MECLABS Services can help you get better business results from deeper customer understanding, visit MECLABS.com/results.Given your role in the organization – maybe you’re a director, C-level, or even just a manager – you have certain positional authority. By virtue of your title, you can tell people to do things.But if you only use your positional authority, how well will those things get done? Will they get done at all?Employees must perceive the value of what you want them to do, which is where our communication superpowers as a marketer are so helpful for business leadership as well.And why I love one of the lessons from our next guest’s career, “As a marketer, it’s important to lead up, down, and side-to-side in companies — not just top-down.”I talked to Karen Possemato, CMO, Seer (https://seer.bio/), on the latest episode of the How I Made It In Marketing podcast to hear the story behind that lesson, along with many more lesson-filled stories.Possemato has grown her marketing team from four to 14 in two years (and it’s still growing).Seer is a publicly traded company, listed on Nasdaq. The company achieved revenue of $15.5 million for the full year 2022. It grew revenue 134% and increased instruments shipped 129% year over year.Stories (with lessons) about what she made in marketingSome lessons from Possemato that emerged in our discussion:As a marketer, it’s important to lead up, down, and side-to-side in companies — not just top-down. No matter how big or small your company, it’s important to build a path to return on marketing investment (ROMI) from the get-go.Be authentic.Communication is key.Lessons (with stories) from people she collaborated withAsk for forgiveness. Not for permission.Dig deeper than the data to create a story that’s much more impactful and meaningful.See the opportunity in any situation.Related content mentioned in this episode“Authenticity” vs. “Professionalism”: Should you be your authentic self in your brand’s content and marketing? Or must you adhere to certain strictures considered “professional” in your industry? (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/case-study/authenticity)Customer-First Marketing: A conversation with Wharton, MarketingSherpa, and MECLABS Institute (https://sherpablog.marketingsherpa.com/consumer-marketing/wharton-interview-customer-first-marketing/)The Hidden Upside of the COVID-19 Crisis for Brands and Marketers: 10 opportunities (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/other/hidden-upside-COVID-crisis-brands-marketers-10-opportunities)About this podcastThis podcast is not about marketing – it is about the marketer. It draws its inspiration from the Flint McGlaughlin quote, “The key to transformative marketing is a transformed marketer” from the Become a Marketer-Philosopher: Create and optimize high-converting webpages (https://meclabs.com/course/) free digital marketing course.Apply to be a guestIf you would like to apply to be a guest on How I Made It In Marketing, here is the podcast guest application – https://www.marketingsherpa.com/page/podcast-guest-application

May 15, 2023 • 43min
Digital Marketing: Be passionate about the challenge you are trying to solve and not stubborn about the product solution (episode #59)
The How I Made It In Marketing podcast is underwritten by MECLABS Institute, the parent organization of MarketingSherpa. To learn how MECLABS Services can help you get better business results from deeper customer understanding, visit MECLABS.com/results.If you think of what we do as marketers – we take value, real value that can help a person meet a goal or overcome a challenge, and then we package it up and message it so a customer can understand and receive it.But sometimes, we focus too much on the way we want to package it, and don’t understand enough about the way a person can really understand that value, and the way they want to receive it.Think Blockbuster and Netflix. Same value, right? Netflix just found a better way to package it.Which is why I love this lesson from our next guest, “Be passionate about the challenge you are trying to solve and not stubborn about the product solution.”I talked to Andrew Beranbom, Co-founder and CEO, First Tube (https://firsttube.com/), on the latest episode of the How I Made It In Marketing podcast to hear the story behind that lesson, along with many more lesson-filled stories.Beranbom manages a team of 25 along with 75 freelancers.First Tube is a standalone company, majority owned by Horizon Media, which is the largest media agency in the United States, according to Ad Age Data Center 2022. Horizon has media investments of more than $9 billion.Stories (with lessons) about what he made in marketingSome lessons from Beranbom that emerged in our discussion:Be passionate about the challenge you are trying to solve and not stubborn about the product solution. Make sure you are not too early.Select your co-founders wisely.Embrace each person’s strengths and align on an execution plan.Focus on the value to the consumer.Create a charter program with three to five key early-adopter customers.Related content mentioned in this episodeMentioned in this episodeMarketing Campaigns: Dig deep to replicate your successes (and learn from your failures) with marketing and sales enablement case studies (https://sherpablog.marketingsherpa.com/marketing/replicate-your-successes-with-case-studies/)Naming and Branding: How marketing pros chose names for their own companies (https://sherpablog.marketingsherpa.com/marketing/naming-branding-companies/)Marketing and Brand: Embrace healthy friction (podcast episode #48) (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/marketing-and-brand)Customer Value: The 4 essential levels of value propositions (https://marketingexperiments.com/value-proposition/levels-of-value-propositions)Funnel Strategy: 54 elements to help you guide your buyers’ journey through the marketing funnel (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/how-to/funnel-strategy)Apply to be a guestIf you would like to apply to be a guest on How I Made It In Marketing, here is the podcast guest application – https://www.marketingsherpa.com/page/podcast-guest-application

May 8, 2023 • 1h 7min
Marketing Operations: Process is the foundation for success (episode #58)
How I Made It In Marketing is underwritten by MECLABS Institute, parent organization of MarketingSherpa. To learn how MECLABS Services can help you get better business results from deeper customer understanding, visit MECLABS.com/results.Marketing is such a tricky endeavor.On the one hand, success is predicated on creativity. Think of some of the most memorable and effective marketing campaigns through history, it took creative brains to pull them off.But creativity without execution never sees the light of day. And history is littered with great creatives who were never able to get it done.Which is why a lesson from our next guest is so valuable no matter what role you have in marketing – “process is the foundation for success.”Not flashy or glamorous, but certainly essential.I talked to Shruti Joshi, COO, Facet (https://facet.com/), on the How I Made It In Marketing podcast to hear the story behind that lesson, along with many more lesson-filled stories.Facet raised $165M+, led by VC firms like Warburg Pincus and Durable Capital. Joshi oversees the sales, marketing, planning and member experience organizations, a total team of 180. Stories (with lessons) about what she made in marketingSome lessons that emerged in our discussion:Process is the foundation for success.Data is the decider.Authenticity matters.There’s no substitute for mastery and grit.To get an entire organization to follow a concept and execute as intended, the concept(s) must be simple.There will never be a good time to do this, just get it done.Create a meaningful people-first culture.Bring vulnerability and emotion into the workplace.Related content mentioned in this episodeValue Sequencing Decider Graphic: What do your customers need to know, and when do they need to know it? (https://marketingexperiments.com/value-proposition/value-sequencing-decider-graphic)“Authenticity” vs. “Professionalism”: Should you be your authentic self in your brand’s content and marketing? Or must you adhere to certain strictures considered “professional” in your industry? (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/case-study/authenticity)Homepage Optimization Applied: Learn how to replicate a 331% lift on your own site (http://marketingexperiments.com/website-optimization-transcripts/2012-08-13.pdf)The Last Blog Post: How to succeed in an era of Transparent Marketing (https://marketingexperiments.com/copywriting/last-blogpost-transparent-marketing)Why a Customer-First Culture is Essential for Your Business: Interview with ex-chairman of financial services firm (https://meclabs.com/research/discovery/customer-first-culture-is-essential)Corporate Communication and Marketing Innovation: The dangerous delusion of safety – playing it safe can hurt you more than you know (episode #41) (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/corporate)Apply to be a guestIf you would like to apply to be a guest on How I Made It In Marketing, here is the podcast guest application – https://www.marketingsherpa.com/page/podcast-guest-application

May 1, 2023 • 49min
Financial Services Marketing: Don’t fall for Wile E. Coyote marketing (episode #57)
The How I Made It In Marketing podcast is underwritten by MECLABS Institute, the parent organization of MarketingSherpa. To learn how MECLABS Services can help you get better business results from deeper customer understanding, visit MECLABS.com/results.Hold a newspaper or magazine or other reading material right up to your face. I mean touching your nose close. Way too close.What do you read? Nothing. It’s all a blur, right?Now hold it at a comfortable distance. Everything comes into focus.This is the perfect analogy for a challenge many marketers face. When it comes to an audience at arm’s length – namely, our current and potential customers – we are practiced at using our communication skills to help them understand the perceived value of our products and overcome any possible anxiety.But the group of people we are closest to – the ones working inside the very same walls as us, so to speak – our colleagues. We can overlook the necessity of understanding their possible anxieties, the non-monetary costs they face, and help them understand the process-level value proposition for actions they need to take.We can be so focused on doing the thing, we overlook communicating why others should join us in getting it done.Or as our next guest puts it, “change agents need broad support.”I talked to Christina Martin, Executive Director of Marketing for Chase Auto, JP Morgan Chase and Company (https://www.jpmorganchase.com/), on the latest episode of the How I Made It In Marketing podcast to hear the story behind that lesson, along with many more lesson-filled stories.Martin manages a team of six engaged in B2C marketing for Chase Auto.JP Morgan Chase has $3.7 trillion in assets and $292 billion in stockholders’ equity as of December 31, 2022. One out of every two households in America have a relationship with JP Morgan Chase.Stories (with lessons) about what she made in marketingSome lessons from Martin that emerged in our discussion:Don’t fall for Wile E. Coyote marketing.Change agents need broad support.Great brands consistently tell their story.Stay close to the well head.Observation is a powerful research technique.A problem isn’t a problem if it can be solved with money.Related content mentioned in this episodeContent and Communications: Tenacity, keep it simple, authenticity works (podcast episode #33) (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/content)MarketingSherpa (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/)How I Made It In Marketing podcast (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/podcast)Product Management & Marketing: Surround yourself with the right people (podcast episode #38) (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/product)The Psychology of Blue Jeans: What marketers can learn from 150 years of Levi Strauss customer letters (podcast episode #4) (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/customer-psychology)Apply to be a guestIf you would like to apply to be a guest on How I Made It In Marketing, here is the podcast guest application – https://www.marketingsherpa.com/page/podcast-guest-application

Apr 19, 2023 • 43min
B2B Marketing: You can accelerate your career by identifying areas you are willing to take risks that others are not (episode #56)
The How I Made It In Marketing podcast is underwritten by MECLABS Institute, the parent organization of MarketingSherpa. To learn how MECLABS Services can help you get better business results from deeper customer understanding, visit MECLABS.com/results.I have this dream that I can go into other peoples’ heads, kind of like the movie Being John Malkovich.Friends. Family. Customers. Work colleagues.And truly get that other perspective. Truly know what those people think of me, my work, our company, our offerings.Unless my life becomes a surrealist fantasy comedy, this is not going to happen.But the closest thing I‘ve found is seeing every interaction I have – with a customer, with a colleague – as valuable to me, a thing of value that I must exchange my ego to receive.It’s amazing what you can do if you just get that darn ego out of the way.So I loved reading this lesson in a recent podcast guest application – “Feedback is a gift and people are investing in you by providing candid feedback.”I talked to Bryan Law, Chief Marketing Officer, ZoomInfo (https://www.zoominfo.com/), on the latest episode of the How I Made It In Marketing podcast to hear the story behind that lesson, along with many more lesson-filled stories.ZoomInfo is a public company listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange. It recorded $1.07 billion in revenue in 2022. At ZoomInfo, Law manages a team of 150, along with 100 different vendors and tech platforms.Stories (with lessons) about what he made in marketingSome lessons from Law that emerged in our discussion:Varied experiences inform a holistic approach to business problems.You can accelerate your career by identifying areas you are willing to take risks that others are not. Life is too short to be in an emotionally damaging work environment. Feedback is a gift and people are investing in you by providing candid feedback.We can all give way more of ourselves than we believe possible. Make sure the people you work with know that you care about them.Related content mentioned in this episodeMECLABS Methodology (https://meclabs.com/about/methodology)Marketing and Brand: Embrace healthy friction (podcast episode #48) (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/marketing-and-brand)Franchising and Marketing: In a world of chicken dinners, be a lobster dinner (Podcast Episode #14) (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/franchising-and-marketing)Customer-First Marketing: A conversation with Wharton, MarketingSherpa, and MECLABS Institute (https://sherpablog.marketingsherpa.com/consumer-marketing/wharton-interview-customer-first-marketing/)Team Building: Loyalty, relationships, pre-selling, and other keys to marketing management success (Podcast Episode #16) (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/team-building)Apply to be a guestIf you would like to apply to be a guest on How I Made It In Marketing, here is the podcast guest application – https://www.marketingsherpa.com/page/podcast-guest-application

Apr 12, 2023 • 1h 1min
Marketing & Content in Gaming/Esports: Influencers of all sizes can drive product adoption (episode #55)
The How I Made It In Marketing podcast is underwritten by MECLABS Institute, the parent organization of MarketingSherpa. To learn how MECLABS Services can help you get better business results from deeper customer understanding, visit MECLABS.com/results.In a recent LiveClass of the MECLABS SuperFunnel Research Cohort (https://meclabs.com/MEC200-RSVP/), I was asked, “should you look to your competitors to determine the appeal and exclusivity of possible elements that could make up your value proposition?”I said no. You learn exclusivity from your competitors, but appeal you learn from your customers.To form truly powerful value props, to truly create value in the marketplace, we need to stop being so focused on our competition, and focus more on our customers, and how we can serve them with unique value.Which is scary, of course. To break away from the pack. So I love this lesson from my next guest, “Don’t be afraid to be the first. While not every innovative idea will be a success, it’s often the most adventurous ideas that end up being the biggest successes.”We’ll learn the story behind that lesson, and many more lesson-filled stories, from our guest on Episode #55 of the How I Made It In Marketing podcast – SM Lahti, Head of Marketing, TSM (https://tsm.gg/).Lahti leads a team of 20 at TSM, and shared the challenges and opportunities of managing a team in the esports industry in this episode.TSM (Team SoloMid) is the Most Valuable Esports Company, according to Forbes magazines, with an estimated value of $540 million and estimated revenue of $56 million in 2021, which is 32% growth over 2020. Stories (with lessons) about what she made in marketingSome lessons from Lahti that emerged in our discussion:Don’t be afraid to be the first. While not every innovative idea will be a success, it’s often the most adventurous ideas that end up being the biggest successes.Influencers of all sizes can drive product adoption.Work-life balance is important. This isn’t stressed enough to people entering the gaming industry.Good ideas can come from anywhere.Content creation is truly a business that requires creativity, an entrepreneurial spirit, planning, adaptation, and so much more.Always consult other perspectives, and value your own perspective as well.Related content mentioned in this episodeExploring Value Proposition and AI Technology: How to create unique ideas that you can execute with artificial intelligence (https://sherpablog.marketingsherpa.com/value-proposition/value-prop/)Healthcare IT Marketing: Branding a new service line within Stericycle, getting ONC certification, finding your joy, & more (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/healthcare)Customer Experience: Take risks, fail early, and learn fast (episode #32) (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/customer-experience)Consumer Financial Services Marketing: Your customer is your most important stakeholder (episode #39) (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/consumer)Apply to be a guestIf you would like to apply to be a guest on How I Made It In Marketing, here is the podcast guest application – https://www.marketingsherpa.com/page/podcast-guest-application

Apr 5, 2023 • 1h 17min
Servant Leadership in Marketing: We are only as good as how we handle humbling moments (episode #54)
The How I Made It In Marketing podcast is underwritten by MECLABS Institute, the parent organization of MarketingSherpa. To learn how MECLABS Services can help you get better business results from deeper customer understanding, visit MECLABS.com/results (https://meclabs.com/results).I think this one of the biggest challenges for when you grow in your career…When you get into a certain role, you – and others as well – have a general idea of how someone should be in that role. Let’s call the it ‘central casting version of a CMO.’And yet, in my life I’ve been more successful when I’ve been able to drop the mask and be as much of my true authentic self in my life – even in my work life – as possible.Our next guests is here to talk about that overcoming imposter syndrome by valuing your experience – he words the lesson as “There is a big difference between 10 years of experience and 10 years of experiences.”Our guest on Episode #54 of the How I Made It In Marketing podcast told us the story behind that lesson, along with many more lesson-filled stories – David Apple, Chief Marketing Officer, Intuitive Health.Intuitive Health treated 467,000 patients in 2022. Apple manages a $10 million marketing budget, including joint ventures.Stories (with lessons) about what he made in marketingSome lessons from Apple that emerged in our discussion:There is a big difference between 10 years of experience and 10 years of experiences. Fancy terms can lead to bigger missed expectations.Make “it” work.Partner with a true visionaryWe are only as good as how we handle humbling moments.Leadership is not measured in years, but in character.Related content mentioned in this episodeThe Radical Idea: Customer-first marketing prioritizes customer experience over upsells (https://sherpablog.marketingsherpa.com/consumer-marketing/the-radical-idea-customer-experience-over-upsells/)World-Class Consumer & Retail Brands: What right do we have as a brand to be in that business? (Podcast Episode #15) (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/consumer-retail-brands)Public Sector Marketing and Communication Leadership: Multi-directional learners, multi-colored spiky hair, and wearing multiple hats (podcast episode #31) (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/public-sector-marketing)Copywriting Contest: Write the best-performing subject line and win (https://marketingexperiments.com/copywriting/subject-line-reader-contest)About this podcastThis podcast is not about marketing – it is about the marketer. It draws its inspiration from the Flint McGlaughlin quote, “The key to transformative marketing is a transformed marketer” from the Become a Marketer-Philosopher: Create and optimize high-converting webpages (https://meclabs.com/course/) free digital marketing course.Apply to be a guestIf you would like to apply to be a guest on How I Made It In Marketing, here is the podcast guest application – https://www.marketingsherpa.com/page/podcast-guest-application

Mar 27, 2023 • 1h 5min
Marketing: It’s not about you, and when you make it about you, you are never going to succeed (episode #53)
The How I Made It In Marketing podcast is underwritten by MECLABS Institute, the parent organization of MarketingSherpa. To learn how MECLABS Services can help you get better business results from deeper customer understanding, visit MECLABS.com/results (https://meclabs.com/results).Change does not want to happen. The status quo is tenacious. To quote Isaac Newton, “An object at rest stays at rest…yadda, yadda, yadda…unless acted upon by an unbalancing force.”In your career, in your company, you are that unbalancing force. You tenaciously swim upstream against the status quo, and make change happen.And yet…even as hard as that is… we can’t stop there. Not if we want to be good marketers. Not if we want to be good leaders. We need to use our communication and collaboration skills, and bring our internal team, and our customers, along for the ride.I love how our latest guest put it in one of her lessons – “Change (even good change) is hard, and everyone wants to be able to control, or at least influence, the change in their lives.”That’s true for your employees. That’s true for your customers.Our guest on Episode #53 of the How I Made It In Marketing podcast told us the story behind that lesson, along with many more lesson-filled stories – Onaisa Landis, Vice President of Marketing, Octane (https://www.octane.co/).Octane has grown from $350M in loans on an annual basis to $1.2B in the 2 years Landis has worked there. Landis has built her team from 3 to 10+.Stories (with lessons) about what she made in marketingSome lessons that emerged in our discussion:It’s not about you ,and when you make it about you, you're never going to succeedImperfect action today is better than perfect action tomorrowTo market effectively, you have to think beyond what your product does, you have to understand the role it plays in your customers’ livesBeing an effective manager is as much about driving business impact as it is about growing your team membersNo matter how important you are, make the people you interact with feel specialChange (even good change) is hard, and everyone wants to be able to control, or at least influence, the change in their livesRelated content mentioned in this episodeCustomer-First Objectives: Discover a 3-part formula for focusing your webpage message https://meclabs.com/course/sessions/customer-first-objectives/SaaS Marketing: Always bring the customer story forward (episode #42) https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/SaaS-marketingB2B Marketing: Marketing shouldn't be about driving demand; it's about driving value episode #40) https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/B2BContent and Communications: Tenacity, keep it simple, authenticity works (episode #33) https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/contentBlog Optimization: Button change leads to 34% increase in comments https://marketingexperiments.com/a-b-testing/blog-comment-testApply to be a guestIf you would like to apply to be a guest on How I Made It In Marketing, here is the podcast guest application – https://www.marketingsherpa.com/page/podcast-guest-application

Mar 20, 2023 • 42min
Marketing, Advertising and Brand Strategy and Culture: You don’t “build" community, you “facilitate” community (episode #52)
We’ve been thinking long and hard about community lately, working with the MECLABS SuperFunnel Cohorts (https://meclabs.com/MEC200-RSVP). I’m sure many of you are as well. It is certainly a popular topic right now for marketers.And here’s one way I could know our community was working – when we could step back and not solve a community member’s problem. When members were helping each other, collaborating, solving each other’s problems. Making those valuable connections. That is a key inflection point to me.So when I read this lesson in a recent podcast guest application, it really stuck out to me – “You don’t ‘build’ community, you ‘facilitate’ community.”It’s not all about us, right? It’s not all about the brand. It’s all about them. Joining me for a dynamic discussion to share the lesson behind that story, along with many more lesson-filled stories, is Dr. Marcus Collins, Head of Strategy, Wieden+Kennedy New York (WKNY) (https://www.wk.com/), and Clinical Assistant Professor of Marketing, University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business (https://michiganross.umich.edu/).Wieden + Kennedy had $413.5 million in 2021 revenue, according to Campaign.Collins is in charge of the strategy department and leads a team of 70 at WKNY.Listen to our conversation using this embedded player or click through to your preferred audio streaming service using the links below it.Stories (with lessons) about what he made in marketingSome lessons from Collins that emerged in our discussion:Identity is more important than value propositionsYou don’t “build" community, you “facilitate” communityWhen people feel seen, they also feel heard.If you have an idea and it’s logical but people don’t get it, then you’re probably on to something even if people make you feel like you’re wrongThe most powerful skill you can have is the ability to communicate—clearly and evocativelyExecution without good theory is a practice of luck, not strategyRelated content mentioned in this episodeValue Proposition Definition: Optimize your conversion rate with this powerful question (https://meclabs.com/course/sessions/value-proposition-definition/)PR, Writing, and Marketing Agency Corporate Culture: Think big (podcast episode #49) (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/PR)Customer-First Marketing: A conversation with Wharton, MarketingSherpa, and MECLABS Institute (https://sherpablog.marketingsherpa.com/consumer-marketing/wharton-interview-customer-first-marketing/)Evidence-based Marketing: How to overcome the overconfidence bias (https://marketingexperiments.com/conversion-marketing/evidence-based-overconfidence)About this podcastThis podcast is not about marketing – it is about the marketer. It draws its inspiration from the Flint McGlaughlin quote, “The key to transformative marketing is a transformed marketer” from the Become a Marketer-Philosopher: Create and optimize high-converting webpages (https://meclabs.com/course/) free marketing course.Apply to be a guestIf you would like to apply to be a guest on How I Made It In Marketing, here is the podcast guest application – https://www.marketingsherpa.com/page/podcast-guest-application