2016: Clear the Air

Ignoring the strategic framework du jour, we’d like to suggest a renewed emphasis on Michael Porter’s time-tested strategy of striving to be “unique” instead of the “best.”Porter’s approach forces alignment of the entire organization around value creation for a distinct group of customers for whom you can meet a specific need. With your unique position in hand, creating value via marketing will be a far easier and rewarding proposition.

Let’s light up the New Year with a brainstorming session on how the so-called Internet of Things could impact your brand and category. In all likelihood, no brand will be immune — after all, who doesn’t want a milk carton that tells you when the contents have spoiled and, better yet, adds it to your next FreshDirect order? The goal here is to imagine all of the ways your product or service could be enhanced by some form of Internet connectivity. Creating smarter products is the smartest marketing of all.

As the promise of “organic” social media as a driver of sales dwindles, marketers are confronting a new series of questions about staffing, organizational structure, content strategies, budgeting and measurement. We Renegades have adapted to this new reality with a new, more comprehensive social media audit that goes well beyond the confines of social content and into areas like customer service, employee advocacy and integrated marketing.

In 2016, global smartphone ownership is expected to exceed 2 billion, and with that you can expect massive shifts not just in communications but also media consumption, shopping habits, payment methodologies and, of course, socializing. With mobile devices essentially at the center of our lives, the impact will be far reaching, creating numerous opportunities for renegade marketers to add value while their shortsighted competitors stick with spam.

Having assembled the wisdom of 64 marketing luminaries and organized these into seven elemental areas of importance, Drew is taking the content of his book, “The CMO’s Periodic Table,” on the road. In addition to providing a “Renegade’s Guide to Marketing,” these sessions will help aspiring marketers understand what it takes to be a great CMO and regale them with inspiring stories of courage, artistry, thoughtfulness and scientific acuity.