Welcome to 2012 CAB season – have you started planning your customer advisory board? January 23, 2012
Posted by Mike Gospe in Customer Advisory Boards.Tags: CAB, CABs, Customer Advisory Board, Customer Advisory Boards, Customer Council, Marketing Operations
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Sunshine is breaking through the recessionary clouds of the past few years. Signs of cautious optimism are sprouting everywhere, giving hope that 2012 will be a pivotal year that will show continued improvement in the global economy. Many companies report a stronger-than-expected Q4, the DOW is moving forward, and most business people I know have greeted the new year with a smile. This is why now is the perfect time to planning your Spring Customer Advisory Board meeting. (more…)
Of value propositions and positioning statements December 15, 2011
Posted by Mike Gospe in Positioning, value proposition.Tags: positioning statement, value proposition
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Confused about the difference between positioning statements and value propositions? You’re not alone. These terms are often used interchangeably, but they mean very different things.
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More on marketing best practices September 29, 2011
Posted by Mike Gospe in Leadership.Tags: Leadership, marketing best practices, Marketing Operations
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With the launch of The Marketing High Ground, I was interviewed by the editors of DemandGen Report. Our discussion covered a variety of topics. I’ve captured excerpts of the interview based on specific topics of interest and thought I would pass them along. (more…)
Netflix in crisis: a teachable moment for marketing leaders September 21, 2011
Posted by Mike Gospe in Leadership, The Marketing High Ground.Tags: Leadership
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Monday morning I awoke to find an email in my inbox from Reed Hastings, co-founder and CEO of Netflix. I, too, am a Netflix subscriber. The subject line read “An Explanation and Some Reflections.” I was surprised and intrigued, so I opened it. I expected to find a short email that acknowledged the customer firestorm that had erupted and offer an empathetic response. This was not to be the case. (more…)
Leadership vs seniority — advice for grooming yourself or others for advancement within marketing September 14, 2011
Posted by Mike Gospe in Integrated Marketing, Just for Campaign Managers, The Marketing High Ground.Tags: Leadership
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As an executive leader, I’ve always expected and valued my “senior” staff to think beyond the boundaries of their job description. The more senior a marketer becomes, the more imperative it is that he or she be able to help unite the organization with an integrated marketing plan, to help get everyone on the same page. That means learning how to manage internal politics to align the organization (both within the marketing organization, and with sales). It also means that they have the confidence and character to ask the tough questions, like: (more…)
The role of the campaign manager: 5 key traits September 6, 2011
Posted by Mike Gospe in Just for Campaign Managers.Tags: Integrated Marketing, Marketing Operations
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A client recently asked me for some advice about hiring a seasoned “campaign manager.” Whether your organization has a formal role designed to manage integrated marketing campaigns, or you are a solo product manager trying to guide the organization, or you sit somewhere in between, these 5 traits are worthy of your aspiration. (more…)
What separates the best B2B marketers from all the rest? August 24, 2011
Posted by Mike Gospe in Integrated Marketing, Just for Campaign Managers, Marketing Operations, The Marketing High Ground.Tags: Integrated Marketing, marketing strategy
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If you’ve been navigating the marketing groups on LinkedIn lately, you’ve probably run across this thought-provoking question: Can you use ONE WORD to describe the biggest challenge facing B2B Marketing today? Answers vary wildly from “time”, to “noise”, to “myopia”. All good answers. But I have a different take on this question. Instead, I wonder if there is one word that can be used to separate the best B2B marketers from all the rest. As a consultant to high-tech marketing leaders, I spent the last 10 years working with B2B marketing teams looking for clues, and I think I found the answer. (more…)
A new sales book that B2B marketers should read June 30, 2011
Posted by Mike Gospe in Just for Campaign Managers, Marketing Operations, The Marketing High Ground.Tags: marketing strategy, message box, sales leadership
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I loved Kevin Davis’ new book, Slow Down, Sell Faster! The key here is simple: who ever understands the customer best, wins! Davis embraces this notion by pushing sales reps to really understand the customer, their pain points, goals, interests, priorities, and their buying process before making the sales pitch. (more…)
Say no to “marketing popcorn” June 16, 2011
Posted by Mike Gospe in Integrated Marketing, Marketing Operations.Tags: Integrated Marketing, Lead Generation, marketing best practices, marketing blueprints, marketing strategy
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I have a pet peeve, and it’s marketing popcorn. No, not the marketing of popcorn. “Marketing popcorn.” (more…)
