Fernando Machado on Creating a Culture of Innovation That Leads to Results

When asked by Viacom Head of Ad Solutions Sean Moran about the fine line between the art and science parts of marketing, Machado said we need both.  "Everyone has the same data," he replied.  "So, if you're just managing by data, you're probably not doing anything that is very different."

Earlier, during a keynote presentation, Machado cited Mark Zuckerberg's quote, "the biggest risk is not taking any risk," and encouraged the audience of brand marketers to "let the idea grow" and "trust uncertainty" as ways to achieve the kind of creative breakthrough that moves the needle for brands.

Machado also embraced data, which he says his team uses to "come up with insights.  We test everything to make it better," he said, adding that, even though they tend to be more conservative, in most cases "when there was a lot of media money" they took calculated risks as long as they were on brand and brief.

Moran noted that Machado's ability to tap into the zeitgeist, to revamp a culturally connected brand like Burger King wouldn't have been possible without the right team.  Machado credited his agencies, which he affectionately called his "partners in crime.  I hate the expression client/agency," he said, adding that he liked to think of brand and agencies as a unified "brand team."

This way of "creating a culture within the organization," as Moran described it, has given Burger King its most-recent brand wins, such as the Google Home Whopper, McWhopper and Chocolate Whopper campaigns, which in many cases originated in the company's regional offices.  "When you set up reactions through results, people feel they are empowered to do more," Machado noted.

When Machado highlighted Burger King's star-studded chicken strips campaign, Moran asked him about his take on influencer marketing.  "I don't have anything against celebrities or influencers as long as [they are] authentic," the Burger King CMO said.  He added that five years ago he would've been focused on finding someone who has the most reach; now he'd go for someone smaller as long as the influencer has "an authentic history or affinity with the brand."

Lastly, the top marketers addressed the way technology is changing QSR.  "We still have a lot to do regarding CRM," Machado said, admitting to having come to CES to learn best practices.  "I wish we would've been here for many years back," he concluded.  

The fireside interview between Sean Moran, Head of Ad Solutions of Viacom, and Fernando Machado, Global CMO of Burger King, was conducted as part of the annual Brand Innovators "Brands Bet on Digital" Conference, which was held in Las Vegas in conjunction with the Consumer Electronic Showcase (CES).

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