Here are the best things more than 30 CMOs had to say at the ANA conference.
If you don’t have brave, you don’t have brand. -- Jeff Charney, Progressive
The most dangerous words in marketing: "We’ve always done it this way." -- Bradley Jakeman, Pepsi
Dance with controversy. -- Melisa Goldie, Calvin Klein
The most critical thing a 21st century brand must do is stand for something. -- Jonathan Mildenhall, Airbnb
Generosity is a competitive advantage. -- Dana Anderson, Mondelez
The enemy is ubiquity. -- Loren Angelo, Audi
You only get one chance to be out front. Platforms get saturated, people move on. -- Linda Boff, GE
I don’t think advertising is dead. I think it’s craving courage. -- Robert Lynch, Arby’s
Don’t be afraid of the smartest people in the room. Embrace them. -- Denise Karkos, TD Ameritrade
Tension and debate have to be a part of the creative process. -- Melisa Goldie, Calvin Klein
Young people don't own cool, growth or innovation. Products can adjust, logos can change entirely, but meaning is ageless. -- Mark-Hans Richer, Harley-Davidson
Content is content. We fall in love with great storytelling. -- Linda Boff, GE
Lean in to the uncomfortable truth. -- Jonathan Mildenhall, Airbnb
I am sick and tired as a client of sitting in agency meetings with a whole bunch of white straight males talking to me about how we are going to sell our brands that are bought 85% by women. -- Bradley Jakeman, Pepsi
If you don’t disrupt, you’re wasting money. -- Jeff Charney, Progressive
Deliver distinguished, progressive solutions. Challenge convention. -- Loren Angelo, Audi
We don’t believe in B2B or B2C, we believe in B2H. We market to humans. -- Linda Boff, GE
Our vision is to be relevant and compelling. But just as important is the resolve to stick to it. -- John Weston, Mayo Clinic
There’s no such thing as digital marketing. There’s just marketing. We live in a digital culture. -- Bradley Jakeman, Pepsi
To really engage a lot of people, you have to be prepared to lose some people along the way. -- Melissa Goldie, Calvin Klein
Nothing would matter if the content we created wasn’t interesting, contagious and shareable. -- Linda Boff, GE
Take control of the conversation, don’t let the conversation control you. -- Robert Lynch, Arby’s
Don’t get caught up in the analytics and let fear take over. -- Melisa Goldie, Calvin Klein
All the science of marketing is useless if you don’t have a truly authentic brand. -- Denise Karkos, TD Ameritrade
I have sworn off programmatic! I think the topic is finished! -- Dana Anderson, CMO Mondelez
Ad blocking, viewability, none of it matters without great work. -- Linda Boff, GE
Flexibility is the new stability. -- Kira Wampler, Lyft
We need to build cultures that are restless and dissatisfied if we are to disrupt the disrupters. -- Bradley Jakeman, Pepsi
Sometimes you gotta run before you can walk. -- Loren Angelo, Audi
Hiring Justin Bieber was the most difficult decision I’ve made in 15 years on the brand. -- Melisa Goldie, Calvin Klein
Airbnb, Uber, Facebook: They are the turd in my packaged goods punchbowl.-- Dana Anderson, CMO Mondelez
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