08
Q1 • 2024
COVER STORY
marketing, and culture than previous generations. They’re also used to frictionless and efficient online experiences as companies like Google, Amazon, and Apple keep raising the bar. The result is that they really know how to get things done efficiently. The challenge is knowing when to slow down, spend time [with], and dig deeper into areas that need more focus. One example is in communication skills like writing, responding, conversing, and presenting. It’s so turnkey and efficient in so many ways now, but the best students are taking the time to learn how to be great communicators both on- and offline.
Q: In your course, you teach what you say are the “core elements” of brand management and the art and science that go into it. How did that art/science balance change how you led brands in recent years?
JD: It absolutely affected how I led brand marketing. The idea of art and science has
never been more important, with the science side accelerating and pivoting every year. Where this has the biggest implication for a brand leader is the makeup of the team. With the exploding complexity and new skills needed, it’s hard for one leader to have deep experience in dozens of areas, so the key is shaping the team so that there is expertise in all the right areas. The leader’ role is then threefold: ensuring they havhave enough understanding of each area to help set strategies, bringing all the pieces together with the right mix of art and science, and getting the internal resources and alignment needed to be successful.
to
of areas, so that there is he leader’s
help set with
Q: On that note, how did the structure of your brand teams evolve in recent years?
JD: This goes back to our earlier discussion of transformation. Marketing and brand teams
have transformed to mirror changing consumer wants and needs. As consumers get their content and make their purchase decisions across multiple channels, marketing teams have expanded to show up where their customers and prospects are. So that does mean more
expertise in influencer/social marketing, digital advertising, content creation, and analytics to understand if we’re making the right media and creative choices. It’s also “producers” in smaller companies who can do a little of everything.
Q: You have a section in your course about managing brands across countries and cultures. This is an area that some of today’s working professionals might got more connected during their careers. based on what you are imparting to your students in this area?
JD: In some places, global brand management is an entire course, so there’s a lot there, but
o o there
one of the things w focus on is how to identify where on the spectrum you want to be in your strategy—from fully global to fully local. As with—fromfully global to fully loca every other part of marketing, it comes back to understanding your c
we focus on is spectrum you want to understanding your consumers If they use
other part of marketing, it comes ba s. If the.
With the exploding complexity and new skills needed, it’s hard for one leader to have deep experience in dozens of areas.
the product in similar ways and have similar needs, you have the potential for a very efficient global model where you can leverage the same products and marketing assets around the world. Apple iPhones or LEGO toys are good examples of this. If consumer wants and needs are different around the world, locally driven strategies are going to be important. Food or leisure or household products, which tend to vary more across countries, are examples of this. The key is always understanding which
product in similar ways and hav similar you hav the potential for a very eff odel where you can le
th
marketing assets aro ones or LEGOt onsume
y use
elements of the marketing mix should be global and which should be local.
Q: I saw in your course syllabus that you have a module about how consumer values are shifting every year. How do you think young marketers need to prepare for this reality as they enter the workforce?
JD: The key is always being obsessed with how consumers are changing and the
an what c getting co assembling t
implications for your business. That needs to be part of your DNA as a marketer because the company expects you to be looking around the corner at what’s next. Who knew that people would pay real money for digital items in a digital world, buy a car online, or choose a brand based on its values? Without consistently checking in with consumers, you’re in danger of missing these changing signals. Glossier, the beauty company that launched in 2014, is a prime example of this. They have managed to maintain a strong and clear brand strategy, but they also have demonstrated an ability to pivot as commercial and consumer needs change. Look at IKEA, another brand we study. They have upended what constitutes “value” while somehow getting consumers to do the work of assembling their own furniture.
Q: I read somewhere that a surprising percentage of young people today want
I read som
percentage stude
students curious about this burgeoning
JD: It’s definitely a thing, especially in the world of marketing. And it seems like a pretty
cool gig—make fun content, get brands to pay you, and have a flexible life. I just don’t think we know yet what an “influencer life cycle” looks like. Will you be as popular five years from now? Can you keep making hundreds of pieces of successful, engaging content each year? And how will TikTok affect the model, since you’re often following your interests versus specific people? We’ll see . . .
h
Q: I’m curious about multichannel creative development. What does multichannel
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