“8 Pearls of Marketing” by Marty Homlish | ANA | Spring 2013

We are always looking to share Marketing “best practices” and highlight CMOs who are stars and game changers in the companies and industry sectors.

Marty Homlish, CCO at HP and former global CMO at SAP, is a marketing star and we are pleased to include a link to his 2013 ANA article and highlight Marty’s “8 Pearls of Marketing.”

Complete Article:  Marty-Homlish-ANA

1. Communicate with your team. Never assume everybody understands what you’re trying to do and how you intend to get there. Always make yourself available for questions and feedback.
2. Reach out to your peers. Successful marketing is a team effort across many disciplines — creative, IT, web development, just to name a few. Make sure you understand their requirements, limitations, and priorities — and establish a foundation of trust and good working relationships.
3. Agility matters. Plans and circumstances can change in no time. When that happens, embrace the change and get the job done.
4. Be authentic. Nobody knows your brand better than your fans. Don’t disappoint them by trying to be something you’re not.
5. Approach the bandwagon with caution. The “next big thing” may or may not be just that. Do your homework before jumping aboard.
6. Focus on what’s essential. Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard said that investing in new product development and expanding the product catalog are the most difficult things to do in hard times, and also among the most important. But don’t let the quest to be innovative cause you to forget your business’s core competency.
7. Have a story to tell. And make sure the story illustrates how you add value to your customers’ lives.
8. Content matters. Create compelling content. Then package, distribute, and syndicate it.