Smart Savvy

10 Minutes With is a series highlighting some of our city’s finest marketers.

.

With an expansive career that has spanned a surprising array of sectors, Warren brings a unique depth and breadth of experience rarely available in his industry. Now the Managing Director of Vancouver operations at Karo, Warren has enjoyed senior roles in a diverse number of industries, including real estate, manufacturing, recreation and consulting. He’s generated success for regional, national and international organizations, often in challenging market conditions.

Warren’s education includes undergrad studies at BCIT in Business and Marketing and an M.B.A. from Royal Roads University, where he graduated first in his class. Warren has also taught marketing strategy at the post-graduate level.

It is the less obvious successes that truly empower Warren’s abilities. From fending off a hostile acquisition to integrating two competing companies into a unified organization, Warren brings the lessons learned to Karo and its clients. Warren’s client experience includes Bentall Capital, Dilworth Homes, Four Seasons, Goldman Sachs, Grosvenor, Hilton, Intrawest, JELD-WEN, Lowe Enterprises, MAC Real Estate Solutions, Okanagan Hills Development Corp, and Radical Enterprises.

How have you learned what you know about marketing?

I think the question should be where haven’t I learned? It’s been through education (student and teacher), working in different sectors, running my own business as well as divisions for multinationals, being responsible for sales budgets from less than a million to the hundreds of millions. Maybe to sum it up; it’s 20+ years of incredibly diverse input and experience.

How would you say the ‘face’ of marketing is changing?

I think the face of marketing is changing in that there is (for the second time) an overwhelming focus on digital. That in itself is not a bad thing. But what I hear too often is a lack of consideration for marketing as a strategic discipline that sets the overall value proposition for an organization, which requires the integration of all parts of a business. Let’s not forget Michael Porter (again, for the second time).

How do you stay current and ‘in the know’ when it comes to marketing?

By ensuring I solicit input from as broad a spectrum as possible. It’s easy to stay on top of the current trend (and thereby take the same approach as everyone else, diminishing your brand in the process). But again, if you treat marketing as a strategic discipline, you need to be reaching further. For example, I wonder how many marketers read the Economist. They should.

Which companies do you think are marketing well in this city?

MAC Realty has done an amazing job as of late. And I’m not talking about the campaigns they’ve been running. What they have done is shifted gears in this market and truly branded themselves as the company to turn to in this soft market – whether a developer or a buyer. They now own that space in the marketplace. They took the lemon that is the real estate sector for so many and made it into lemonade for MAC.

Books (or other reading material) you have read/are reading that offer(ed) some lasting value?

I don’t think I can nail down a singular book. However, I find myself reading more journal articles for business purposes while my books are more about the human condition. This genre of books in itself is very empowering from a marketing perspective because at it’s core, when we strip away all the analysis tools, plans and models, what we are trying to do with marketing strategy is connect with people.

If you were beginning your career over again, what would you do differently?

Somewhere in the mix of it all, I’d add an an accounting designation to my CV. Simply because the optics (not the ability) would provide a better opportunity to build the bridge between finance and marketing, thereby empowering my ability to convince that marketing – properly employed – is a profit centre, not a cost centre.

In your opinion, describe what you would consider to be the biggest employment trap a person could ever fall into?

Not being authentic in an interview. The trap is that the ‘real you’ will not get hired. Sooner or later the act will crack and your employer will discover you’re not the person they hired. Then all bets are off. Better to be yourself and not get hired into the wrong culture, reporting to the wrong personality type. You will have avoided a ticking time bomb. And when you do get hired, the real you can go to work each and everyday, relaxed – and far more productive – because you truly fit.

.

A series of interviews with several of our city’s finest marketers. We call it 10 Minutes With…

– Continued from yesterday’s post –

How would you say the ‘face’ of marketing is changing?

Marketing today requires certainty. Gone are the days of speculation, ideas for ideas sake and gut feel. Consumers are overloaded and ever changing. The pace has increased exponentially. We need to deeply understand consumers to have long lasting impact with them.

The integration of knowledge, strategy and marketing implementation is the way of the future. It’s what we practice at Concerto and it’s what is resonating with our clients. There’s a misconception that this trend will lead to mediocre brands that cater to the lowest common denominator creatively. The exact opposite is true. The result of integration is innovative and creative brands born out of killer strategy and ground shaking market insights. We call it a “triple threat”.

At first glance you would think that what’s changing in marketing is the way people interact with brands….online, social marketing, guerrilla marketing, etc….and yes, that’s true. But there’s something more driving that below the surface. There’s a deeper level of engagement with brands. Brands are more transparent and their reputation is affected as much by the consumer as it is the brand’s own marketing activity. This is why having a deep understanding of consumer needs, motivations and psychology is so important.

Marketers that don’t do their homework, that operate on gut feel and instinct and ignore their brand co-pilot (the consumer) run the risk of failure or at best being one-hit wonders. Marketers that take an integrated approach based on a solid understanding of the market and its trends will be the ones that stand the test of time. This is particularly true in the current economy.

Which companies do you think are marketing well in this city?

The one that comes to mind for me is Vancouver 2010. Sure, they have some big resources and the hearts and minds of many of us, but I think they’ve done well bringing it all together. The brand is consistent and unique. The messaging is clean and they’ve thought through all the touch points. Whether it’s the email updates I get, or the venue signs around town or those damn adorable mascots, it’s all on strategy and memorable. It strikes an emotional chord for me, making me feel both proud to be a part of it and excited that I’ll experience it.

Books (or other reading material) you have read/are reading that offer(ed) some lasting value?

The book that stands out the most for me of the ones I’ve read in the last 3 years is “Re-Imagine” by Tom Peters. Thought-provoking. Inspirational. Challenging. And there’s a couple reasons for that. First it challenges convention and asks you to look at the world of business from different perspectives. It also brings together trends and makes you think about their convergence and the implications. It has had impact for me in terms of how I approach the work I do, our company and the realm of marketing overall. Plus, it’s innovative in terms of its style, challenging the norm of how a business book flows and is organized. It has a permanent seat on my desk and I refer to it often.

In your opinion, describe what you would consider to be the biggest employment trap a person could ever fall into?

There’s a few. First, not checking out the culture of your potential employer. It’s so important that there’s a fit there for you and them. Second, being starstruck by “the industry”. Yes, marketing is a great field to be in, but it’s not all lunches and Lotus Awards. Being smart, savvy (sorry Peter), genuine and hard working are key to being a long term success. Finally, I think some people get into the trap that they need to bounce around from place to place to progress. Be intent on growing in your career for sure, but look for ways to do that within your current organization. There’s nothing worse than a resume that’s littered with a series of 12 month stints.

.

Rob is an accomplished strategy consultant with over 20 years experience in market research, planning and brand communications. Rob’s specialty is customer-centric marketing – understanding consumer needs and developing compelling brand strategies from them. As partner of Concerto Marketing Group, Rob uses his innovative insights and strategic intelligence to effectively position client brands with certainty.

Rob has been a partner of Concerto for the past 10 years. He earned his stripes as serving in various roles at Mohawk Oil including Director of Marketing and as Regional Marketing Manager for Wendy’s Restaurants of Canada. Rob has a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing and International Business from Queen’s University. He was recognized in 2006 as one of B.C.’s top 40 Under 40 by Business in Vancouver. He is a member of the BCAMA and the MRIA.

How have you learned what you know about marketing?

Learn. Practice. Repeat. Marketing is an on-going learning process for me and I’ve had some great experiences over the years to learn along the way. I was fortunate to start my marketing career in the early 1990’s at Mohawk Oil, a company that at the time believed strongly in branding and was intent on launching a very unique brand platform from the ground up. I also worked with a great collaborative team there. I learnt and applied first hand in a few years what many would have taken a decade to experience. It provided me with a solid foundation in branding, advertising, research and strategy which I carried over to my marketing role at Wendy’s Restaurants. There, I learnt how a large multinational applies the science of marketing to its business.

In the past 10 years I’ve had some fantastic opportunities to guide the development of brands strategically. The three key insights I have learnt and apply along the way for my clients are:

1. Differentiate. Your brand must be unique at something meaningful or you’ll flounder in mediocrity.
2. Listen. The voice of the customer is crucial. They will provide insights that ensure success.
3. Integrate. Everything counts. Marketing is not advertising. It is so much more. Every touch point matters. That is why innovative strategy should play such an important role in what a marketer does and how they do it.

How do you stay current and ‘in the know’ when it comes to marketing?

I read. Usually in my car. Don’t worry, they’re audio books. We also share a lot of information amongst our team and with colleagues. We encourage everyone at our firm to share articles, blogs and other information they come across. I also keep up with a few groups on LinkedIn and attend industry events.

Beyond that, I practice innovation as part of what I do. Developing new approaches or finding out about approaches that are working well globally and applying them here.

If you were beginning your career over again, what would you do differently?

Not much. I’ve had some great experiences along the way.  That said, I’d actively build my business network right off the bat. It’s so much easier to do these days than when I was starting out. With Outlook, LinkedIn, whatever, my advice would be to build your list of contacts. You never know how connections will be made and they can mean to you later on. That said, it’s important that your network is real. Not a Facebook list of thousands of people who you don’t know and who don’t know you. I’d encourage people who are starting out in business to make genuine connections with people and to put as much into that network and helping those in it as you plan to get out of it.

The other thing I’d do is find a good mentor outside of my current business and I’d consult with them at key times about my career progression and strategy. I did that when I had to make a key career decision several years ago and I remember that conversation to this day.

Check back tomorrow to hear more of what Rob has to say about marketing in Vancouver.