CMOs can learn from P&G Brand Management’s “What Counts” factors

Recently I wrote about having come across a fantastic one-page document: The Ten Commandments of Leadership. It was from the early 1980’s, early in my tenure at Procter & Gamble. That post generated a great deal of positive feedback, with ample praise as well as suggestions on how the list could be modernized. You can […]
A CMO tip: streamline the to-do list to get more done

There is an epidemic of wishful thinking in industry today: objectives that are too lofty, priority lists that are overwhelming and bottomless project lists are the norm. Wall Street has lofty expectations and company leadership often demands more than their organizations have the capacity to deliver. And they certainly often demand more than their organizations […]
P&G’s 10 Commandments of Leadership, Early 1980’s

I was cleaning out some old files and came across a fantastic one-page document: The Ten Commandments of Leadership. It was from the early 1980’s, early in my tenure at Procter & Gamble. I don’t remember anything regarding who wrote it or the intended purpose… but boy has it aged well! This probably shouldn’t come […]
How to be a great CMO

A few months ago I wrote about SpencerStuart’s latest annual CMO Tenure Study. The report highlighted a continued decline in average CMO tenure, with average tenure declining to its lowest point since 2009. Median tenure had plummeted to 25.5 months, the lowest on record. Being a CMO is a tough, tough job. Frankly, it has […]
How to Win Your Next Client

From Build a Better Agency. With guest Steve Boehler. Mercer Island Group helps agencies better position themselves and sell more effectively by better bonding with prospects around the prospects’ needs. Listen
How to Be a Great Chief Marketing Officer

From “On Top of PR” with Jason Mudd. With guest Steve Boehler. Steve discusses what the CMO job consists of and what characteristics make a great CMO. Listen
How to Talk to Prospects to Win Their Business

From Build a Better Agency. With guest Robin Boehler. Robin loves making matches between agencies and clients. She thinks of the review process as a form of dating and loves helping agencies put their best feet forward. Listen
CMO checklist: before you run an agency review

The best work often comes from a long-standing client-agency relationship. The agency team has a deep understanding of the client’s business and brand, keeps a close eye on competition and knows which levers to pull to help their client succeed. This basic principle holds true for client-agency relationships of all types, from creative, media and […]
Better clients get better agency work: the checklist

Good clients get good work. We’ve been repeating that phrase for close to thirty years. We’ve seen it in action during our consulting engagements with hundreds of clients of all sizes and shapes. We’ve seen it in the results of the hundreds of annual 360 reviews we’ve conducted (clients and agencies evaluating each other) in […]
5 Strategies to Win: Small Agency of the Year

An agency can enjoy amazing benefits from winning Small Agency of the Year. The agency’s reputation grows! Team morale swells! The phone rings! And many Small Agency of the Year winners have gone on to enjoy incredible success. Given the importance of the award to building a small agency’s reputation, many small agency owners and […]