Better Late Than Never: Mplanet Learnings

A colleague of mine at Chadwick Martin Bailey recently attended AMA's MPlanet Conference in Florida. In the current economy, its tough to get to all of the conferences that you would like to attend, so we're happy to pass on some key takeaways.

1. This conference was not so much about cutting edge techniques or methodologies, but rather about issues facing companies marketing in this deep recession; how they can step up to help revive the economy.
   


2. While the economic outlook remains dire, marketers are stepping up and looking for ways to adjust their business models to meet the changing environment – John Hayes (CMO of American Express) summed it up well: “We need to establish new customer “listening posts” and visit them frequently. There is a reason God gave us 2 ears and only 1 mouth! Listening provides unparalleled potential.” He also noted that the world passes us by if we aren’t constantly innovating.
   


3. Trust is a corporation’s most valuable asset.
   


4. Anne Mulcahy (CEO of Xerox) said that “Now is the time to be bold, not quiet – don’t cut research/innovation dollars.” She also suggested that the economy calls for “B2B” – in this case “Back to Basics” (consistency, clarity, and a few good messages well-communicated). Furthermore, now is a time that above all “we must nurture our brands – they are what people think of us!”
   


5. The overriding theme of this conference was that we must all listen to customers, find out their needs and as marketers identify how to live and market in today’s economy while still planning for the future.

Let us know what you think!