Now You See AMA CEO Dennis Dunlap. Now you don't.
Hey all, Piet Levy blogging here, a new staff writer for Marketing News, and a newbie when it comes to covering the marketing scene.
I'm in Orlando at Mplanet 2009, the first marketing trade show I've ever been too. Things have really started with a bang here. This is probably the first time I've walked into a room booming with remixed tracks from Amy Winehouse, Gnarls Barkley and The Bee Gees at 8:50 in the morning. And if that wasn't high energy enough, illusionist Michael Grandinetti performed some masterful magic tricks that intersected with a filmed introduction by AMA CEO Dennis Dunlap, climaxing with the organization leader suddenly stepping out of a box that was empty just moments before. Quite a show.
I doubt Grandinetti or even Dunlap would reveal the secrets behind the tricks. But Dunlap, followed by Keynote Presenter and Xerox Corporation CEO Anne Mulcahy, have already revealed a few key tips and strategies for Mplanet attendees. Dunlap touched on the findings of a new presentation, conducted by Decision Strategies International, showcasing possible scenarios in the year 2015 for both B-to-B and B-to-C marketers, with actors summarizing positions for possible marketer approaches, such as "sales facilitator" and "network optimizer."
Mulcahy, who herself has marketing experience with Xerox, stressed the importance listening and responding to your customer on the most personal level possible, as well as a need to uphold back to basics strategies such as consistency. In one of the most candid moments, she urged a need for companies to continue to invest in research, even in this recession. Between 2000 and 2001, she said Xerox had to cut $4 billion, but they didn't do away with investment in research. And now, Mulcahy says two-thirds of the companies revenue from its services and technology stems from research cultivated in the first 24 months following that decision.
We'll try to get more up later. John Hayes from American Express is up.
Posted by John Frank on January 27, 2009 10:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)
It is great to hear Anne Mulcahy talk about listening to customers, something not enough companies are doing! Xerox has a strong focus on the customer experience, and in these times, keeping our existing customers should be a top priority! Thanks for the post, John.