Welcome to the Continuum

“Brand is dead.” – Marketer A

“Performance marketing is BS.” – Marketer B

“Come together, right now...” – John Lennon

Have you noticed those refrains seem to be heard more frequently these days?

I’ve spent much of my career creating sizzle to help tie-down media sales promising ROI from both awareness and data capture. Then, as a B2B journalist, I interviewed everyone from research execs to brand-builders. I’ve helped tout both awareness and performance-driven marketing, but rarely at the same time.

Now, given the opportunity to curate content on this very balancing point by some of the best minds in the industry, I realize being solidly in the middle is the best place to be. And that is where The Continuum will be: offering C-level points of view, insightful solutions, interviews that inform and spark ideas around brand AND demand approaches. One of our first contributors, Rishad Tobaccowala, writes in his book, Restoring the Soul of Business: Staying Human in the Data Age, “the best businesses find ways to marry the math and the magic.” This will be a trusted destination that is both company and platform agnostic for how, as he says, to “combine the story and the spreadsheet.”

Why is it Essential to Come Together Right Now?

As the team at Quigley-Simpson notes, the responsibilities of the CMO have changed dramatically. “Gone are the days when big advertising campaigns, positive brand perception and high awareness were enough. CEOs and boards are looking to ensure that their marketing efforts are leading to sales, which means that today’s CMOs are driven by the need for action and results.” They believe that need “demands”, if you will, that big branding initiatives are married to intelligence, creative, and strategies and executions that drive consumers to action.

So, where does this leave marketers and brands who must be completely accountable for all of their marketing efforts and advertising spend? Well, we’re hopeful that sharing key insights of brand innovators and creative thinkers from across the marketing and advertising industries will light the way for us to all come together. Right here. Right now.

What to Expect When You’re Expecting Success

In addition to our Spotlight Q&A with Rishad Tobaccowala, you only have to read some of the headlines and contributor names in this first issue to sense the imperative of the AND:

Jon Bond who believes we need to step away from the “battle lines” of “media vs. creativity, rocket science vs. inspiration, even client vs. agency” to form a new religion based on coming together;
Carl Fremont with five ways brand marketers can analyze their situation and needs to embrace the “AND”;
Danielle Wiley informs us on how, specifically, to up our influencer efforts and results;
Joseph Jaffe explains how not to, well, suck at marketing!