The beginning and ending of a calendar year makes everyone reflective. Chief Marketer asked several marketing pros to share what they thought would be the leading trends in 2014, as well as their biggest challenges and goals.
Maëlis Mittig, director of marketing and client relations, Francis Financial Inc.
Biggest marketing challenge for 2014? Our challenge at this point lies in streamlining and quantifying our marketing initiatives, and putting in place an effective model that lets us see with little effort what works and what doesn’t.
Biggest marketing goal for 2014? To establish ourselves as leaders in our field and to help people understand what we do, via larger, high-quality and strategically populated events for our clients and professional network.
Biggest personal goal for 2014? There is a saying that goes something like, “Do something today that will benefit your tomorrow”; I’d rather live by, “Do something today that will benefit your today.”
Biggest trend of 2014? I think that within the financial services industry, and perhaps in others as well, marketing will become less social media driven and more focused on genuine, authentic human interaction and organic growth.
Scott Shanks, CMO, The Cellular Connection
Biggest marketing challenge for 2014? Motivating potential customers to get out from behind their computer, phone or tablet and step inside our store to make their purchase rather than click the “order” button online.
Biggest marketing goal for 2014? To make consumers aware of specific value propositions that are exclusive to our retail stores.
Biggest personal goal for 2014? To foster a positive and fun work environment to allow my team to stretch their creative legs in an effort to generate marketing momentum throughout the year.
Biggest trend of 2014? Social mediums will allow for a more personalized, geo-targeted message to potential customers, as we have only just begun to scratch the surface of this marketing animal.
Corey Trojanowski, marketing coordinator, Equipment Technologies
Biggest marketing challenge for 2014? Continuing to find out where our prospects go to digest information before making their purchasing decision—we need to already be in those places providing the most effective forms of communication.
Biggest marketing goal for 2014? I want to continue to build a stronger social presence, while getting more insight into what posts work best to drive sales.
Biggest personal goal for 2014? My wife bought me a Kindle Fire HD for my birthday and I need to put it to better use by reading more.
Biggest marketing trend of 2014? Less will be more as consumers inundated with content will choose to ignore the noise and search out the simplest, most informative and relevant messages.
Jackie Yeaney, executive vice president of strategy and corporate marketing, Redhat
Biggest marketing challenge for 2014? To better position how our products help our customers solve their business challenges instead of simply the “speeds and feeds” of our products, and to create more global, scalable and repeatable programs that map to our global business.
Biggest marketing goal for 2014? Increasing relevant engagement with our prospects and customers and accelerating growth of our emerging products as we continue to scale our core Linux and middleware products.
Biggest personal goal for 2014? My personal goals center on leadership and teaming, focused on developing a marketing leadership team that works as one passionate and determined force and understanding our customers, their environments and their pain points better than anyone else.
Biggest trend of 2014? B2B marketing will become even more like B2C, with B2B companies finding more creative ways to interact with customers through impactful “snack-size” content; and engaging where they already are, both in person and digitally.
Jason Scoggins, director of customer experience, Freshpair
Biggest marketing challenge for 2014? Breaking down silos within the marketing organization. We’ve been breaking down silos across the company, while ignoring the ones within marketing. To be successful, you can’t have a separate email and display team. You’ve got to work together.
Biggest marketing goal for 2014? Mobile. We keep hearing that “this is the year for mobile” year after year, and I think that if a company isn’t embracing mobile by 2014 then they will have missed the boat. That is certainly the stance that we’re taking at Freshpair.
Biggest personal goal for 2014? To be the best marketer possible. Our field is always evolving and keeping up has to be a conscious effort.
Biggest trend of 2014? Of all the trends that are floating out there… content management, deep segmentation strategies, or omni-channel approaches; they all ultimately come back to the need for a customer-centric approach. If everything we do as marketers doesn’t focus on the wants, needs, and expectations of the customer, then we fail.
Linda Balfour, director of brand marketing, Keen
Biggest marketing challenge for 2014? As a young brand with limited budgets, one of the biggest challenges we have is how to reach a broad range of outdoor enthusiasts in a way that is impactful and meaningful, while increasing brand awareness.
Biggest marketing goal for 2014? In 2014 we are focused on connecting KEEN fans with the feeling they get during their best outdoor experiences, and inspiring them to have more adventures by finding “out of the box” ways to bring the concept of “Follow Your Feet” to life across a mix of mediums.
Biggest personal goal for 2014? Spending more time outside testing our products and getting to know Keen fans in the places they play. This translates to; travelling the world in search of great outdoor experiences and meeting wonderful people everywhere I go.
Biggest trend of 2014? One trend we’ve been watching over the past couple of years that seems to be getting more relevant is that of “experience seeking.” We see consumers spending less on “things” and more on activities; they are looking for ways to share their adventures as they happen, and buying products that are made thoughtfully, with purpose and that are designed to last.
Gustavo Guerra, brand director, Tecate/Tecate Light
Biggest marketing challenge for 2014? We’ll look to continue refining our communication strategy to reach both less-acculturated Hispanics for Tecate and multicultural millennials for Tecate Light to ensure we’re reaching them in a relevant way and not alienating one over the other.
Biggest marketing goal for 2014? In 2014, we’re looking to capitalize on the organic growth Tecate Light has experienced this year and build on that momentum to increase awareness of the overall franchise.
Biggest personal goal for 2014? Unleash Tecate Light’s full potential.
Biggest trend of 2014? The future of the beer industry will see a tremendous amount of growth from multicultural consumers and brands will have to adapt to this by developing programs that are relevant to them—e.g., extending the holiday sales period by leveraging relevant Hispanic holidays.
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