Thoughts from THE Conference on Marketing

I had the opportunity to attend THE Conference on Marketing last week (thanks Maria!!!) It was, without question, one of the most rewarding experiences I've had. My wife, Kyra was also able to come with me. Instead of just hanging out by the pool or going shopping, she came with me to the conference. It was great for her. She is a stay at home Mom and it really ignited a passion in her to restart a business idea she started working on a while ago. So cool!
This was unlike other conferences, the relationships built there seemed more real and authentic; less schmoozy. Maybe it was because Keith Ferrazzi kicked it all off. If you haven't read Never Eat Alone www.nevereatalone.com , be sure to pick it up; it's a must read. Keith said all business relationships are personal relationships, just in a business context. He led the group in a series of exercises, each one leading to more openness and authenticity with total strangers. My expeirence in the Fortune 500 has only seen pockets this authentic realationship dynamic Keith describes. Everyone is longing for real connection, talking shop and only revealing the surface doesn't allow for it. I'm going to change how I engage with the people in my world; it's risky, but I do think the payoff is a richer life.
Malcom Gladwell was great. He talked about innovation. He related innovation to two prolific artists, Picasso and Cezanne. Picasso's early work is his most coveted today; he had the instant hit. Cezanne, on the other hand, perfected his craft over many years and nothing he produced before the age of 50 or 60 will ever be seen in a museum. The U.S., he said, is hooked on the Picasso approach. We want the big hit now. I think this is driven by Wall Street pressures, public companies live from quarter to quarter; it stifles long term innovation because they need to hit a number now. That's how we get the 20th variety of pickle, where the only real difference is how it got cut! Gladwell had lots of great Cezanne-esque examples of innovation. Wonderful things like Fleetwood Mack and...Viagra, would have never come to fruition in a Picasso oriented organization.
I highly recommend attending next year's conference. Krista Vaquez and her counterparts at IIR do a fabulous job.