I spoke on a panel at the tri-state CMO Summit on Friday — digital marketing — with the lead guys from Warner Music, DoubleClick and Barnes and Noble. The sessions were closed to only CMOs and marketing VPs, so the sessions were off the record and unbloggable (which is fine with me as I am sick of being chased by the press after these things to amplify quotes or disclose details I am unwilling to share). It was a heavy hitter audience — CMOs of GE, IBM, Kodak, Goldman, Macy’s, Unilever etc. and some stuff I picked up which I don’t think will burn any confidences include;
1. In emerging markets, after food and shelter, guess what the third spending priority is? Communications. The cell phone could feasibly become the first ubiquitous object common to all people in the history of civilization.
2. Dracula as the spokesman for a mutual fund campaign in Japan? Why? Women control the management of personal finances in Japan and identified the sharp incisored one with prosperity, wealth, wisdom and a touch of sexiness.
3. There are people attempting to quantify the carbon footprint of spam.
Thanks to ex-CMO Magazine, McKinsey and PC Week colleague Rob O’Regan for the invite!
