A Brave Conference!

The Brave Conference of The Marketing Society was one of the best events I have attended in a very long time. My fellow attendees agreed. It was aptly named. The speakers overcame or helped others overcome difficulties. Each presentation was highly personal, and related to effective marketing.

We were touched by how Madonna Badger, Chief Creative Officer of the Badger and Winters agency, dealt with personal tragedy to bring a mission to her work and to influence the industry.

The life of Elissa Montanti, a healthcare technician in Staten Island, changed dramatically when she started to help one child maimed by war, and went on to develop a global non-profit to help many. It was touching to meet this first child as a grown man who is working at a bank in New York.

Will Dean founded Tough Mudder against the advice of his B-School professors. The CMO of Mars spoke of the vulnerable position CMO’s have in companies, where something like 80% of CEO’s don’t value their work. Similarly agencies depend on their relationships with CMO’s. Thinking about how companies are dealing with events this week, marketers work (trying to avoid the word “pivot”) with quickly evolving political/social events.

Margaret Molloy CMO of Siegel+Gale is an excellent emcee, facilitator and interviewer. The venue, Samsung 837, the innovation lab that showcases but doesn’t sell products, was a great setting, dynamic and fun. The attendees were high level, smart and friendly. It was easy to get into conversations.

The Marketing Society did a masterful job of producing this simultaneous three-city (Dubai, London and New York) conference with a powerful, compelling theme.

It was thrilling to be at the Society’s flagship New York event.
Informed tweets can be found using #braveleaders hashtag.

This piece was written by Jay Colan. Follow him @jaycolan.