“Curiosity killed the cat” is an old proverb used to warn of the dangers of unnecessary investigation or experimentation. Should we, marketers, follow the old advice or actually just do the opposite, in a constant search for the best way to connect to our customers and keep our companies on the edge? My take is that while the marketing function is going through unprecedented changes, investigation and experimentation are actually at the core of the skill set for the successful CMOs.
If you want to have a stable and predictable job, then better move to Finance, HR, Procurement…. where very little is changing at the core of the profession and the function itself. If you are poised for radical changes, then Marketing is the right place for you. Disruptive technologies, channel fragmentation, rising customer expectations, new players, information instantly available across the decision making process…. All of the above are making CMO life very busy, to say the least, defining the vision of how marketing should operate in the new normal, and setting a clear direction about how the company brand delivers value to the customers across any interaction point.
How to thrive in such a dynamic environment, keeping your mental muscles flexed and ready to drive change? Never stop to be curious; never stop exposing yourself and your team to a wide range of diverse ideas, at the intersection of art and science; never stop nourishing yourself with your favourite sources of innovation. Never stop letting the unexpected jumping into your life. Personally, I have my five short-listed sources for inspiration.
- places: get out of your usual itineraries, keep exploring new places. Living in the sterilized Singapore can quickly kill our innate instinct for real life, that’s why I love exploring areas as diverse as Georgetown (in Penang, Malaysia), Borobudur (Central Java) and Japan (across…). Just walking around and being exposed to local architecture, design, food, lifestyle, will enrich you and give you a sense of where the market is and how is the life of your potential customers;
- art galleries, museums: artistic expression can be a powerful means of transformation. Whenever I have a chance, I also love talking to the artist behind the works, knowing about both inner values and the artistic process. This can actually be very similar to the creative process in the workplace. Shanghai was a great place for this kind of conversation;
- magazines: I am paper-addicted. Text, picture, graphics: I love of all them, and I love three ingredients coming together in a simple, neat, effective way: good design, stories from around the world, editorial opinions. Any of this, can bring in new ideas in your daily routine, in the discussion with your team and your clients;
- books: from literature and fiction to biographies, from arts and photography to psychology: don’t restrict your areas of interests. We all struggle finding time to read, and books can be demanding, but few things like a good story, well written, or nicely crafted coffee-table books can be a source of creativeness;
- people: culture, attitudes, expectations, inner motivations. Stop, and listen to people. Ask questions; be ready to be surprised, and to learn from personal stories. Humanity is the richest source of inspiration for all of us.
Curiosity Killed The Cat. It will never kill the CMO. Keep exploring.
