Student Learns How To Transition “FROM PRACTICE TO PURPOSE” FROM LEADING CMOS Senior marketing major Emily Leach took part in the Forbes CMO Summit this year, and wrote about her experiences at the event. This fall, I was honored to represent Miami University and the Farmer School of Business at the Forbes CMO Summit in Dana Point, California. At the conference, CMOs and industry leaders are invited to speak and learn from one another and to share where they see marketing moving in the future. It was a three-day event filled with incredible panels, insightful speaker spotlights and opportunities to network with the very people I hope to someday work for and work with in my career. This year’s conference was focused on the theme “From Practice to Purpose.” As such, the overarching theme looked at how today’s top marketing professionals are turning their thoughts into action and creating change in a dynamic and ever evolving world. In attendance were some of today’s most influential CMOs, such as Marisa Thalberg of Yum! Brands, Antonio Lucio of Facebook, Rick Gomez of Target, and many others.
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Over the course of three days I was astounded by the accomplishments of these individuals and the insight they were able to provide regarding the direction of the marketing industry. Further, I was humbled by their willingness to engage with me and my fellow students throughout the event. I am grateful to each person who was willing to answer my questions, ask about my passions and invest time in my learning process.They made me feel empowered as a young marketer and excited about the work I hope to do.
One major theme stuck out amongst the rest. Repeatedly, the Forbes CMO conference reinforced that in today’s marketing world, there is an overwhelming need for authentic storytelling. Over the course of the conference, I cannot count the number of times “authenticity” was mentioned. A panel of under-30 disruptors kicked off this conversation by discussing the importance of getting your consumer to share authentically with you. By doing so, they have been able to get diverse sets of individuals at the table sharing
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