During the latest South by Southwest festival, Velocitize Talks spoke to a number of speakers in the interactive conference sessions to gauge the state of digital disruption. Over the next weeks, we will share some of their insights about the maturing of digital marketing and technology.
Brand purpose is a must for brands today, in an environment when consumers don’t trust many institutions, and are able to share information more easily, said Jamie Gilpin, CMO of Sprout Social. Sprout’s recent survey of consumer attitudes found today’s brands have to deliver on more than their functional needs.
Gilpin, who talked about on how brands can speak to women, noted that 70% to 80% of consumer purchases are still made by women, but women only occupy only 28% of CMO positions, 20% of C-suites and 30% of agency leadership positions. Diversity needs to improve, she said.
Brands need to get involved in various social causes, said Gilpin. Consumers want to feel that a brand shares their values, but if it’s not a genuine drive by the brand, it can backfire.
Transparency is important, about company practices and purpose, and it starts at the C-Suite, said Gilpin. Convincing the CEO may be the toughest job for the CMO.
Purpose and transparency are increasingly not a choice, as younger generations become a larger group of consumers and a bigger part of the workforce, said Gilpin.
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