At the 2017 Marketing Hall of Fame induction event, marketers of all types and all levels of experience will be able to eat, drink, enjoy great conversations and networking, and above all –learn from and be inspired our four outstanding inductees, at a price designed for all to afford.
2017 Marketing Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Details:
Date: Thursday, May 11th
Time: 6:00-9:00 PM
Location: R/GA Headquarters, 450 West 33rd Street (5 Manhattan West)
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Meet the 2017 Marketing Hall of Fame Inductees
This year’s inductees are Gary Briggs, CMO of Facebook, one of the most successful marketing companies on the planet; Jon Iwata, SVP of Marketing Communications at IBM, creator of Smarter Planet and Watson (not much more you can say to that!) ; Jim Stengel, who as CMO for 7 years, turned P&G’s marketing around and invented the brand building processes we all admire; and Jerry Wind, Wharton’s most famous marketing professor, originator of much of the marketing analysis we use today, and author of 25 books.
This isn’t a rubber chicken and formal speeches event. Each inductee will share their views on the future of marketing, from the perspective of their careers and experience, in whatever format they choose. In past years, this has ranged from speaking simply from the heart (Shelly Lazarus, Chairman Emeritus of Ogilvy), to thrilling videos (Trevor Edwards, President of Nike brand). Participants at the event have come away not only having had a really good time but with new ideas and learnings they can put to practical use.
2017 will be the fourth year since the Marketing Hall of Fame was reinvented – to be relevant, democratic and future-focused—by its creators, the American Marketing Association of New York.
Marketing Hall of Fame Mission
The Marketing Hall of Fame’s mission is to inspire, support and celebrate brilliance in marketing. We designed it to raise the profile of marketers, by increasing recognition of marketing’s role as the generator of demand for businesses. We believe it is critical that senior leadership of corporations, government and society understand that marketing is not just about selling today, but that tomorrow lies in its hands. It is the marketers who drive innovation and shape future markets, ensuring longer term profit and shareholder value growth. The world is changing – companies are starting to recognize this. One of our first inductees, Beth Comstock, epitomizes this change. As CMO, she transformed marketing at GE from a pure communications function, to responsibility for innovation and the future of the corporation, in recognition of which she is now a board member and Vice Chair. Other companies are following suit by elevating the CMO role to that of Chief Growth Officer – including most recently Coca-Cola (whose former CMO Joe Tripodi is also an inductee).
But there is still a long way to go. In most companies, marketing is still identified with communications, seen as a cost-center, its budgets the first to be cut. Marketers struggle to be respected by their colleagues, while wrestling with the demands of digital, the diabolical fragmentation of marketing, and ever more intense pressure to demonstrate results. The Marketing Hall of Fame’s purpose is to help current marketers survive and thrive in rapidly transforming business environments, while educating and inspiring the new generations who represent marketing’s future. Participants at past events have been able to learn not only from the pragmatism of practicing marketers, but from the great educators and authors who have coached and inspired them – Philip Kotler, David Aaker, and Al Ries (still spellbinding at 90).
The Marketing Hall of Fame is about marketing’s future and heavily focused on marketing innovation. Inductees include not only those who have built great brands (such as John Hayes, who shepherded the American Express brand to iconic stature over 20 years) but people who have disrupted marketing, taking totally different approaches to it. Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, a 2015 inductee, is one of these. Initially puzzled to be elected, he claims not to believe in marketing, just in making simple, practical products that ardent climbers like himself, and others need. Bob Greenberg, founder of RG/A, inducted last year, has been enormously influential in the digital transformation of marketing. This year’s Marketing Hall of Fame inductions will be held in RG/A’s new global headquarters, ‘the world’s most connected office’. If you go, you will be able to see the future of marketing in action.
About the Marketing Hall of Fame
We revitalized the Marketing Hall of Fame out of a conviction of its importance. The Marketing Hall of Fame existed for many years in the past and recognized many famous marketers, including Steve Jobs. But then it was drowned out by the Effies (another invention of the entrepreneurial New York AMA). In its place, many awards emerged. But they were as fragmented as marketing itself. There was a proliferation of little halls of fame, each reflecting a specialty – a direct marketing hall of fame, an internet marketing Hall, a network marketing hall of fame, even legal and accounting marketing halls of fame, and of course, the advertising hall of fame. But, nothing that recognized outstanding contributions to the marketing profession. Baseball, football, rock and roll had their halls of fame. But the marketers, who do so much to create fame for others, had nothing to recognize achievement across the field of marketing. We felt this was terrible, and reflected badly on all of us.
So, we acted. We went back to the drawing board. We looked at what other halls of fame do right and wrong and revitalized the Marketing Hall of Fame to be a modern, vibrant and democratic entity. Its inductees are elected by the profession, not chosen by committee. The process is transparent – almost too democratic. It causes much nail-biting each year on the part of the Marketing Hall of Fame Committee. We have no control over who the inductees are, and no idea who they will be until the very end. The first step is nominations, which are open to anyone. This is not abused – each year several hundred highly qualified individuals are put forward. Nominations are voted on, first by the Marketing Hall of Fame Academy of approximately 200 senior marketers, invited by the board of the New York AMA. They come up with a short-list of candidates who meet our four criteria: marketing that works, marketing that raises the profile of the field, marketing that is truly innovative, and marketing that inspires the next generations of marketers. Then it is the turn of the Judging Panel, organized by the Columbia University Business School and comprised of the heads of leading marketing associations – the ANA, the ARF, the 4As, the Marketing Sciences Institute, together with the prior year’s inductees. Their votes produce the final winners. Each year we hope there will be women, we hope there will be minorities. Sometimes there are, and sometimes there are not. There are no women this year. This reflects on the marketing profession, not us, and we take it very much to heart. We see it as a call to action, an injunction to educate and encourage young women to rise to the top of the industry. The examples of Beth Comstock and Shelly Lazarus show this can be done.
The Marketing Hall of Fame is the only award which embraces people across every aspect of the marketing profession. We believe it fulfills an important role. It recognizes the leaders who have demonstrated extraordinary achievements, not just in one campaign, for one brand, or at one organization, but across their careers. It celebrates brilliance in marketing, reflects its past, present and future. Who knows who next year’s inductees will be? And what could be better?
Our event today emphasizes ideas and conversation and is focused on marketing’s future. We hope you will enjoy it, be inspired and learn from it.
Celebrate Brilliance in Marketing
We will “Celebrate Brilliance in Marketing,” with the induction of four outstanding marketers into the 2017 Marketing Hall of Fame. Please join us in congratulating Gary Briggs, Jon Iwata, Jim Stengel, and Jerry Wind, We want to express our thanks to the Marketing Hall of Fame Academy, which includes 200 top professionals representing a wide array of marketing disciplines, and to our distinguished judging panel, comprised of a select group of industry leaders, organized by the Columbia University Business School. Congratulations to the inductees and thank you for participating in the 2017 Marketing Hall of Fame.
2017 Marketing Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Details:
- Date: Thursday, May 11th
- Time: 6:00-9:00 PM
- Location: R/GA Headquarters, 450 West 33rd Street (5 Manhattan West)
The evening will begin with drinks and food, followed by a talk from each inductee. The night will end with more drinks, networking and photo opportunities. Learn more about the Marketing Hall of Fame.
With celebratory wishes,
Joanna Seddon
Robert Kahn
Co-Chairs of the Marketing Hall of Fame
