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“As marketing leaders, we have to give up control.” As CEO of Marketing Insider Group, author Michael Brenner knows a thing or two about marketing and leadership. With a career ranging from startups to SAP and Nielsen, Brenner helps organizations understand how they can build a better brand by answering the tough questions on strategy and leadership. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast.

About Michael Brenner

Michael Brenner is a globally-recognized keynote speaker, author and the CEO of Marketing Insider Group. He has worked in leadership positions in sales and marketing for global brands like SAP and Nielsen, as well as for thriving startups. Today, Michael shares his passion on leadership and marketing strategies that deliver customer value and business impact. He is recognized by the Huffington Post as a Top Business Keynote Speaker and by Forbes as a top CMO Influencer.

Episode Highlights

What big issue to marketing leaders face today? “I sense a lot of fear. Coca-Cola got rid of their CMO role recently. I joke sometimes that marketing has a marketing problem. We do better through leadership and innovation. And innovation doesn’t always come from the marketing department.”

Mind = Blown. “Can I blow your mind for a second? As marketing leaders, we have to give up control.” Because human interaction is so important in brand building today, “We’re seeing HR become the new marketing department.” Your employees are the best way to tap into your customers.

Speaking of your employees … “The average employee has 10 times as many connections as any brand. Plus, 3% of your employees are responsible for 30% of your website traffic.” What happens when you amplify this?

Michael’s NPS for employee engagement. Everyone knows the Net Promoter Score or NPS. Well, Brenner has developed something similar to offer insight on employee engagement. “You have to ask employees if they feel that their ideas are encouraged. There’s a 100% correlation between employees having their ideas heard and having more loyal customers.”

What brand has made Michael smile recently? “Amazon has changed my life.” Whether it’s delivering toilet paper to his house with four kids (as someone with five kids, I understand TP consumption) or helping his mom find an iPhone case, Amazon makes Michael — and many of us — smile on a regular basis.

To learn more, go to the Marketing Insider Group website or follow Michael on Twitter.

As We Wrap …

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Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet!