92: Working in tandem: Jim Lyski and Shamim Mohammad of CarMax

04/25/18 • 40 min

This week on “Marketing Today,” Alan talks with two leaders from CarMax: CMO Jim Lyski and CIO Shamim Mohammad. During the course of their discussion, Lyski and Mohammad touch upon the similarities of their backgrounds and the way they utilize their differences to fuel the way they work together. The relationship between the two is well documented, and in the course of their discussion they talk about how CarMax utilizes Agile methodologies, their belief in the importance of cultural fit when recruiting and developing talent, and how their familiarity with each other's role helps drive results for CarMax.

At the heart of their approach, and what they believe is a key factor in their success at CarMax, is the importance they place upon the customer experience: “When we are sitting around the table and discussing any initiative,” says Mohammad, “we always make a decision that's going to favor the customer.”

Highlights from this week's “Marketing Today” podcast include:

Lyski and Mohammad talk about the quantum leaps from where they grew up to their C-Suite presence today. (2:10)
Lyski and Mohammad on how they resolve conflict. (6:30)
How Agile methodologies work at CarMax — the organization and operation of their teams resemble the structure of an atom. (7:18)
Customer experience needs to be deeply integrated into a company's culture. (15:46)
Advice for CMOs or CIOs faced with a turnaround situation. (18:51)
Communication and trust are key in establishing a collaborative culture. (26:10)
“The harder the problem, the more creative you have to be.” (32:33)
The future of marketing is now. (36:49)

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/marketingtoday

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Highlights from this week's “Marketing Today” podcast include:

Lyski and Mohammad talk about the quantum leaps from where they grew up to their C-Suite presence today. (2:10)
Lyski and Mohammad on how they resolve conflict. (6:30)
How Agile methodologies work at CarMax — the organization and operation of their teams resemble the structure of an atom. (7:18)
Customer experience needs to be deeply integrated into a company's culture. (15:46)
Advice for CMOs or CIOs faced with a turnaround situation. (18:51)
Communication and trust are key in establishing a collaborative culture. (26:10)
“The harder the problem, the more creative you have to be.” (32:33)
The future of marketing is now. (36:49)

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/marketingtoday

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

91: Change with the changing times: Joe Mandese on the past, present, and future of journalism, media, and marketing

This week on “Marketing Today,” Alan talks with Joe Mandese, longtime editor in chief of MediaPost, which covers the advertising, technology, media and marketing industries, and founder of Bid/r, a direct-to-consumer-audience exchange fueled by a bidding engine that matches brands with consumers that want them. In his discussion with Alan, Mandese covers a myriad of topics ranging from Cambridge Analytica and privacy issues plaguing Facebook to why journalism is more important than ever and the reasons he founded Bid/r.

Mandese is thoughtful, insightful and astute in his assessment of the fragmented media landscape we navigate in today and the impact business and economic models have on it. “The disruptive nature of the media marketplace we've created today, and the economic models associated with it, are disrupting and displacing the very important sources of media for consumers, particularly journalism” says Mandese. “Business and economic models have a profound impact on our access to media, the media we consume, and who we are as human beings.” He goes on to add: “And if we don't think about the economic outcomes of these things, we're going to be in a perilous state as a species.”

Highlights from this week's “Marketing Today” podcast include:

Mandese discusses his career covering marketing, media, and advertising for the past 39 years and the incredible industrial revolution and evolution he's witnessed. (2:18)
The fragmentation and proliferation of choice: Mandese identifies the biggest challenges ahead for brand marketers and agencies. (6:30)
Mandese points out how tough it is for entrenched brands in a world of disruption (“It's a superhuman task.”), and he relates an anecdote about fragmentation. (13:42)
Mandese provides his take on the Cambridge Analytica and Facebook story. (19:34)
Mandese talks about Bid/r, the concept behind it, and his belief that people should have self-sovereignty. (27:48)
How much is a consumer's attention worth? (33:38)
Media, nutrition and ecology: How reading Marshall McLuhan and Rachel Carson in seventh grade shaped Mandese's worldview. (44:07)
Mandese believes we will see a new golden age of marketing where brands that find better ways to create meaning for people's lives will win. (55:06)

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/marketingtoday

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next Episode

93: Marketing Today at The CMO Club’s 2018 Spring Innovation & Inspiration Summit

This week on “Marketing Today,” Alan takes his show on the road. He recently attended The CMO Club's 2018 Spring Innovation & Inspiration Summit in Marina del Rey, California, a conference that brings together leading senior marketing executives for two days of peer learning, problem-solving breakout sessions, and main stage panels. While there, he found the time to have informal discussions with these six CMOs and heads of marketing:

Nerissa Sardi — Vice President, Head of Marketing at Medici
Chris Moloney — Chief Marketing Officer at TaxSlayer
Steven Handmaker — Chief Marketing Officer at Assurance
Matt Singer — Vice President of Marketing at Jobvite
Alex Romanovich — Managing Director and Chief Marketing Officer, USA at FiNC
Stephanie Anderson — Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer at AI Media Group

In talking with these six marketing minds, he discovered the challenges they face, insights they uncovered during the Summit, advice that has impacted their careers, their go-to sources for information, and things that they love and hate (or dislike intently). These lightning-round-style discussions make for bite-size marketing nuggets that are equal parts information and inspiration.

Highlights from this week's “Marketing Today” podcast include:

Nerissa Sardi on keeping up with constant change, her realization that it's often better not to ask permission, and why she's not a fan of everyone thinking they're a marketer. (1:33)
Chris Moloney on the delicate balance of brand investment, his emphasis on hiring top talent, and how he loves it when marketing captures emotions and moments at the same level that rock music does. (6:35)
Steven Handmaker on the challenge of maintaining focus on what's going to make an impact, how Bruce Springsteen's statement, “Nobody wins unless everyone wins,” has become his personal mantra, and his problem with people's lack of enthusiasm. (11:48)
Matt Singer on the importance of staying connected to consumers, his belief that marketing needs to reassert itself within product development cycles, and why he places a premium on authenticity. (17:07)
Alex Romanovich on the challenge CMOs face in comprehending different technologies and applying them to their myriad responsibilities, the importance of peer communication, and his distaste for self-promotion. (20:49)
Stephanie Anderson on the need for CMOs to prioritize, her belief that less is more, and why, for her, there's still no better source of information than the print edition of The Wall Street Journal. (24:50)

To learn more about the CMO Club go to www.thecmoclub.com.

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/marketingtoday

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.