The other 1% Where does CMO inspiration come from?

[This story was originally published in Marketing Unbound / The Economist.]

It’s often said the great marketing is inspired by out-of-the-box ideas.

But I’d argue that some of the best marketing ideas not only come from outside of the proverbial box, but have nothing at all (at least at first glance) to do with the box. For instance, I’ve been continually inspired by and immersed in skateboarding subculture since I was 12. Skateboarding led me to pick up snowboarding and surfing and also allowed me to be exposed to musical and visual art—which in turn have allowed me to push boundaries as a marketer.

Just a few weeks ago, the skateboarding-marketing connection came full circle for me when I met Natas Kaupas in person for the first time in Venice Beach. Natas has made a career of bridging the street and the boardroom—excelling as a legendary skateboarder and surfer, but also reinventing himself as a marketing executive at Quiksilver and art director for Ragemagazine.

Inspired by Natas, I’ve been thinking about how marketers can get—and stay—inspired. I also spoke with a number of fellow marketers I respect and admire to get their thoughts. Some of our collective insights:

Watch and learn from real storytellers: “Storytelling” is one of the marketing terms du jour that just won’t go away—and for good reason: Surrounding your brand with a truly compelling narrative is one of the best ways to get your target consumers to truly engage and care.

If your focus is on perfecting your storytelling skills, why not go right to the source? Lizzie Francis, founding partner at Brilliant Ventures and former CMO at Gilt, is an avid book reader. “I have a real appreciation for those who can craft and publish a well-written story,” she told me. “It’s the immersive convergence of execution, imagination and story that is true bliss for me. Great storytelling is the heart and soul of what we all strive for as marketers.”

Locate the artistic spirit in your work: Sometimes in life we’re exposed to the inspiration of art and culture by happenstance, as I was through skateboarding, and sometimes we seek it out. Anne Hallock, SVP of Global Marketing at The Trade Desk, says that “I’ve loved visual art since I was a teenager. I remember walking through the Matisse museum in Nice, France when I was 19—it’s in an airy villa filled with his paper cuttings, paintings and personal effects—and feeling like I had come home.”

Later, in business school, she had a conversation with one of her professors about how she regretted not trying to become an artist. To this day, his response resonates in Anne’s work as a marketer: “If you love art, you don’t have to do art,” he told her. “Weave it into the world you’ve made.”

Widen your circle of advisers: Whose opinions do you trust? Who belongs to your brain trust? Chances are, your professional advisers and confidants are close at hand, but sometimes it’s important to gather opinions from far outside your usual circle.

“It can be easy to only interact with your colleagues or regular customers in an insular environment,” says Mari Kim Novak, CMO of adtech firm Rubicon Project, “but the power of an outside opinion is often the inspiration I need to jumpstart a stalled idea or overcome a difficult professional hurdle. Speaking with people outside of my industry makes me look at my work in unique ways.”

Listen to your kids (seriously): How can you understand the next generation of consumers? By listening carefully to the next generation of consumers—maybe even within your own household. When I asked Patrizio Spagnoletto, the CMO of Steelhouse, about an unexpected source of inspiration for his work as a CMO, he answered, without hesitation, “My children.

“Especially when it comes to either ideation or creative review, children have an extremely genuine way to think of things. If you are able to listen to the spirit or intent of their words, they can be extremely powerful,” he said. “If you believe in the ‘Keep it simple’ approach, kids will keep you honest!”

Learn from the team (sports): As much as I know top artists and trendsetters, I tend to operate within that small sphere of influencers. I was born outside the U.S. and never felt the urge to follow American celebrities or sports or celebrities. Perhaps that why I’m so taken by what Andrew Markowitz, General Manager of the Performance Marketing Labs at GE, recently told me.

Andy is a huge basketball fan, and excellence on the basketball court has directly inspired his work as a marketer. “I always found the argument around Michael Jordan as the best basketball player ever to be very interesting,” he says. “What really set him apart from many other great players is the way he made other players around him great. I certainly use that philosophy in cultivating culture and teamwork within my organization.

“Getting people to understand that it’s not enough just to score points and it’s not enough just to have the exposure, but it’s how you make other people around you better—that really elevates the entire organization.”