Trends, tips, and best practices

Marketer Must-Reads: Top Stories and Interviews from the Past 3 Months

Marketer Must Read is a weekly newsletter created for ambitious and growth-minded marketing pros who want to keep a finger on the pulse of their field and the people who are pushing it forward. Each edition features interviews with prominent marketing leaders conducted by LinkedIn News’ Senior Marketing Editor Callie Schweitzer. The 10 questions are the same each week and focus on a top marketer’s inspiration, challenges and more. 

But they elicit a vast array of different stories, memories, opinions, and insights. We heartily recommend subscribing to the newsletter so you never miss out on an essential entry, but to give you a taste, here’s a look back at a few interviews from the past three months.

Marketer Must Reads: Speaking to CMOs on the State of Marketing

Soyoung Kang, CMO of eos, on breaking conventions and channeling FOMO

“One of the best parts of being in marketing is that you have to continue to learn. It’s almost innate in the job description,” said Soyoung Kang, who’s living out that mantra as marketing leader for the beauty and personal care brand eos. In her interview, she talked about the challenge of balancing focus with fragmentation, jumping on the TikTok wagon early, and the power of making a positive impact. 

GoFundMe’s Musa Tariq is on a quest for continuous improvement and connection

With a background that includes positions at Airbnb, Apple, Nike, Burberry, and Ford prior to his current gig as CMO for GoFundMe, Musa Tariq offers a unique and seasoned perspective on the evolution of marketing. “The internet came along and everyone believed marketing had changed. We still think it’s changing,” he said. “But the reality is, marketing has always been about building a relationship with your customer and yes the distribution channels have changed, but the dynamics of relationship building were established many years ago.”

Community, connection, and collaboration, according to Nextdoor’s Maryam Banikarim

Nextdoor, which Callie describes as “message board-meets-Yelp-meets-Google Groups,” is a great model for digital community-building in the new era. As such, the company’s CMO Maryam Banikarim is a voice worth listening to for those who want to create communities around their own brands. She spoke about the value of centering on humanity, and coming together around meaningful causes. “Purpose-driven brands have the opportunity to change the world, and drive bottom line impact for a company that is built to last,” Banikarim said. “To do this you have to inherently believe in collaboration.”

Citi’s Carla Hassan presents a sophisticated view of full-funnel marketing

“There are a lot of people who are looking for short-term results,” said Carla Hassan, CMO of Citi. “They look at performance marketing as something that gives them short-term results and brand marketing as something that gives them long-term results. To me, it’s the combination of the two that drives the business and builds the brand.” She knows something about brand-building, having previously led marketing at Toys“R”Us and within PepsiCo. Her conversation delved into the growing role and deepening influence of marketing in modern organizations. 

Inside the (left and right) brain of Audible CMO John Harrobin

John Harrobin, CMO at Audible, is an analytical type who describes himself as a “quantitative marketer.” But he fully recognizes the need to strategically blend right- and left-brain qualities, with data serving as the springboard for creativity and experimentation. As he puts it, “Measuring what matters, and using data as a jumping off point to innovate.” He shared with the Marketer Must Read community some of his perspectives and experiences, including the thrill of being involved with Verizon’s famed “Can you hear me now?” campaign.

Never Miss a Must Read for Marketers

You can continue to find perspectives from marketing leaders in the field by tuning into the weekly installments of Marketer Must Reads. Head on over and click “subscribe” to get notified whenever a new entry publishes. 

Of course, you can also subscribe to the LinkedIn Marketing Blog for plenty more content to help you grow and succeed.