Marketing ‘Renegade’ Drew Neisser On Strategy, Story, And Courage

Drew Neisser, founder and CEO of agency Renegade, has interviewed many a CMO. Now he’s on the other side of the mic, passing along the insight he has learned, along with some of his own.

This week’s episode of “Marketing Today” is a change of pace—a podcaster talking to a podcaster. I engaged in a lively discussion with Drew Neisser, whose Renegade Thinkers Unite podcast recently reached the 50-episode milestone. Neisser is also the founder and CEO of Renegade, an agency that focuses on helping CMOs develop their innovative and strategic thinking, and the author of “The CMO’s Periodic Table: A Renegade’s Guide to Marketing.”

At the heart of Neisser’s marketing approach is a seemingly simple touchstone: strategy. “If the CMO doesn’t spend enough time on strategy, they’re not going to win,” Neisser said. “And if a CMO has a solid strategy and a big idea, they have an easier job.”

But Neisser said he also believes a marketer has to possess a certain bravery to succeed, especially at a time when their consumers are seeking brands that take a stand: “I’m in the business of giving CMOs the courage to have their brands mean something.”

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

• Why Ivy League and film school rejections were the best things that ever happened to Neisser. (2:24)
• Neisser’s all-star pick of CMOs. (7:44)
• The difficulties inherent in the CMO role. (12:18)
• Neisser dishes on content marketing. (20:25)
• The most overused word in the business. (24:56)
• The power of the shoebox: Neisser talks about brands he admires. (30:23)

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