execute against it . It ’ s an ongoing education because the landscape is constantly changing . We ’ re starting to see some real traction take place , but there ’ s still a lot more we plan to be doing in this space . It ’ s a very efficient tool for building personal and meaningful relationships with our most valuable guests and increasing their brand engagement .
How do you manage costs and budgets for the marketing department ? Pretty typically for the industry . We set our budgets annually based on a combination of anticipated needs , desired results , and projected contribution rates , and monitor our coinciding expenditures monthly .
Do you see vendors as business partners ? Why / why not ? I have always believed that the more you can develop a vendor into a strategic partner , the more valuable the relationship and their contribution to your success . The better they understand what you are trying to achieve , the more likely they are to be
“ We have come to realize that we no longer create brands and deliver them from the ivory tower . Brands are being cocreated and recreated every day , and we have to be actively participating with our co-creators every day , all day .”
able to provide you with the best possible solution . The worst thing you can do is assume you have the best answer and just turn to your vendor to fulfill your order .
How have marketing strategies / tools changed over the past decade ? How have you adapted ? I have become less reliant on mass media and have turned to more personalized digital experiences . More than ever , we have the ability to be very targeted , personal , and efficient with our media spends and our guest experience . Over the past years we have come to realize that we no longer create brands and deliver them from the ivory tower on the mountaintop . Brands are being cocreated and recreated every day , and we have to be actively participating with our co-creators every day , all day . It ’ s a much more labor-intensive process , but the results are far more rewarding .
What advice would you offer to aspiring marketing leaders ? Gain a deep and thorough understanding of the financial model and operational model of your business . This will greatly help you in developing economically and operationally feasible initiatives . It will also help you gain credibility with your peers so that you have their support when it comes time to execute . n magazine _ 1 / 2 _ page _ temp . indd 1
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