Kimberly Whitler is the Frank M. Sands Sr. Associate Professor of Business Administration at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.
In this episode, Kim and I talk about the release of her new book Positioning for Advantage, which has been ranked number one in product management on Amazon. We also discuss what positioning is and what value marketers have to a business. Kim’s opinion is to keep it simple. She says, “I think a lot of marketing is about making the choices that put you in the best position to win. A big part of that is you have to execute effectively, and complication often is the enemy of being able to implement.”
Later in the episode we also discuss influencers and how they can positively impact a business. Kim also shares her opinion on purpose and whether purpose may or may not be something your brand should be focused on.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- How to bring learning to real-life situations
- Creating a sustainable advantage for your organization
- How influencers can be a key element to a marketing plan
Key Highlights:
- [01:34] Kim’s worst job ever
- [03:05] From marketing practitioner to academia
- [06:14] Why Kim wrote a book
- [11:13] What do marketers contribute to firm performance?
- [13:12] Creating a sustainable advantage
- [15:11] Forcing marketing choices
- [20:28] How Kim thinks about influencers
- [25:11] Weaponizing word of mouth
- [30:50] An experience that defines Kim, makes who she is today
- [33:40] Kim’s advice to her younger self
- [35:14] The brands and organizations Kim follows
- [38:34] The biggest threat and opportunity for marketers today
Resources Mentioned:
- Kimberly Whitler
- Positioning for Advantage: Techniques and Strategies to Grow Brand Value (book)
- Kim’s last episode on Marketing Today
- Steve Momper Darden Publishing
- Halftime (book)
- Stephen Hawking, Wang Junkai and Tencent example
- HBR Article: What Western Marketers Can Learn from China
- OatsOvernight Subscriber Program
Follow the podcast:
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Connect with the Guest:
- Kim’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimwhitler/
- Kim’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/KimWhitler
- Darden’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/DardenMBA
Connect with Marketing Today and Alan Hart:
- http://twitter.com/abhart
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanhart
- http://twitter.com/themktgtoday
- https://www.facebook.com/themktgtoday/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/marketing-today-with-alan-hart/
Alan B. Hart is the creator and host of “Marketing Today with Alan Hart,” a weekly podcast where he interviews leading global marketing professionals and business leaders. Alan advises leading executives and marketing teams on brand, customer experience, innovation, and growth opportunities. He has consulted with Fortune 100 companies, but he is an entrepreneur at his core, having founded or served as an executive for nine companies.
