Over the long weekend, football fans will participate in hard-fought, strategy-heavy fantasy football drafts. Some play for cash, most just want the bragging rights.
It got me thinking, what if you could draft anyone – alive or not – into an all-time fantasy marketing team? Who would be your first pick?
So I decided to pose this question to some notable marketing geeks. The result was an ecletic mix. Some choose historical figures, other folks they know personally. All had intriguing reasons behind their top draft pick.
Carl Hahn
“My pick is Carl Hahn, an executive at Volkswagen in the 1950s and 60s and then again in the 80s and 90s. He was a risk-taking client, hiring then boutique Doyle Dane Bernbach and helping to unleash the creative revolution of the 1960s. The partnership resulted in famous ads like ‘Lemon’ and ‘Think Small.’ He also helped make VW a global brand, shedding lingering Nazi associations along the way.” Pick by Matt Creamer, Editor-at-Large for AdvertisingAge < Tweet this!
Julius Ceaser
“Why? Caesar is credited with being the creator of the advertorial. When his image became tarnished, Caesar began covering the ‘news of Rome and the region’ to keep people informed, which at the same time, helped to increase his reputation. Ah, the first traces of content marketing.” Pick by Joe Pulizzi, Founder of the Content Marketing Institute < Tweet this!
Howard Schultz
“I realize he isn’t a ‘marketer’ but what CEO hasn’t been the best marketer in the company of a hugely successful business? Starbucks regained its strength in the market when he took back over, and the company continues to build one of the most iconic and innovative brands in the world. CEO, marketer…same difference. Not to mention he’s a personal business hero of mine.” Pick by Jascha Kaykas-Wolff, Chief Marketing Officer at Mindjet < Tweet this!
James Nichols
“I would pick James Nichols because he is the epitome of a do leader. Having worked with James in the trenches over the years, his ‘get your hands dirty in the data’ approach is one that I am all about, but see time and time again that not enough marketers follow. I also trust his strategic point of view on current and emerging platforms and know he has the chops to back it up, also something I don’t feel about very many marketers. We’ve won together and lost together on the battlefield – each time coming out stronger and remaining friends evermore.” Pick by Leslie Bradshaw, President and Chief Operating Officer at JESS3 < Tweet this!
Dale Carnegie
“I would choose Dale Carnegie. He was a miserable actor who lived at a YMCA flat broke. He coerced the director of the Y to let him teach a class that he really had no idea would go. It touched a nerve, as he targeted the desire of men to be better businessmen and built their self-confidence. He also promoted the ideal that you help yourself most by first helping the people around you. He also made the choice to change the spelling of his name to match that of the famous industrialist Andrew Carnegie, which added recognition and credibility to his practice. He went on to ‘write the book’ on how best to influence people and coined the phrase, ‘People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing.’ Nearly one hundred years later and it still rings true.” Pick by Marcus Nelson, Founder of Addvocate < Tweet this!
David Meerman Scott
“I’d want David Meerman Scott on my team. Yes, he is the father of digital marketing, but the reason I want him is his never relenting drive to experiment, take smart risks, and push for the unseen advantage. He continues to do that for his personal brand, and I’d want to tap into that fountain of creative energy and beat the opposing team before they ever heard the whistle blow!” Pick by Steve Farnsworth, Chief Strategist at Jolt Digital Marketing < Tweet this!
William Shakespeare
“I’d choose Shakespeare. A decent copywriter always comes in handy, and he’s one of the most quoted writers of all time. After a couple years, I would promote him to run the Branded Entertainment division.” Pick by Kyle Monson, Chief Creative and Founding Partner of Knock Twice < Tweet this!
Who would be your number one fantasy marketing team draft pick? Tell us who and why in the comments.
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