Aspire to be Nike and Gatorade

: Sherrie Perkovich

You don't have to be a company the size of Nike or Gatorade to have vision and innovation in marketing and advertising. Often times I hear the oh so typical excuses...we're not that big...we don't have a big budget...we're not a consumer product...yada yada yada. If nothing else, because of those very reasons, you should challenge yourself to be even more innovative. Don't have a large budget? Be smarter and faster than your competion and think of different, creative ways to leverage technology while supporting your overall brand positioning.

Cindy Alston, CMO from Gatorade was recently named one of the 10 best marketers in the business by Advertising Age. In the article touting her successes as a marketer for both Gatorade and one of their products Propel, she talks about the need and desire to break out of one's compfort zone, to keep in touch with her consumers and continually try new things. The Propel launch happened to be one of the most triumphant launches in the beverage industry in recent years.

My point is to learn from those, like these 10 individuals, who have the vision and courage to try something extraordinary. Allow yourself to try new strategies. Learn, adapt, grow, succeed.