A CMO Confidential Interview with Gary Stibel, the former Wharton econometric modeler, Pringles brand manager, and founder of The New England Consulting Group. Gary outlines his belief that innovation and “the big marketing idea” are in serious decline and what to do about it. Key topics include why short-term thinking is crowding out long-term innovation, his belief that many companies will suffer sales and stock price declines because of this, how he thinks about brands taking socio-political stands, the continued rise of private label, and the financial reengineering going on in the marketplace. He also discusses why CMO turnover is good for his business but bad for companies, and why “stage gating” kills innovation and should be replaced by rapid prototyping. The Cheetos repositioning story which includes Cheesy Rider, the creation of Chester the Cheetah and the brand rising from near oblivion is not to be missed!
