With everyone claiming to be an expert should you listen to? This list of 103 marketing thought leaders is made to help answer that question. It's also incorporated into Twitter lists so you can easily follow everyone with a single click.
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103G E N U I N E
M A R K E T I N G
T H O U G H T
L E A D E R S
T O F O L L O W
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THE BACKSTORY
N O T A N O T H E R L I S T !
Are there any genuine “experts” anymore? This is a question many people ask. There have been many articles devoted to this, too, including Tom
Nichols’ “Death of Expert”, published in the Federalist, and B.L Ochman ‘s “There are Over 181,000 Social Media ‘Gurus,’ ‘Ninjas,’’Masters,’ and ‘Mavens’
on Twitter” published by Adage in 2013! Granted, many self-proclaimed ‘experts’ may be smart, but do they really deserve the title of expert? Who should
you listen to?
To help answer this question I got together with a few of my colleagues who are best selling authors in the field of marketing, leading marketing consultants,
professors of marketing, and even an actual ‘Ninja’ to create a curated list of thought leaders. The result is a list of thought leaders, created by the thought
leaders. Those of us who put time into this did so because we honestly want you to succeed, and are a bit tired of self-promoters peddling bad advice. I take
full responsibility for the final decisions of who is on and not on the list. Please read the next slide to understand what it took to be included.
Sincerely,
Mathew Sweezey,
@msweezey
**Of course many people will read this and cry “But, you didn’t include this person.” True! I didn’t, and with over 200k people claiming to be thought leaders
just with in the space of social media there is no way I could include everyone. If you’re offended because you didn’t make the list I’m #sorrynotsorry, With
that said, do feel free to add more names in the comment section below. Note: This list is my work and may not reflect the views of my employer.
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MAKING THE LIST
W H A T I T T A K E S
TO M A K E T H E L I S T A T W I T T E R H A N D L E M U S T M E E T A L L T H R E E C R I T E R I A
The people on this list must have a presence on Twitter
and focus primarily on the subject at hand. This will keep
your “Thought Leadership” feed laser focused on
marketing without pictures of babies and food porn.
Also their feed must not be overwhelming!
A C T I V E O N T W I T T E R
We’ve tried to ensure that the people on this list
are original thinkers so you are getting your
ideas from the actual people having them, and
that we’re putting you as close as possible to the
best minds out there.
O R I G I N A L T H I N K E R
The people on this list must also be proficient
writers through their books, blogs, and/or other
publications. We wanted a list of the most
active thinkers.
S C H O L A R LY
4
HOW TO USE
THE LIST
I n s t r u c t i o n s
T h e l i s t i s s e g m e n t e d b y c a t e g o r y. E a c h
c a t e g o r y i s a l s o a Tw i t t e r l i s t . Yo u ’ l l f i n d t h e l i n k
t o t h e l i s t a t t h e b e g i n n i n g o f e a c h s e c t i o n .
F o l l o w t h e m a n d y o u i n s t a n t l y h a v e a c o n t i n u o u s
f e e d o f s o m e o f t h e b e s t c o n t e n t . O r c h o o s e t o
f o l l o w a l l 1 0 3 i n s t a n t l y b y s i m p l y c l i c k i n g t h e
b u t t o n b e l o w.
F O L L O W A L L 1 0 3
T h e l i s t i s a l s o h e r e t o h e l p i n t r o d u c e y o u t o n e w
d i s c i p l i n e s o f m a r k e t i n g , a n d n e w t h o u g h t
l e a d e r s y o u m a y n o t f i n d o n y o u r o w n .
C L I C K H E R E T O
A D D T H E F U L L
L I S T T O Y O U R
T W I T T E R
A C C O U N T
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THE PEOPLE
CHANGING
THE IDEA OF
CONTENT
C O N T E N T M A R K E T I N G
Content marketing is a massive term, so we’ve decided to break
this section down in the most progressive minds in content. The 11
people we’ve chosen will give you a wide range of ideas and best
practices covering traditional ideas of content, and brand new ones
as well.
F O L L O W A L L 1 0
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ANN
HANDLEY
E V E R Y B O D Y W R I T E S
A n n i s t h e f o u n d e r o f M a r k e t i n g P r o f s and author
o f E v e r y b o d y W r i t e s . Her wisdom, insights, and
p e r s p e c t i v e g a r n e r h e r a t o p s p o t .
JAY
BAER
H E N E V E R S T O P S
ROBERT
ROSE
C O N T E N T S T R A T E G Y
@annhandley
@jaybaer
J a y B a e r h a s e a s i l y b e c o m e o n e o f t h e b i g g e s t
n a m e s i n m a r k e t i n g o v e r t h e p a s t f e w y e a r s w i t h
h i s b o o k s Yo u t i l i t y a n d Hug Your Hatters , his
b l o g C o n v i n c e a n d C o n v e r t , a n d h i s a m a z i n g
w i t . J a y d e s e r v e s a s p o t a t t h e t o p o f t h i s l i s t .
@robert_rose
R o b e r t R o s e i s t h e C h i e f S t r a t e g y O f f i c e r f o r
the Content Marketing Institute and author of
M a n a g i n g C o n t e n t M a r k e t i n g . His brilliant
insights on content are business changing.
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DON’T DISCOUNT A COMIC
L A U G H T E R I S A G E N U I N E H U M A N E M O T I O N
I f y o u r e a l l y w a n t t o b r e a k t h r o u g h , y o u n e e d t o m a k e t h e m l a u g h !
I meet Tom a few years ago when writing for Clickz.com. I was working on a piece
on the use of humor in B2B content. Tom has created an entirely new field of
content out of comics which are proving to be some of the best content for the
companies using them.
Kronos uses Tom’s comics to share on Facebook. They achieve 10X the
engagement with these comics than they see from the company blog. When you
are thinking about content, don’t forget to think about new formats of media such
as humor.
T h e c o m i c m i n d b e h i n d @ m a r k e t o o n i s t a n d o n e o f t h e f u n n i e s t m e n
i n c o n t e n t m a r k e t i n g
TOM FISHBURNE
@TOMFISHBURNE
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CONTENT (CONT)
N E V E R C A N H A V E E N O U G H
Steve is Chief Content Strategist at
Edelman, and a professional blogger. He
travels and writes on the topic of
content, modern PR, and engagement
from a unique and refreshing angle.
S T E V E R U B E LT O D D W H E AT L A N D
@toddwheatland
Todd is global head of strategy at King Content,
and previously was head of marketing at Kelly
Services. He’s also in the content marketing
Hall of Fame! Oh and he hosts a podcast called
Pivot. He’s worthy of your follow.
JOE PULIZZI
@joepulizzi
Joe is the founder and CEO of Content Marketing
Institute and author of Content Inc, and Epic
Content. He’s one of the people who helped elevate
the idea of content marketing to its stated glory.
Welcome Joe and his orange suit to your twitter
feed with open arms.
@steverubel
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VIDEO MARKETING
T H E B E S T V I D E O K N O W L E D G E
A Vancouver-based video
a g e n c y w h o i s p r o d u c i n g s o m e
o f t h e b e s t v i d e o c o n t e n t e v e r.
Their multiple Emmy awards
v a l i d a t e m y c o m m e n t s .
S T I L L M O T I O N
@stillmotion
C h r i s i s p r o b a b l y t h e b e s t
teacher of video skills around.
I’ve shot with him many times,
a n d h i s v i d e o s a r e p r o o f o f h i s
s u p e r i o r t a l e n t . P r e p a r e t o
l e a r n !
C H R I S L AV I G N E
@crlvideo
Ti m i s MR . Yo u Tu be . I f y o u a
r e u s i n g Yo u Tu b e t h i s g u y i s a
m u s t f o l l o w. B r i n g i n g y o u
i n s i g h t s w e e k l y.
T I M S C H M O Y E R
@timschmoyer
Video is the number one most engaging format of content. From the list below you’ll learn how to shoot vide (Chris), learn the best video marketing
tips (Tim), and find new inspiration from the Emmy award winning video production house Stillmotion.
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THE TOP
MINDS IN
SOCIAL
MEDIA
S o c i a l i s H u m a n
S o c i a l m e d i a i s a b i g f i e l d , s o I ’ l l b r e a k i t d o w n f o r
y o u i n t o t a c t i c a l c a t e g o r i e s : O r g a n i c s o c i a l m e d i a ,
p a i d s o c i a l m e d i a , s o c i a l s e l l i n g , a n d c o m m u n i t y
m a n a g e m e n t .
F O L L O W A L L 1 7
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HE’S SERIOUS ABOUT SOCIAL
H E ” S G O T T H E S K I L L S
I f t h e r e w a s a K i n g o f S o c i a l M e d i a T h o u g h t L e a d e r s h i p , h e w o u l d w e a r t h e c r o w n .
Mike is the founder of Social Media Examiner, and host of the Social Media Marketing
podcast, and author of Launch, and a few others . He founded one of the largest and most
successful social media education platforms in existence. The social media podcast he
puts on is a top 10 marketing podcast. The social media conference he puts on is also the
largest social media conference.
Social Media Examiner stays on top by combining expert bloggers, and new research
interspersed with ‘how to’ articles as well. He took Social Media Examiner from a startup
publication to a social media powerhouse in less than a year. Everyone in social media will
agree Michael belongs on this list.
MICHAEL STELZNER
@mike_stelzner
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ORGANIC SOCIAL EXPERTS
T H E M U S T F O L L O W M I N D S
M A R K S C H A E F E R
@markwschaefer
M a r k i s a b e s t - s e l l i n g a u t h o r,
p o d c a s t h o s t , R u t g e r s
p r o f e s s o r a n d a l l a r o u n d n i c e
g u y. H e ’s a m u s t t o f o l l o w i n
the world of social.
J A S O N FA L L S
@jasonfalls
The author o f N o B u l l s h i t
S o c i a l M e d i a , Jason currently
w r i t e s o n a l l t o p i c s o f
m a r k e t i n g a n d h e l p i n g
c o m p a n i e s u n d e r s t a n d t h e
m o d e r n m e d i a w o r l d .
o n F a c e b o o k , a n d i s a r i s i n g
s t a r i n t h e s o c i a l w o r l d .
A M Y P O R T E R F I E L D
@amyporterfield
A m y i s a n a u t h o r a n d p o d c a s t
h o s t . S h e ’ s f o c u s e d p r i m a r i l y
C o n s i d e r e d b y F o r b e s a s o n e
o f t h e 1 0 b e s t S o c i a l M e d i a
m i n d s , a n d a u t h o r o f t h e # 1
b u s i n e s s b l o g . J e f f i s a t r u e
e x p e r t i n t h e f i e l d o f s o c i a l .
J E F F B U L L A S
@jeffbullas
The list below is a “Who’s-Who” of the organic social space. Each name here is well known for their expertise, and are professional experts.
They’ve helped thousands of companies learn and harness the power of organic social, and they will help you do the same .Dig deeper by
checking out their books -- they are great as well.
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“99% of people don’t market in the year they live in”
A P I O N E E R A N D P R A C T I T I O N E R
E a s i l y o n e o f t h e m o s t o u t s p o k e n p e r s o n a l i t i e s i n m a r k e t i n g t o d a y. Yo u c a n n o t h a v e a “ m u s t f o l l o w ” l i s t
w i t h o u t p u t t i n g G a r y Ve e o n t h e r e s o m e w h e r e .
Gary’s story is one you may not know. He got his start by selling wine on the
iInternet. He took his family businesses from $7 million in annual sales to over
$40 million in a few short years. How? Youtube!
Gary is not only a passionate marketer, he is a great mind. He is constantly
looking at the market place and determining new ways to use media, and connect
with people on new channels. He’s also a best selling author, investor, CEO of
Vayner Media, and delivers one of the best keynotes you’ll ever experience.
T h e M u h a m m a d A l i o f t h e m o d e r n m a r k e t i n g w o r l d
GARY VAYNERCHUK
@GARYVEE
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MORE SOCIAL EXPERTS
M O R E S O C I A L L E A D E R S
J A S O N K E AT H
@jasonkeath
J a s o n i s t h e b r a i n b e h i n d
S o c i a l F r e s h , h e h o t t e s t
s o c i a l m e d i a
e v e n t a r o u n d . H e m a k e s t h e
l i s t b e c a u s e h e h a s a n e w
v i s i o n o f w h a t s o c i a l c a n b e ,
a n d s h o u l d b e .
N E A L S C H A F F E R
@nealschaffer
A p r o f e s s o r o f s o c i a l me d i a
a t R u t g e r s , N e a l h a s h i s
f i n g e ro n t h e p u l s e o f t h e t o o l s ,
tactics, and future of social
m e d i a . H e i s a p e r s o n t o
follow.
T E S S A H O R E H L E D
@tessa
Te s s a m a k e s t h e l i s t f o r
b e i n g a s o c i a l p i o n e e r, a n d
V P o f s o c i a l s t r a t e g y f o r
D i g i t a s L B I . She is also a S X S W
f e a t u r e d s p e a k e r, a n d
l i v e s o n t h e c u t t i n g e d g e .
P E G F I T Z PAT R I C K
@pegfitzpatrick
P e g i s t h e a u t h o r o f The Art
o f S o c i a l M e d i a and her feed
i s b e a u t i f u l , a n d i n f o r m a t i v e .
H e r k n o w l e d g e a n d c u r a t e d
feed make it a must for this
l i s t .
The names below round out a full suite of both client side experts, professors, and consultants. These names have proven their value to numerous
brands and even toped the Guinness Book of World Records. It would be a mistake exclude any of them.
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SOCIAL + SELLING
B 2 B N E E D S S O C I A L T O O
K O K A S E X T O N J I L L K O N R A T H J I L L R O W L E Y
S o c i a l S e l l i n g l e a d i n g
e x p e r t , a n d h e a d o f s o c i a l
m e d i a f o r L i n k e d i n . K o k a i s
a r a r e b r e e d o f t h o u g h t
l e a d e r w h o i s a t t h e t o p o f
h i s f i e l d , a n d c o n s t a n t l y
g r o w i n g a n d s h a r i n g h i s
w i s d o m .
@kokasexton @jillkonrath @Jill_rowley
J i l l h a s s p e n t y e a r s a t t h e
t o p o f t h e e n t e r p r i s e s a l e s
g a m e , a n d i s a u b e r
p a s s i o n a t e s o c i a l m a v e n .
S h e c o m b i n e s t h e s e t a l e n t s
t o t e a c h s o c i a l s e l l i n g t o
t h e w o r l d .
K e n i s o n e o f t h e n i c e s t
s a l e s p r o f e s s i o n a l s I ' v e
e v e r m e e t . H e ' s a l s o o n e o f
t h e m o s t p a s s i o n a t e
t h i n k e r s o n t h e f u t u r e o f
s o c i a l s e l l i n g , a n d t h e
f o u n d e r o f i n s i d e s a l e s . c o m .
K E N K R O U G E
@kenkrouge
A u t h o r o f 3 b e s t s e l l i n g
b o o k s o n s a l e s , J i l l i s a
m u s t f o l l o w. S h e n o w
f o c u s e s o n s a l e s
a c c e l e r a t i o n a n d p r o p o n e n t
o f s o c i a l s e l l i n g t a c t i c s .
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COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT
B U I L D I N G H O L I S T I C B R A N D S
A bright mind in the modern shaping of
audience and community. Bill focuses on
more than just building a group of
people, he focuses on the purpose
behind the community, and teaches
brands the power of building
communities.
B I L L J O H N S T O N
@billjohnston
CARRIE MELISSA JONES
@Caremjo
Founding partner of and COO of CMX, the
worlds largest community focused
conference, her writings are often
featured in VentureBeat, WeWork, and
other key publications.
R I C H A R D M I L L I N G T O N
@richmillington
Author of Buzzing Communities, and
founder of FeverBee, Richard is laser-
focused on building communities via
social media. He’s a high;y sought after
speaker.
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THE REAL EXPERTS
OF EMAIL
E M A I L I S N O T D E A D
The way we use email today is vastly different than the way we used it only a few short years ago. The advancements in tactics, technologies,
and tools require constant learning. Here is a list of the top minds in the three core disciplines of email.
All email must be well-designed. This
does not mean they must be pretty, but
rather be well-crafted for their purpose.
D E S I G N
At the heart of every email is copy. Copy
writing for email is not copy writing for
advertisements so make sure to take
note.
C O P Y
Only after having good design and great
copy will a winning strategy work.
Listening to these strategy experts will
have you dialed in quickly.
S T R AT E G Y
F O L L O W A L L 7
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THE ONLY EMAIL “NINJA”
H E ” S G O T T H E S K I L L S
C h r i s h a s h a d a f u l l c a r e e r i n e m a i l o n b o t h t h e v e n d o r a n d c l i e n t s i d e . W h e n a s k e d a b o u t o t h e r ‘ M a r k e t i n g
N i n j a s , ’ C h r i s ’ r e s p o n s e i s , “ I c o u l d p r o b a b l y b e h e a d m o s t o f t h e m w i t h a k a t a n a f a i r l y e a s i l y ” .
It needs to be clearly stated there are those actual thought leaders such as Chris, and then
there are people to claim to be Marketing Ninjas. Chris is an actual Ninja and practices
http://www.bostonmartialarts.com/ dojo. He’s the only marketing ninja in existence and
takes the title seriously. He is well versed in all aspects of marketing, but focuses on email
and technology.
Chris has been a speaker at more events than he cares to count, and listed on just about
every “Who’s Who” list from Forbes on down. He’s the essence of thought leader in the
email space. He’s authored multiple books on marketing, and serves as VP of Marketing
Technology for SHIFT Communications.
D o n ’ t c o n f u s e h i m a s S e a n ’s b r o t h e r !
CHRIS PENN
@cspenn
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CHAD
WHITE
@ c h a d s w h i t e
C h a d i s t h e l e a d i n g e x p e r t o n e m a i l !
H e ’s w r i t t e n a n d r e s e a r c h e d t h e t o p i c
o f e m a i l f o r y e a r s a t b r a n d s s u c h a s
E x a c t Ta r g e t , R e s p o n s y s , a n d n o w a t
L i t m u s . H i s S t a t e o f E m a i l r e s e a r c h
s e r i e s i s e x c e l l e n t .
JUSTINE
JORDAN
@ m e l a d o r r i
J u s t i n e i s V P o f m a r k e t i n g a t L i t m u s
s h e i s a f r e q u e n t s p e a k e r o n e m a i l
d e s i g n , a n d t e s t i n g . A l w a y s a g r e a t
p e r s o n t o l i s t e n t o , a n d f u l l o f s p u n k !
MATT
BYRD
@ m p a r k e r b y r d
A n a w a r d - w i n n i n g e m a i l m a r k e t e r, M a t t
c u r r e n t l y w o r k s f o r U B E R a n d l o v e s t o
t a l k a b o u t e m a i l , a n d l i f e c y c l e
m a r k e t i n g .
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TECHNICAL EMAIL EXPERTS
B U I L D I N G H O L I S T I C B R A N D S
Founder of @Actionrocket a creative
studio for email. Eliott is also a frequent
writer on the topic of email covering
everything from fonts for email to subject
lines. He is serious about email.
E L I O T T R O S S
CEO of Alchemy Worx, Dela is a must
on this list. His laser focus on email and
his insights make him a person to know
and follow. In his words, “Know the
difference between a thought leader, and
a thought follower”.
D E L A Q U I S T S I M M S J E N K I N S
@iameliott @delaquist
T h e s e e m a i l e x p e r t s w o r k w i t h h u n d r e d s o f b r a n d s , a n d r u n s o m e o f t h e b i g g e s t e m a i l m a r k e t i n g
a g e n c i e s o u t t h e r e . T h e i r k n o w l e d g e i s s u p e r i o r a n d t h e i r c l i e n t l i s t p r o v e s i t .
@simmsjenkins
A prolific writer on the subject of email,
Simms writes for multiple marketing
publications. He has also authored many
books on the subject of email, and is
CEO of Brightwave, one the largest
email marketing agencies.
21
PEOPLE
BLURING THE
LINES OF
STRATEGY
AND TECH
E V E R Y O N E W R I T E S
The new world of marketing requires a significant level of
technological acumen. The following list of people are the ones who
understand both the tactics, and the tools needed to build amazing
and dynamic experiences . These are the people blurring the lines
between marketing and technology.
F O L L O W A L L 1 3
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MARKETING & AUTOMATION
B 2 B N E E D S O C I A L T O O
G E O F F C O L O N M A T T H E I N Z J A S O N M I L L E R N O L I N L E C H A S S E U R
G e o ff i s c o m m u n i c a t i o n s
d i r e c t o r a t M i c r o s o f t , a u t h o r
o f t h e h o t n e w b o o k
D i s r u p t i v e M a r k e t i n g , a n d
h o s t o f t h e D i s r u p t i v e F M
p o d c a s t . N o t t o m e n t i o n
h e ’ s w o n a C a n n e s L i o n
b e f o r e ! H e k n o w s a t h i n g o r
t w o .
@djgeoffe @heinzmarketing
A u t h o r o f w e l c o m e t o t h e
f u n n e l , a n d g l o b a l S o c i a l
a n d C o n t e n t l e a d e r f o r
L i n k e d i n . J a s o n i s a n
e x p e r t i n t e c h n o l o g y, a n d
h o w t o u s e i t . H e ’s a l s o
h o s t o f t h e S o p h i s t i c a t e d
M a r k e t e r s ’ P o d c a s t .
@jasonmillerca
B e f o r e c o - f o u n d i n g
B r a i n r i d e r N o l i n w a s a v e r y
e a r l y a d o p t e r o f m a r k e t i n g
a u t o m a t i o n . N o w h o s t o f
P i p e c o n , a n d C M O o f
B r a i n r i d e r, N o l i n i s o n e o f
t h e b r i g h t e s t m i n d s i n B 2 B
a u t o m a t i o n .
@Nolin
M a t t i s f o u n d e r o f H e i n z
M a r k e t i n g a n d s o m e o n e
w h o h a s w o r k e d w i t h m o r e
m a r k e t i n g a u t o m a t i o n t o o l s
t h a n j u s t a b o u t a n y o n e .
H e ’s a c o n s t a n t p r e s e n c e a t
c o n f e r e n c e s , a n d a p r o a t
B 2 B a u t o m a t i o n .
23
THE MASTERMIND
C A N A D A ” S O W N
A T h o u g h t L e a d e r t o T h o u g h t L e a d e r s
Mitch has a lustrous background in marketing and social media. He’s been named one of
the most influential bloggers in the world (2006), Canada’s leading social media expert, and
one of the most influential marketing minds in North America. When the biggest brands in
the world want to know what is what with marketing, they call Mitch.
His books are also best sellers and must reads. He’s made the list not only based on what
he has done, but what he continues to do. His feed is not packed with “How To” tips, but
rather larger topics to help you see what else is going on in the world of marketing. His
blending of technology and innovation are supreme.
O f c o u r s e h e i s s m i l i n g , h e ’s C a n a d i a n .
MITCH JOEL
@mitchjoel
24
GEO-MARKETING
L O C A T I O N – L O C A T I O N - L O C A T I O N
o n G e o - M a r k e t i n g . H i s
b a c k g r o u n d i s i n d a t a a n d
d e v e l o p m e n t . H i s Tw i t t e r f e e d i s
f u l l o f s o m e o f t h e m o s t
a m a z i n g g e o t e c h n o l o g y y o u w i l l
f i n d a n y w h e r e . W a n t t o b e t t e r
u n d e r s t a n d m a r k e t i n g v i a s e l f
d r i v i n g c a r s ? H e ’ s y o u r g u y.
J E F F R O H R S
@jkrohrs
C M O o f Y E X T, a n d p r e v i o u s l y
h e a d o f m a r k e t i n g t h o u g h t
l e a d e r s h i p a t S a l e s f o r c e , J e f f
k n o w s h i s s t u f f . H e ’ s a s a d
B r o w n s f a n , a n d a r e c o v e r e d
l a w y e r. A g e n t l e m a n a n d a
s c h o l a r.
E R I C G U N D E R S E N
@ericg
C E O o f M a p b o x , E r i c i s f u l l h o g
D AV I D K A P L A N
@davidakaplan
C u r r e n t e d i t o r f o r
G e o m a r k e t i n g . c o m , a n d p r e v i o u s l y
e d i t o r f o r A d E x c h a n g e r. D a v i d i s
c o n s t a n t l y f o l l o w i n g t h e b e a t t o
t h e h o t t e s t s t o r i e s a b o u t G e o -
M a r k e t i n g a n d a g r e a t s o u r c e o f
f r e s h o r i g i n a l i d e a s .
M A R C P R I O L E A U
@mprioleau
M a r c i s c u r r e n t l y w i t h U B E R
h e l p i n g t h e m w i t h t h e i r G E O
s y s t e m s . H e ’ s b e e n i n t h e G e o
S p a c e s i n c e 2 0 0 9 w h e n i t f i r s t
w a s i n i t s i n f a n c y. A d e e p t h i n k e r
a b o u t G e o a n d h o w a l l t h i n g s a r e
a f f e c t e d b y i t , h e ’ s a s e r i o u s m i n d
i n t h i s f i e l d .
Providing a contextual experience now means involving new data such as location. This is the new world of Geo-Marketing and it is a very
powerful one. From Google directions, Store Location and Hours, to Self Driving cars Geo is the cutting edge of what will be. Here are the minds to
help you full grasp this reality.
25
NON CONFORMIST
A L L A R O U N D A N D N E V E R D U L L
T R AV I S W R I G H T
Joe is a mastermind of content, technology, and
future trends. He doesn’t fit well into a box as his
tattoo’s may express. He was one of the brains
behind Eloqua and HubSpot’s content success, and
a practicing marketer to this day.
J O E C H E R N O V M A R K R I T S O N
Mark is an associate professor of marketing and
branding at the Melbourne Business School. His
writing, speaking, and presentation style earn him a
marketing non-conformist title, and his knowledge
lands him on the list. He’s a must follow.
@markritson@jchernov@teedubya
Travis may be one of the brightest minds in
marketing that you are not familiar with. He writes for
Forbes, hosts a podcast for Venture Beat, and is a
helluva nice dude. He’s always pushing the bounds
of what marketing is and can be.
26
THE MAN WHO MAPPED THE
#MARTECH WORLD
W I T H T H E E X P L O S I O N O F T E C H S O M E O N E H A D T O D O I
Scott is the co-founder of Ion Interactive, a marketing technology company. But, that is not
what landed him on this list. It’s his His passion for technology and marketing technology.
I’ve not found a better source of information on the martech world than in Steve’s twitter
feed.
Steve’s break out moment was when he began mapping the marketing technology
landscape and published it on his blog ChiefMarTech.com. He’s documented the insane
rise of marketing technology in the past few years, and is a person to follow.
SCOTT BRINKER
@chiefmartech
27
PROVING
B2B IS
SEXIER THAN
YOU THINK
W H O S A I D B 2 B W A S B O R I N G
T h e r e h a s b e e n a m a s s i v e r e s u r g e n c e i n B 2 B
m a r k e t i n g i n t h e p a s t 1 0 y e a r s . I t ’s c h a n g e d t h e
w a y w e t h i n k a b o u t m a r k e t i n g i n g e n e r a l , a n d t h e
w a y b u s i n e s s e s r e l a t e t o t h e i r c u s t o m e r s . H e r e i s
a l i s t o f t h e b r i g h t e s t m i n d s i n B 2 B .
F O L L O W A L L 6
28
B2B MARKETING O.G.
H E ” S G O T T H E S K I L L S
H e ’s a s p e a k e r, a n d C E O o f t h e a g e n c y To p R a n k M a r k e t i n g , a n d t h e a u t h o r o f O p t i m i z e .
LEE ODDEN
@leeodden
L e e ’s b e e n k i c k i n g a s s ( m a k i n g g r e a t c o n t e n t ) a n d t a k i n g n a m e s ( c o n v e r t i n g
the content into leads) for over 15 years. He’s an original and often sought
a f t e r t h o u g h t l e a d e r i n t h e s p a c e .
H i s To p R a n k Marketing Blog is a must read destination for those seeking
k n o w l e d g e o n m o d e r n m a r k e t i n g . H i s t w i t t e r f o l l o w i n g o f n e a r l y 1 0 0 k p e o p l e
i s h i g h l y a c t i v e a n d f u l l o f a m a z i n g n e w i n s i g h t s w h i c h w i l l k e e p y o u f i r e d u p
a b o u t m a r k e t i n g , a n d a l w a y s u p t o d a t e o n t h e l a t e s t t r e n d s .
29
BRILLIANT B2B THINKERS
T H E S E A R E R E A L E X P E R T S
A R D A T H A L B E E V A L A A F S H A R D O U G K E S S L E R M I C H A E L B R E N N E R B R I A N C A R R O L L
o n t h e t o p i c o f p e r s o n a s ,
l e a d n u r t u r i n g , a n d a l l
t h i n g s B 2 B .
@ardath421
A u t h o r o f D i g i t a l R e l e v a n c e
a n d e S t r a t e g i e s f o r t h e
C o m p l e x S a l e . A r d a t h i s a
f r e q u e n t s p e a k e r a n d w r i t e r
C h i e f D i g i t a l E v a n g e l i s t a t
S a l e s f o r c e , Va l a i s n ’ t 1 0 0 %
B 2 B b u t h e ’s s o m e o n e a l l
B 2 B b u s i n e s s e s s h o u l d
l i s t e n t o . H i s f e e d i s f u l l o f
i n f o r m a t i o n c o v e r i n g t h e
b r o a d e r p i c t u r e o f b u s i n e s s ,
a n d t r e n d s o n w h e r e i t a l l i s
g o i n g .
@valasfshar
D o u g i s C o - F o u n d e r o f
Ve l o c i t y p a r t n e r s , o n e o f
t h e t o p a g e n c i e s f o r B 2 B
m a r k e t i n g . T h e i r c o n t e n t i s
a l w a y s o n t h e c u t t i n g e d g e
o f d e s i g n , a n d p o s s i b i l i t i e s .
@dougkessler
A u t h o r o f T h e C o n t e n t
F o r m u l a , a n d f o r m e r h e a d
o f c o n t e n t f o r S A P, a n d
m a r k e t i n g s t r a t e g y f o r
N e w s C r e d B r e n n e r k n o w s
h i s s t u f f . H e ’ s b e e n o n b o t h
t h e c l i e n t a n d a g e n c y s i d e s ,
a n d i s n o w C E O o f
M a r k e t i n g I n s i d e r G r o u p .
@brennermichael
A u t h o r o f L e a d G e n e r a t i o n
f o r t h e C o m p l e x S a l e , B r i a n
h a s b e e n a s t a p l e i n t h e
B 2 B M a r k e t i n g c o m m u n i t y
f o r y e a r s . H e ’s r e c e n t l y
f i n i s h e d u p a s t e n t a t
M E C L A B S , a n d n o w b a c k t o
h e l p i n g B 2 B u n d e r s t a n d
m o d e r n d e m a n d g e n e r a t i o n .
@brianjcarroll
30
DESIGN
CHANGES
LIVES
Design is an unquestioned aspect of all marketing. It is not with out its
need for inspiration, and thought leadership. The following list is here to
give you fresh ideas on what design can be from visual stimulation to
user experience.
F O L L O W A L L 1 0
31
THE GODFATHER OF UX
H E P I O N E E R D A F I E L D
D o n a l d N o r m a n i s o n e o f t h e c o - f o u n d e r s o f t h e N i e l s e n N o r m a n G r o u p a n d a u t h o r o f t h e b e s t U X b o o k
e v e r w r i t t e n , T h e D e s i g n o f E v e r y d a y T h i n g s .
Donald began his career in cognitive sciences in 1957, and has since pioneered the study
of user experience and user design. While still active at NNG, he is also director oft the
design lab at the University of California, San Diego, and previously served as co-director
of the MBA/Engineering program at Northwestern.
His best known work, The Design Of Everyday Things, was published in 1988, and is still
a best seller to this day. In this book he coined the term “User Centered Design” which has
become the mantra of all design since. He is on this list because if you don’t understand
design, you cannot understand how to design a great customer experience. That is what
modern marketing is all about.
A t r u e s c h o l a r a n d o r i g i n a l t h i n k e r.
DONALD NORMAN
@jnd1er
32
USER EXPERIENCE
R E A L I T Y I S W H A T Y O U E X P E R I E N C E
o n t a r g e t . H e s o l d t w o o f h i s
c o m p a n i e s t o Tw i t t e r a n d G o o g l e
w i t h i n a t h r e e y e a r p e r i o d .
L U K E W R O B L E W S K I
@lukew
C u r r e n t l y P r o d u c t D i r e c t o r a t
G o o g l e , L u k e h a s a s t o r i e d
b a c k g r o u n d i n u s e r e x p e r i e n c e a n d
p r o d u c t d e s i g n . H e d o e s s o m o s t l y
f r o m a s o f t w a r e a n g l e , b u t a l w a y s
o t h e r s t a r t u p s o n h o w t o s t a y
u s e r c e n t r i c .
L A U R A K L E I N
@lauraklein
A u t h o r o f B u i l d B e t t e r
P r o d u c t s , a n d U X f o r L e a n
S t a r t u p s . L a u r a i s a
p a s s i o n a t e d e s i g n e r a n d n o w
s p e n d s h e r t i m e a d v i s i n g
o f D e s i g n E d u c a t i o n a t
I n v s i o n A p p .
A A R R O N W A LT E R
@aarron
A u t h o r o f D e s i g n f o r E m o t i o n , a n d
f o u n d e r o f t h e U X p r a c t i c e a t
M a i l C h i m p . A a r o n i s n o w V P
C u r r e n t l y t h e p r o j e c t d e s i g n
m a n a g e r a t F a c e b o o k , N i c k i s
k n o w n a s a R o c k S t a r i n t h e w o r l d
o f U X . H e ’ s a f r e q u e n t s p e a k e r,
f o u n d e r o f U x f o r c h a n g e . o r g ,
s e r i o u s t h o u g h t l e a d e r a n d
s o m e o n e w h o i s t r y i n g t o c h a n g e
t h e w o r l d v i a U X .
N I C K F I N C K
@nickf
33
VISUAL INSPIRATION
G E T Y O U R I N S P R A T I O N F O R
F R A N K L Y N
T h i s B r o o k l y n - b a s e d d e s i g n
s h o p h a s o n e o f t h e m o s t
b e a u t i f u l Tw i t t e r f e e d s . T h e i r
w o r k w i l l i n s p i r e y o u t o e x c e l
o r h i r e a n e w a g e n c y !
D E S I G N M I L K T Y P O P H I L E A B D Z
@therealfranklyn
A I G A
@AIGAdesign
T h i s I s t h e p r o f e s s i o n a l
a s s o c i a t i o n f o r d e s i g n . I t ’ s a
p l a c e w h e r e d e s i g n e r s g o t o
s h a r e , f i n d w o r k , a n d l e a r n .
I t ’ s a l s o a n a m a z i n g p l a c e t o
s p o t n e w t r e n d s .
@designmilk
T h i s I s a w e b s i t e c r e a t e d b y
@ j a m i e d e r r i n g e r f e a t u r i n g
m o d e r n d e s i g n b y t h e d r o v e s !
I t ’ s a f e e d o f i n s p i r a t i o n a t
i t s b e s t . J a m i e h a s a n e w
p o d c a s t o u t c a l l e d C l e v e r
t h a t y o u s h o u l d l i s t e n t o a s
w e l l .
@typophile
Ty p o f i l e i s t h e l o n g e s t
r u n n i n g t y p o g r a p h i c
c o m m u n i t y. T h e y a r e b a s e d
o u t o f S a n F r a n c i s c o a n d
b e l i e v e t y p e i s t h e c e n t e r o f
a l l g r e a t d e s i g n .
@abduzeedo
T h i s I s a d e s i g n b l o g w i t h a
f u l l f e e d o f b e a u t i f u l d e s i g n .
W i t h w e l l o v e r a q u a r t e r
m i l l i o n f o l l o w e r s t h i s b l o g i s
a m u s t v i s i t l o c a t i o n w h e n
y o u a r e d e s i g n i n g y o u r n e x t
p r o j e c t .
34
THE NEW FRONTIER
OF BRAND
W h a t i s a B r a n d ? T h e i d e a o f w h a t a b r a n d i s , a n d w h a t i t t a k e s
t o m a k e o n e i s v a s t l y d i f f e r e n t t o d a y t h a n i t w a s e v e n 5 y e a r s
a g o . To h e l p g u i d e y o u i n t o t h e i d e a o f m o d e r n b r a n d i n g , a n d
i d e a s s h a p i n g t h e m o d e r n b r a n d h e r e i s a l i s t o f t h e 1 0 t r u e
e x p e r t s i n t h e f i e l d .
F O L L O W A L L 1 0
35
CINDY
GALLOP
A D V E R T I S I N G M A V E N
T h e r e i s n o w a y t o d e s c r i b e C i n d y, o t h e r
t h a n i n h e r o w n w o r d s . “ I ’ m t h e M i c h a e l B a y
o f b u s i n e s s , I l i k e t o b l o w s h i t u p ’
CHANGING THE IDEA OF
BRANDING
A W O M A N I N T H E L E A D C H A I R
C E O & T E D S p e a k e r
C i n d y i s a a d v e r t i s i n g l e g e n d i n h e r o w n r i g h t . I f y o u a r e a f e m a l e i n t h e b i z y o u l i k e l y l o o k u p t o h e r
s t a n c e o n e q u a l p a y a n d f a i r w o r k f o r w o m e n . S h e a l s o g a v e o n e o f t h e m o s t w a t c h e d T E D t a l k s o f a l l
t i m e o n t h e t o p i c , “ M a k e L o v e n o t P o r n . ”
S h e h a s s i n g l e - h a n d e d l y c h a n g e d t h e i d e a o f b r a n d i n g w i t h h e r c r e a t i o n o f “ A c t i o n B r a n d i n g . ” I t w a s f i r s t
p u t t o w o r k o n a L e v i c a m p a i g n i n 2 0 0 9 , w h i c h H a r v a r d t h e n w r o t e u p i n t o a c a s e s t u d y. S h e i s a n
a m a z i n g p e r s o n a l i t y, a n d a p e r s o n c h a n g i n g t h e a d v e r t i s i n g , b r a n d i n g , a n d n o w # s e x t e c h .
@cindygallop
36
GENUINE BRANDING EXPERTS
B U I L D I N G H O L I S T I C B R A N D S
Author of the best selling book
Brandscaping, Drew is a new breed of
branding expert. His speeches are must-
see events, and his writing focuses on
real world marketing problems.
A N D R E W D AV I S
Evangelist at IBM and author of
upcoming book Ubernomics, Jeremy
was previously head of Social Strategy
for Adobe. He sees the modern brand
as a collection of experiences, rather
than mass messaging.
J E R E M Y W A I T E
Martin is a global strategy, marketing
and branding expert. He's worked with
some of the world's largest brands and
business. A frequent speaker, advisor,
and author of the best-selling "Asian
Brand Strategy" and co-author of "The
Future of Branding".
M A R T I N R O L LM A R T I N L I N D S T R O M
It seems like if your name is Martin
you’re pre-destined to be a branding
genius. Martin is a Brand Futurist
and author of Brandwashed. He’s
also an expert in the psychological
aspect of brand and how to build
brands of the future.
@drewdavishere @jeremywaite @martinlindstrom @martinroll
37
UNMARKETING IS HIS MANTRA
H E S P E A K S T H E T R U T H &
T h e r e a r e v e r y f e w m a r k e t e r s w h o w i l l t e l l y o u t o “ U n L e a r n ” e v e r y t h i n g y o u k n o w. S c o t t i s o n e .
Scott is a true marketing thought leader. He’s not just a pundit, he’s a practicing
marketer with his own successes and his own personal flair for unmarketing.
He runs the UnMarketing podcast, and frequently speaks around the world at
marketing events.
He stands for everything marketing should be, and often is not. Having his voice
in your feed will only help you to replace your thoughts onmarketing and replace it
with ideas on humanity, honesty, and truth.
T h e m a n m o s t l i k e l y t o g i v e y o u r m a r k e t i n g t h e f i n g e r
SCOTT STRATTEN
@unmarketing
38
FUTURE FORWARD MINDS
T H E H O R I Z O N A N D B E Y O N D
D AV I D M E E R M A N S C O T T
@dmscott
D a v i d i s t h e a u t h o r o f T h e N e w
R u l e s f o r M a r k e t i n g a n d P R w h i c h i s
a n i n t e r n a t i o n a l b e s t s e l l e r a n d a
b o o k w h i c h s h o u l d b e o n y o u r d e s k .
H e ’s a f r e q u e n t s p e a k e r a t e v e n t s
a r o u n d t h e w o r l d , a n d h a s p e n n e d
m a n y b e s t - s e l l i n g b o o k s .
B R I A N S O L I S
@brainsolis
B r i a n i s a m i x o f a n a l y s t , t h i n k e r,
a n d p r o v o c a t e u r. H i s b o o k s h a v e
t o p p e d t h e b e s t - s e l l e r l i s t s , a n d h i s
p r e s e n c e a t t h e b i g g e s t t e c h n o l o g y
a n d m a r k e t i n g f e s t i v a l s i s o f t e n t o
t a l k a b o u t h o w t h e s e t w o p l a y
t o g e t h e r f o r a b e t t e r e x p e r i e n c e .
R O B E R T S C O B L E
@scoblizer
M a y b e b e s t k n o w n b y h i s q u o t e , “ I
g i v e y o u a f r o n t r o w s e a t t o t h e
f u t u r e , ” h e i s t h e p e r s o n w h o m a d e
b l o g g i n g f a m o u s , a n d t h e o n e
c o m p a n i e s t u r n t o t o k n o w w h a t i s
c o m i n g n e x t . H e ’s a l w a y s
e n t e r t a i n i n g , a n d c o - h o s t s a s h o w
e v e r y F r i d a y o n Te c h C r u n c h c a l l e d
t h e G i l m o r e G a n g .
A N D R E W M A C A F E E
@amcafee
D r. M c A f e e i s t h e c o - d i r e c t o r o f t h e
M I T i n i t i a t i v e o n t h e d i g i t a l
e c o n o m y. H e i s t h e c o - a u t h o r o f
B u s i n e s s 2 . 0 , T h e S e c o n d M a c h i n e
A g e , a n d m a n y o t h e r s . H i s i d e a s w i l l
o p e n u p y o u r m i n d t o a g r e a t e r
p o s s i b i l i t y f o r m a r k e t i n g a n d d a t a i n
t h e f u t u r e .
39
THE MAGICAL
WORLD OF INBOUND
Inbound marketing is a term coined by HubSpot to refer to the processes of lead generation via inbound traffic. It’s a process of creating content,
optimizing for search engines, and capitalizing on conversion rates. The Inbound field has grown rapidly since its inception, and as such we
have experts in all three fields of discipline.
How to get found organically by search
engines. Search Engine Optimization is
an every changing field and one you
must stay on top of.
S E O
If you cannot organically rank for the
word you can choose to pay for it. This is
the art of search engine marketing.
S E M
Finally, once you have a person to your
site, they need to convert. Conversion
Rate Optimization is the processes of
segmenting, and engaging inbound
traffic.
C R O
F O L L O W A L L 1 8
40
FOUNDING SEARCH EXPERTS
T H E Y ’ V E T A U G H T M I L L I O N S
Danny is the founding editor of @MarketingLand and @Sengineland and is
undeniably one of the people who helped educate the majority of us on SEO,
SEM, and PPC. This list is not compete with out him. He’s an original and
still very relevant!
L O R E N B A K E R
@dannysullivan @lorenbaker
Loren is founder of Search Engine Journal. Another amazing publication responsible
for helping spread the best practices of search. His personal feed is full of amazing
content on all aspects of search. He is also the co-founder of the agency Foundation
Digital.
D A N N Y S U L L I VA N
41
SEM & PPC
S e a r c h E n g i n e M a r k e t i n g
o n e o f t h e g r e a t m i n d s i n S E M .
H e i s a f r e q u e n t s p e a k e r a t
c o n f e r e n c e s a n d c o l u m n i s t f o r
INC. magazine.
L A R R Y K I M
@larrykim
Founder and CTO at
Wo r d s t r e am Larry is viewed
as
M AT T U M B R O
@matt_umbro
M a t t h a s b e e n a r o u n d P P C f o r
y e a r s a n d i s t h e F o u n d e r o f
#P P C C h a t . It’s a Twitter chant
e v e r y Tu e s d a y a t n o o n . A l s o
the past streams are available
a t p p c c h a t . c o m .
J O E K E R S C H B A U M
@joekerschbaum
J o e i s c o - a u t h o r o f P P C S E M :
One Hour A Day , and a
frequent speaker and writer for
S e a r c h E n g i n e Watch. He is a
w o r k i n g p r o a n d a l w a y s s t a y i n g
u p t o d a t e w i t h t h e b e s t o f
s e a r c h e n g i n e m a r k e t i n g .
I A N L O P U C H
@ianlopuch
“ P P C I a n ” a s h e l i k e s t o b e
c a l l e d h a s h i s h a n d s i n j u s t
a b o u t e v e r y a s p e c t o f b u s i n e s s
a n d m a r k e t i n g . H e m a k e s t h e
l i s t a s a p a r t o f t h e b l o g g i n g
P P C l a n . c o m .
42
FINAL WORD ON SEO
H E I S T H E
N o o t h e r p e r s o n i s m o r e w e l l - k n o w n t h a n M a t t w h e n i t c o m e s t o b e i n g t h e f i n a l w o r d o n S E O . H e w o r k s f o r
G o o g l e a s t h e h e a d o f w e b s p a m . H e i s c u r r e n t l y o n l e a v e , b u t t h i s l i s t w o u l d b e r e m i s e d n o t t o l i s t h i m .
Webspam may not seem like something all that sexy until you realize it is what the Google
algorithms try to protect you from. Matt has the formula for the Google ranking system in
his head. No one knows more about how to get your brand ranked higher in organic
search.
While on leave, Matt was not currently Tweeting and it is unclear as to his return to the
seo spotlight. He has just taken a role at the Pentagon so we’ll see what this brilliant mind
comes up with next.
T h e m a n w h o c a n s i n g l e h a n d e d l y c h a n g e t h e f u t u r e o f a n y w e b s i t e .
MATT CUTTS
@mattcutts
43
ORGANIC SEARCH EXPERTS
B U I L D I N G O R G A N I C B R A N D S
Rand is a true pioneer in the SEO world. He
founded MOZ which grew to include multiple
technologies, a world famous blog, and the
famous White Board Fridays. He still is one of
the smartest people in organic marketing.
R A N D F I S H K I N
Aleyda is an international SEO expert, and writer
for Search Engine Land. She is a frequent
speaker around the world on the topic and was
named as one of the top 50 marketing experts to
watch in 2016 by Forbes.
A L E Y D A S O L I S
@randfish
M AT T M C G E E
@mattmcgee
Matt McGee is the Editor-In-Chief of Marketing
Land and Search Engine Land. His news
career includes time spent in TV, radio, and
print journalism. He began developing and
marketing websites in the 1990's and continued
to provide consulting services for more than 15
years.
@aleyda
44
INBOUND THINKERS
L I K E M O T H S T O A F L A M E
M A R C U S S H E R I D I N
M a r c u s i s a v e r y t a l e n t e d i n b o u n d
m a r k e t e r. H i s s t o r y i s v e r y a k i n t o
t h a t o f G a r y V e e a s h e l e a r n e d
m a r k e t i n g t o m a r k e t h i s b u s i n e s s .
T h e n i t d i d s o w e l l h e n o w j u s t
t a l k s a n d w r i t e s a b o u t m a r k e t i n g .
J O S E P H J A F F E E PA U L R O E T Z E R
J o s e p h i s a a u t h o r o f m u l t i p l e
b o o k s i n c l u d i n g F l i p t h e F u n n e l .
T h i s w a s o n e o f t h e f i r s t b o o k s t o
t a l k a b o u t t h e p r o b l e m s w i t h
“ F u n n e l m a r k e t i n g ” a n d w h y
m a r k e t e r s a r e l o o k i n g a t t h e
p r o b l e m i n t h e w r o n g w a y. H e ’s a
g r e a t m i n d t o f o l l o w.
@thesaleslion @jaffejuice @paulroetzer
P a u l i s h e a d o f P R 2 0 / 2 0 a n d a
v e r y b r i g h t m i n d . H e s p e c i a l i z e s i n
i n b o u n d f o r c o m p a n i e s a n d
f r e q u e n t l y s p e a k s a t c o n f e r e n c e s
a r o u n d t h e w o r l d . H e ’s n o t t h e
b i g g e s t n a m e , b u t h i s i n s i g h t s a r e
l a r g e r t h a n h i s Tw i t t e r f o l l o w e r
c o u n t l e t s o n .
45
C.R.O.
G E T T I N G T H E M T H E R E I S O N L Y ½ T H E P R O B L E M
A N G I E
S C H O T T M U L L E R
@aschottmuller
R e s p e c t t h e h a i r, a n d l i s t e n
t o e v e r y t h i n g s h e s a y s .
A n g i e i s o n e o f t h e b r i g h t e s t
a n d m o s t t e c h n i c a l C R O
e x p e r t s o u t t h e r e .
o p t i m i z a t i o n . H e
f r e q u e n t l y s p e a k s a r o u n d
t h e w o r l d o n t h e t o p i c s o f
i n c r e a s i n g c o n v e r s i o n s ,
a n d h a s l o t s o f g r e a t d a t a
t o b a c k i t u p .
O L I
G A R D N E R
@oligardner
F o u n d e r o f U n b o u n c e , O l i
i s a m a s t e r m i n d o f
A D a n e i n C a n a d a , h e ’s
t h e s e n i o r c o n v e r s i o n
o p t i m i z e r a t U n b o u n c e
a n d a d y n a m i c
p e r s o n a l i t y t o f o l l o w. H e
i s p a s s i o n a t e , a n d o n
p o i n t .
M I C H A E L
A A G A R D
@contentverve
C E O o f P o r t e n t , a
d i g i t a l m a r k e t i n g
a g e n c y, I a n t w e e t s 5 - 8
t i m e s p e r d a y o n g r e a t
m a r k e t i n g t o p i c s . C h e c k
o u t h i s i d e a o n r a n d o m
a ff i n i t i e s .
I A N L U R I E
@portentint
B R I A N
M A S S E Y
@bmassey
B r i a n i s t h e C o n v e r s i o n
S c i e n t i s t a n d h i s
p e r s o n a l f e e d i s
c h a l k e d f u l l o f g r e a t
i d e a s , t i p s , a n d C R O
t a c t i c s .
46
SOME
PEOPLE JUST
DON’T FIT IN
A BOX
Thankfully they have written books, so you
can read those instead. Here is a list of the
top six.
47
SOMETIMES
YOU HAVE TO
READ A
BOOK
C L A S S I C M A R K E T I N G B O O K S
This is the book on why we do content
marketing, and why we ask for
permission to email people. You MUST
read this.
P E R M I S S I O N B A S E D
M A R K E T I N G
The book which brought businesses into
the Internet age is still a classic and the
lessons are just as valuable to day as
they were in the 1990’s.
T H E C L U E T R A I N
M A N I F E S T O
Edwards Bernays is the founder of
Public Relations. Knowing this classic
text will give you insights into
understanding human behavior.
C R Y S TA L L I Z I N G
P U B L I C O P I N I O N
The book to put the idea of one to one
marketing on the table. It changed the
world of software, marketing, and how it
is looked at.
T H E O N E T O O N E
F U T U R E
There is no more famous book on
advertising than this. This is a must read
to understand copy, creative, and
advertising at its core.
O G I LV Y O N
A D V E R T I S I N G
The easiest McLuhan book to digest,
and the most profound at the core. Take
an hour to digest this beautiful creation
and understand the title.
T H E M E D I A I S T H E
M E S S A G E
48
UNRAVELING
THE MODERN
CONSUMER
N E R D Y I S T H E N E W S E X Y
Modern consumers are nothing like their former selves. The new
human is shaped by their world, and the world we live in now is
hyper connected, always on, and more dynamic than ever. The
following minds focus on understanding the future consumer and
translating this into marketing action.
F O L L O W A L L 8
49
HE COINED “THE EXPERIENCE ECONOMY”
H A R V A R D P U B L I S H E D A N D G E N I U N E T H I N K E R
H e s h o w s y o u t h e f u t u r e o f t h e c o n s u m e r l a n d s c a p e
Author of The Experience Economy, Mass Customization, Infinite Possibilities,
and Authenticity Joe is often years ahead of the buzz. He also writes for deeper
thinkers who want to tackle the underlying questions, and issues rather than
being satisfied with a surface level view.
He’s been writing for Harvard Business Press for over 20 years and is a sought
after consultant by the world’s biggest brands. His feed is filled with deep
thinking and amazing insights into how business must change to meet the
modern consumer. .
P u t o n y o u r t h i n k i n g c a p , a n d f o l l o w a l o n g
JOE PINE II
@joepine
50
GETTING INTO CONSUMERS MINDS
A N N S W E R I N G T H E Q U S T I O N O F W H Y B Y
Author of many best selling books,
Nicholas covers a deeper side of
humanity. By learning how people think,
act, and behave, you can learn new
ways to reach them and break through.
All of his books are must reads.
N I C H O L A S C A R R
Danah currently serves as the Principal
Research at Microsoft Research, and is
a social media scholar and author. She
focuses a lot of her work on technology
and its affect on teens. She also founded
Data and Society.
D A N A H B O Y D A A R O N K E L L E R
Tom is VP of Strategy at Edison
Research. He often talks about
consumer insights and social media, and
uses real data to back up his
assumptions. He’s an agreed upon
thought leader and a must for this list.
Aaron is the founder of Capsule design,
and more importantly the author of The
Physics of Brand. His take on branding
is based on consumer research and
understanding. Not a big name, but he’s
a true thought leader.
T O M W E B S T E R
@roughtype @webby2001 @zephoria @kellerofcapsule
51
DEEP THOUGHTS WITH
T H I N K I N G O N T H E E D G E
Jennifer is a social psychologist and professor of
Marketing at Stanford Graduate School of Business.
She is also the author of The Dragonfly Effect. She is
a true scholar on the topic of marketing.
Doc is another great thinker and covers much more
than just marketing. He’s on the list because he will
open you up to new ways of thinking which will spark
new ideas on what is possible for your efforts. He
also co-wrote Cluetrain Manifesto and authored the
Intention Economy.
Don is a thought leader who we all owe something
to. He co-wrote The One to One Future with Martha
Rodgers, and forever changed the marketing world.
He still writes and continues to push the bounds of
brand, marketing, and experience.
JENNIFER AAKER DOC SEARLS DON PEPPERS
@aaker @dsearls @donpeppers
52
ROI IS NOT
THE METRIC
YOU SEEK
A J E D I M I N D T R I C K
Marketing measurement is not a light subject. The following minds
are here to show you better ways to look at metrics, and open your
eyes to models, values, and other types of reporting to help you
move past basic ROI.
F O L L O W A L L 6
53
MEASURING THE DIGITAL WORLD
L A U G H T E R I S A G E N U I N E H U M A N E M O T I O N
G a r y i s a b r i l l i a n t m i n d , a n d t r u s t e d b y s o m e o f t h e w o r l d ’s b i g g e s t b r a n d s t o h e l p t h e m s h o w v a l u e o n
m a r k e t i n g e ff o r t s . Yo u s h o u l d l i s t e n t o h i m t o o !
Gary is the head of digital analytics for EY. He’s been writing on the topic of
measurement of marketing for years on his Measuring the Digital World blog,
which has now been released as a book. Gary is one of the forward thinking
minds helping major brands see new value in their marketing efforts.
Gary will tell you, “Look at Models, not Metrics”. His personal twitter feed is full of
amazing insights into better ways of measuring, understanding data, and tactics
for revealing true value. He’s a name you must know, and will learn an enormous
amount from.
T h e m a n w i t h t h e g o l d e n f o r e c a s t s
GARY ANGEL
@garyangel
54
MARKETING ANALYTICS AND DATA
H O W N E R D Y D O Y O U W A N T T O G E T ?
T O M D A V E N P O R T A V I N A S H K A U S H I K
A u t h o r o f t w o b e s t s e l l i n g
b o o k s , A n a l y t i c s 2 . 0 , a n d
A n a l y t i c s a n H o u r a D a y .
Av i n a s h i s c u r r e n t l y D i g i t a l
M a r k e t i n g E v a n g e l i s t a t
G o o g l e .
@tdav
To m i s t h e a u t h o r o f 1 5
b o o k s , w a s p r e v i o u s l y a
p r o f e s s o r a t H a r v a r d , a n d
i s n o w a t B a b s o n . H e ’s a
b r i l l i a n t m i n d a n d h i s
p e r s o n a l f e e d i s f u l l o f
a r t i c l e s t o f i l l t h e n e r d y
c r a v i n g s y o u m a y h a v e .
@avinash
J U S T I N C U T R O N I E
@justincutronie
J u s t i n i s a n A n a l y t i c s
A d v o c a t e a t G o o g l e , a n d
a n o t h e r i m p r e s s i v e m i n d
l o o k i n g a t m e a s u r i n g
m a r k e t i n g ' s e ff e c t i v e n e s s .
H e a l s o b l o g s a t
C u t r o n i . c o m a b o u t a n a l y t i c s
a n d m a r k e t i n g
m e a s u r e m e n t .
B R E N T D Y K E S
@analyticshero
A u t h o r o f We b A n a l y t i c s
A c t i o n H e r o , a n d d i r e c t o r o f
D a t a s t r a t e g y a t D O M O .
B r e n t w a s p r e v i o u s l y S r
E v a n g e l i s t o f d a t a a n a l y t i c s
a t A d o b e .
S T É P H A N E H A M E L
@shamel67
S t e p h a n e i s o u t o f C a n a d a
a n d a f r e q u e n t s p e a k e r o n
m a r k e t i n g a n d a n a l y t i c s .
H i s p e r s o n a l t w i t t e r f e e d i s
a g o l d m i n e f o r p r a c t i c a l
t i p s a n d s u g g e s t i o n s o n
m e a s u r e m e n t .
55
THANK YOU!
O N E M O R E T H I N G
T h e d e s i r e t o l e a r n i s t h e f i r s t s t e p i n b e c o m i n g a
g r e a t m a r k e t e r. L i s t e n t o t h e s e m i n d s a n d y o u w i l l
t r u l y r e c e i v e t h e b e s t i d e a s , t a c t i c s , a n d r e a l
e x p e r t a d v i c e f r o m t h e b e s t i n t h e i n d u s t r y.
F O L L O W A L L 1 0 3
D O N ’ T F O R G E T T O
C L I C K H E R E T O A D D
T H E F U L L L I S T T O
Y O U R T W I T T E R
A C C O U N T