CMO Spotlight | John Miller - NBCUniversal Marketing Council

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The CMO Spotlight is a chance to get an inside look into the minds and journeys of high performing marketing leaders. 

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Setup CEO Joe Koufman virtually sat down with John Miller, a Chairman for the NBCUniversal Marketing Council, a group designed to help marketers at NBCUniversal and Comcast work together. The full conversation covers his career path over the last 40 years in the Entertainment Industry, as well as his insights into becoming a better, stronger leader. 

WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW AND READ THE RECAP BELOW. 

Q1 | Tell us about your career path.

Miller’s path began in Chicago where he started doing promotional work and then moved to the CBS Network where he eventually was promoted to the Director of Affiliate Marketing and then the Head of Advertising for CBS News. Eventually Miller moved to NBC as the Vice President of Affiliate Marketing and then he became the Head of Marketing for the West Coast of the NBC Entertainment Division. Down the road, Miller became the President of the in-house NBC Agency which eventually led him to create the NBCUniversal Marketing Council. 

“It was more important to me to have the company succeed than me succeed. I had already succeeded, so I wanted to now do something for the company that was different...so we created the NBCUniversal Marketing Council.”

Q2 | What is your superpower? 

Miller considers hard work, a sense of humor, creativity, and collaboration as superpowers. His superpower in his own role is the ability to bring everything together and to adapt.

Q3 | Is there a piece of advice that you would like to pass onto other marketers?

“[You need to] understand that the world is going to change and you better change with it,” he advises. Miller is big on constantly learning. 

“Don’t assume you know it all. Rely on your team and anybody else to give you information.”

His advice is to “Get a job at a place where you think you can grow and just do the best you can.” Every interaction is an opportunity for growth that adds to and creates your career path. 

Q4 | How do you mentor/coach your team?

“Don't be afraid to fail,” Miller says. “Learn. And don't think you know it all.”

“[As a leader], you want to listen and also teach at the same time.”

He emphasized that there is value in honesty, communication, listening, and providing a clear direction, and that leaders can get value from listening to their employees. In order to make a decision, there needs to be clarity about the tactics and strategies that are necessary to achieve. 

Q5 | Where does your team find inspiration?

“The work and ideas of the team often can provide inspiration,” Miller says. “We live in a very competitive world and to succeed in it, you have to have some competitive spirit.” Overall, he stated that this competitive spirit can lead to the innovation that drives the success of a brand. 

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When asked for an inspirational quote, Miller answered, “First be best, then be first.” A lot of Miller’s intentions as a leader were focused on getting good at what they do before getting ahead. “If you can do good, then you will do well,” he stated. 

Other highlights include Miller’s outlook on agency partnerships, how marketing showcases their value to the company, and his experience as a bass singer in a quartet. 

For more marketing leadership advice and a view into the mindset of a marketing executive, be sure to watch the full interview with John Miller, and keep an eye out for more thought leadership from our CMO Spotlights.

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