CMO Spotlight | Kevin Thompson - Grace De Monaco
The CMO Spotlight is a chance to get an inside look into the minds and journeys of high-performing marketing leaders.
Setup Founder & CEO, Joe Koufman, virtually sat down with Kevin Thompson, the CMO at Grace De Monaco, Princess Grace Foundation USA, and Grace Influential, to discuss how Tina Turner and Tom Ford inspire him, how past campaigns with Barneys New York and Sotheby's International Realty have helped shaped his career, and more.
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“I just want everybody to try as hard as they can. That’s the thing that matters the most to me. If we’ve tried as hard as we could and we’ve been as thoughtful as we could and we’ve done things to the best of our ability, then that’s really the best we can do.”
Q1 | Is there advice you would like to share?
Thompson shared that details matter, and that marketers have to pay close attention to the details that others may overlook. He also advised marketers “to be mindful about aligning with certain egos in the marketplace,” and to be tactful about who you associate with and learn from.
Q2 | Where do you find inspiration?
Thompson draws inspiration from Princess Grace of Monaco’s legacy. She was involved in the creation of the Gucci Flora pattern and was an incredible person, leaving a huge impact on him and many others.
“I'm constantly in awe of what she did and the impact she had on whole communities. She played by the rules, but she still got what she wanted done…and the Monaco of today wouldn't look or feel like it does if it wasn't for her.”
Q3 | Tell us about an impactful campaign.
Thompson worked on a campaign for Barneys New York that was centered around showcasing transgender models and their stories, and then opening up a dialogue about their experiences.
“I thought that [the campaign] was incredibly meaningful, so I've carried that forward. I also saw how passionate our CEO, Mark Lee, was about it. He really cared about it and I thought this is very cool and this is something that I want to do more of.”
He also learned about the importance of timing in marketing during his time working on a campaign for Sotheby's International Realty. He wanted to create the idea of “living the brand” for consumers and internally for the realtors. The campaign, rooted in fashion, highlighted the luxurious Sotheby’s lifestyle during a large global networking event in Vancouver. Unfortunately, the campaign didn’t fully resonate with the realtors because “they had trouble connecting with how to use [the brand] effectively in the work they were doing.” He realized that although the idea of “living the brand” resonated with him, it didn’t mean that it meant the same for the entire audience.
Q4 | Is there a musical artist who inspires you?
Thompson’s favorite musical artist is Tina Turner. He admires her unrelenting drive and determination to work hard even when things aren’t easy. “She got knocked down so many times and came from this enormously challenging place, and it was just unceasingly remarkable about what she did all the time. I think that there's something really admirable about how her approach was…she worked hard. Even when she was mega-famous, she was still working really hard.”
Q5 | Is there a brand that inspires you?
Thompson is inspired by Tom Ford’s artistry. “I think Tom Ford was the most remarkable of any of the shows this past fashion season because he just has this unceasing desire to be luxurious and make you feel sexy and over the top. I love it.”
For more marketing leadership advice and a view into the mindset of marketing executives in various industries, be sure to watch the full interview with Kevin Thompson, and keep an eye out for more thought leadership from our CMO Spotlights.
Watch the full interview to the right.
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