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

Setup CEO, Joe Koufman, virtually sat down with Laura Trotter, the Chief Marketing Officer of the USIS Division of Equifax to share how she values and maintains her relationships, how her superpower helps her rebound from failure, and more.

WATCH + READ THE RECAP BELOW

Q1 | What is your superpower?

“Grit and resilience.” Because risks and failures are inevitable as a marketer, Trotter recognizes the importance of endurance. “Marketing sometimes involves taking risks and trying experiments that don't work, and really the ability to rebound from failure is key. I find that really seeking the lessons from those experiences is something that I enjoy and find exciting.”

Q2 | Where do you find inspiration?

Trotter finds inspiration in multiple ways, but especially by looking outside of herself. She explained that having a “myopic perspective” is easy to fall victim to, so she suggests widening your perspective for better ideas. 

Her team is also a source of inspiration. 

“We all need a source of inspiration now and then, so sometimes seeing and hearing what your peers are doing not only can spark that creative juice, but also trigger a related but different thought or idea for your own work.”

Q3 | Tell us about an impactful campaign.

"For All You Seek" was a “campaign that was really conceived to appeal on an emotional level using the voice of the customer. The campaign really emphasized the common aspiration of our target audience, which was scientists at the time, to really seek scientific solutions.” Working with a variety of industries makes it hard to lock down a tone that resonates across the board, but, even though the emotional campaign was challenging, it was very successful.

Trotter learned three key lessons working on this marketing campaign: 

1. Consistency and repetition is effective. Making sure your audience sees the message often and across numerous channels is vital.

2. There is a process to pull off an effective integrated marketing strategy that creates a unified message for a company that serves different industries.

3. Having a healthy dynamic with the marketing and sales teams is so important. Strong ties between the teams allows follow through with leads that may have been generated through a campaign, guaranteeing that no prospect falls through the cracks.

Q4 | What’s important to keep in mind when marketing in the B2B Space?

Despite the complexity of the B2B sales cycle, the consumers you're selling and marketing to are human beings, and it's important to treat them like they're human. She continued, “I think that we get a little bit abstract sometimes in the B2B world, so keeping that fundamental basic in mind that, at the end of the day, we are people.” 

Q5 | What quote inspires you and why?

Trotter mentioned a quote from author and poet Maya Angelou:

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people always remember how you made them feel.”

For Trotter, the quote implies that “intent really doesn't matter; you may have not intended to hurt someone's feelings when you said or did something, but it doesn't matter.” Being able to maintain and care for her relationships is something that is extremely important to her because the strength of her relationships “is the most fulfilling aspect of life.”

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 Laura Trotter, and keep an eye out for more thought leadership from our CMO Spotlights.

Watch the full interview to the right.