The ANA explored risk-taking in marketing (and why too much risk-aversion is a bad thing), featuring insights from Danielle Koffer, Chief Client Officer, U.S., Mindshare North America.
Excerpt: He notes, however, that the word “risk” is inherently negative and frequently frowned upon. Leading with the notion of risk-taking can be self-defeating. That’s why Chand steers clear of the notion of risk and focuses instead on the idea of innovation. “It’s very similar in terms of the outcomes you are trying to drive, but it has a much more positive connotation to it,” he explains. “That, I believe, is the first hurdle that must be overcome in getting folks to think about envisioning and implementing new ways of doing things in marketing.”
Danielle Koffer, chief client officer, U.S., at global media and marketing services company Mindshare, agrees with Chand. “The word ‘risk’ in and of itself carries a ton of stigma highlighting the downside of innovation,” she says. “Shifting to language such as ‘invention,’ ‘innovation,’ and ‘moonshot’ — as Google refers to it — reframes risk into a positive behavior.”
Mindshare has entire teams dedicated to driving provocation and innovation for its clients. “Provocation is in our DNA. We have deliberately positioned risk as a reward within our organization. That’s what you have to do,” Koffer says.
To hear more from Danielle and the other interviews, read the full piece on the ANA website. [Note: A free account is required]
