Raising In cultivating a the new brand story for Emerson, CMO Kathy Button Bell has changed the perception of science as a profession SINCE KATHY BUTTON BELL was C named chief marketing officer at Emerson in 1999, she’s not only reengineered the manufacturing and technology company’s leadership role in its industries, but market- ing’s role within the company. She O kicked off her stint with a massive rebranding effort that dropped the “Electric” part of the company name (it sounded too turn of the century) and brought 35 autono- mous sub-brands under one overarching umbrella. O Button Bell and her team have cultivated a brand story that resonates with businesses around the world and infiltrates every aspect of the brand — from research and development to human resources and new business models. Emer- L son’s “Consider It Solved” campaign centers around reducing complexity and how the company solves people’s problems. The company is in the midst of a year-long celebra- tion of its 125th anniversary and is FactorBY CARLA JOHNSON focusing on making science sexy to PHOTOGRAPHS BY KEVIN J. MIYAZAKI a younger generation — Millennials who also happen to be future employees and customers. Core to changing the perception of science as a profession has been Emerson’s partnership with Hank Green, YouTube star of VlogBrothers, CrashCourse, and SciShow, to establish the company as a “hub” for resources related to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). Why? It turns out that Emerson and Green have the same goals — to get more people interested in science and engineering. B-to-B Marketer sat down with Button Bell, a past chair of the BMA Advisory Board, to talk about how she champions her bold initiatives. CREDIT CREDIT 6 B-to-B MARKETER Summer 2015 You’ve significantly repositioned Emerson within its industries. Instead of a staid, boring engineering com- pany, you’ve made it fun, hip, and attractive to both customers and potential employees. How have you convinced a heavily engineering culture that humor and playfulness have a place in B-to-B? Senior management and our CEO seemed to have enjoyed what we’ve done. Who minds looking hipper in order to look more progressive? For people who work here, it makes them feel better to be part of something that, in general, is more contempo- rary. It tends to make the company feel younger — anything from bright colors and music to affiliating with Hank Green. It’s fun and gets attention. People enjoy it. Change happens very slowly in large B-to-B using The Big Bang Theory as a launching pad for organizations. How have you bucked this trend our campaign with Hank, and that helps us create a at Emerson and dramatically shifted from selling younger, personal, progressive experience and allows products to solving customer problems? us to broaden the message to younger, potential Why would you want a product when you can have a employees and future customers and investors. solution? Fifteen years ago we had a situation where the answer to a customer’s problem was actually a portfolio People have so many demands for their attention of products. We used that as an example of how we in today’s digital world. What channels do you find could use a different business model — focusing on most effective to reach customers, prospective solutions rather than products — to deliver what customers, and audiences that matter to Emerson? customers needed most. Emerson is a fast-learning Video has been the best because it conveys sound, environment. If we see a positive response to some- feeling, humanity, and emotion in a way that thing, then people are willing to get on board. As a connects us to a younger generation. Having Hank company, we’re excellent in moving ideas forward. talk about STEM on behalf of Emerson gives us a more authentic reach into a new audience that is You’re in the midst of celebrating Emerson’s between the ages of 16 and 30. We would have a 125th anniversary and you’ve used this as a hard time reaching them otherwise. platform to tell your story in a way that’s making the brand a household name to science geeks You’re vocal about the need to elevate the profes- everywhere. How are you doing this, and why sion of marketing within B-to-B organizations. does this broader audience matter? Why is that so important, and how are you doing We used the 125th anniversary as an excuse to bang that at Emerson? the “one Emerson” drum louder as opposed to all of B-to-B marketing has really lagged the last 10 years. our parts. Our partnership with Hank is important. What TV did to the expectations of B-to-C consumers People think of Millennials as employees, but we in the 1950s, the Internet did to B-to-B buyers. The recognize them as customers. Hank helps us reach a Internet and email have been the foundation for group of like-minded science fans, engineers, and the exponential growth, globalization, and more CREDIT CREDIT STEM aficionados at a new level. Combine that with competition, but B-to-B companies have been Association of National Advertisers ana.net 7 KATHY BUTTON BELL’S BEST BUSINESS Emerson’s partnership with YouTube star Hank Green has opened the door for the company to connect with a PRACTICES younger consumer base. DIVIDE AND 1CONQUER. Take marketing change to one person at a time. playing catchup since the 1990s. Add to that the so that we can deliver a consistent voice for the Don’t walk into a big fact that complex solutions are complicated to brand story in social channels. auditorium and explain it. explain, yet customers are used to, and expect, Take it apart and address Amazon-type online experiences. We need to elevate The ability, freedom, and willingness to fail are as many people as you the importance of marketing’s role in bringing the touted as the foundation for creativity and can one on one. voice of the customer inside the organization. Great innovation. How have you created an environment FIND THE SQUEAKY marketing is simplification. The more you can for marketers to take risks at Emerson? 2WHEEL FIRST. simplify anything — whether it’s branding or I like to think that I set a personal example for taking There will always be industrial design — in a shorter, more articulate risks, or at least calculated risks. I like to push things a someone who’s vocal manner, the better. little further than people’s comfort level. Using color about what’s not working or why things should be One way we’ve elevated the need for, and and music are easy. Our partnership with Hank Green done differently. Find this credibility of, marketing is to go beyond the walls of is a good example. Social media sets an example of person first and get them marketing. A few years ago, we had some product stretching the organization. Emerson-size companies on board first. launches that were disappointing. We saw that take risks just by growing, and engineering compa- engineers were doing the research but they asked nies are careful by nature. You have to balance risks BE THE COMPLEX- feature-oriented questions. Now marketing handles with being open-minded to opportunities. 3ITY REDUCTION OFFICER. If you can market research and we’ve been able to go to an make things simpler, end user, understand their unmet needs, and then You’re a champion of supporting women in then everyone will collaborate across business units to get down to real business and, more specifically, women in love what you’re doing, innovation. Marketing is the only function of the engineering. Why is this important to you? including the CEO and CFO. Great marketing business that has the opportunity to touch every We need diversity of both thought and cultural equals simplicity. other department. We made sure to do exactly that experience. Historically, women weren’t encouraged so we could create a better customer experience. to be engineers. Things don’t change unless people BECOME THE champion them. I have enjoyed my experience as 4CHIEF INSPIRATION The world of B-to-B marketing is changing rapidly. a woman in business, and that’s why I’m super OFFICER. Never forget that’s why you’re here, As the CMO, how do you handle all of this from a enthusiastic for other women to join the party. to inspire everyone talent perspective? What skills in particular are you Women bring different perspectives. I think we’re throughout the company looking for in marketers? Does Emerson have a underrepresented when it comes to the population to collaborate, innovate, formal training program in place? of women in business, especially at the senior level. and drive growth. As a company we’re coming to understand that we We need the diversification that female talent brings. GO BIG OR GO need more marketing, and we don’t have enough 5HOME. For our native talent. We’re bringing in skilled marketers Of what are you the most proud? 125th anniversary, we who think differently. We also know we have to By far, getting the brand architecture rolled out across kept saying “yes.” There encourage different corporate-wide mindsets and Emerson and sticking to it. Second is elevating was no idea that was too behavior from our current team. We have on-going marketing within an engineering company. That’s big or too bold. For people to think differently of training in the business units peppered with stints been harder but we keep building a deep apprecia- Emerson, we had to act of “industrial-strength” marketing every few years.