BBR6 Thought Leader Q&A: Lori Jacobus, CMO of Murad

 Why did you choose this career? Why the [beauty] industry? What’s not to love about beauty? The industry has energy unlike any other.  Brands really live and die on newness and innovation and that creates a fast paced and very creative atmosphere—there is always something exciting happening. Of course the larger discussion of the relationship of a brand to the social environment is always intriguing, and that’s what makes brand building fun in any industry. But the fact that I get to do it in beauty is the icing on the cake!

Who/what are your biggest career influences? Back when I was infused in the ad world, I was lucky enough to be mentored by a true business and marketing genius, Jerry Sachs.  Jerry set an amazing example as a person and as a marketing professional.  His clients hung on his every word and his staff would walk through fire for him. Jerry was there for me in my formative years, but I have been privileged to work with some amazingly talented marketers and creative people who have helped me to keeping growing.

 Who is today’s [beauty] consumer? How are they changing? More than ever, today’s beauty consumer not only wants results, she wants proof that every penny she spends is going to have a positive ROI!  Gimmicks are a thing of the past.  Consumers want products to be real, they want them to be affordable and they want access when and where they want it – and the brands that meet those wants win big.

What do [beauty] professionals need to do to continue to connect/attract with today’s beauty consumer? Listen to them.  If you ask, they’ll tell you – and the insight will be of value.  Engage and understand how important your consumers are, and then let them know you hear them.  Social media is changing the game and consumers know how to use the power of their opinion more then ever before.

 What do you see as the latest trends in your industry? With the explosion of new access points for information and interaction, it’s easier then ever before for consumers to connect with a brand emotionally – and brands that offer too much marketing hype seem both old fashioned and inauthentic.  I believe we will continue to see brands trying to get consumer’s attention through social media and that will require them to establish and preserve credibility and authenticity in tandem.

 What attributes make a great leader? Tell us about your leadership style. A great leader must be genuinely inspirational – and by that I mean they’ve got to be able set a tone and provide a vision that authentically motivates people who work for them.  According to a worldwide study conducted by Tower Watson, the single highest driver of workplace engagement is whether or not workers feel their managers are genuinely interested in their well-being.  Turns out less than 40% of workers feel that their managers care about them as people.  In my 25+ years of experience in the workplace, I’ve seen many more managers who are comfortable having “course-correction” conversations – those tough love meetings where we tell people to straighten up—but I’ve rarely found managers who motivate through reinforcement and appreciation. My personal style is to try to work from that space since it makes for a more productive staff and a better working environment for all of us.

 What kinds of qualities do you look for in an employee/when hiring a candidate/someone to join your team? Of course you want to make sure that a potential hire has all the qualifications and experience needed to succeed in the job.  But, aside from that, I have found it of great value to focus on the cultural fit. If you have a culture that is very team oriented and you bring on someone who is very self-oriented, resentment and discord start to take hold and productivity suffers as the focus shifts to personality and away from creating success for the departmental team and the company as a whole.

 What is the best way/strategy for someone interested in your company to employ to get a foot in the door? What makes a candidate stand out? Genuine positivity and passion, smarts, healthy ambition and drive.  I’m drawn to those candidates with a great hunger to learn and who have some story to tell that gives me a hint that they are able to work  as a part of a team while still preserving their independence.   Just like a sports team, everyone’s got a position to play, but it’s the collective effort of the team that wins the game.

 Any other advice/words of wisdom? Never forget that you are the product so you need to exhibit the best qualities of a well defined offering in the marketplace.  Deliver the results you promise.  Understand what makes you unique.  Don’t let hype and inauthenticy degrade your relationships.

Check out Lori’s keynote address on “Teamwork: Utilizing Individual Strengths to Create a Dynamic Team”  by watching the following videos:

Part 1

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzMbt1h6Shw&feature=youtu.be

Part 2

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wu0MEUtmzus&feature=youtu.be

Part 3

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaBHPOZgIRA&feature=youtu.be

For more info on Murad, click here

Click here to read BBR6 Thought Leader, Alice Kim, Founder & President of Lash Card