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So, how did you get into marketing?

I have been doing a lot of interviews lately because of my new book, and I normally don’t get thrown by an interviewer’s question, but I really wasn’t sure what to say to that one. I write a lot about marketing and have two books out on marketing, so people assume that I am a marketer, but I am not sure that I am.


If you get my business card, it says that I am an IBM Distingusihed Engineer, which doesn’t sound a whole lot like a marketing job. And it’s not.
And my previous job at ibm.com said I was the Manager of Global Web Experience—still doesn’t sound like marketing, although it was closer.
But I think that’s OK. I mean, who says that I need to be a marketer to write about marketing? I got a professional certification in marketing, so at least I am trained. I wonder, though, if it is helpful to marketers that I am not a professional marketer. I wonder if that helps me see past the ways marketing has always been done to help everyone get to where we need to go.
After all, part of my message to marketers is that everyone in your company needs to be a marketer. They all need to be out there in public helping your customers. That’s what Web 2.0 is all about. So, in that sense, I guess I am a marketer because we all are. Maybe that’s the answer I should have given to that question.
Well, if you want to see the dopey answer I really gave, check out the full interview I did with MarketingCrossing.

Mike Moran

Mike Moran is a Converseon, an AI powered consumer intelligence technology and consulting firm. He is also a senior strategist for SoloSegment, a marketing automation software solutions and services firm. Mike also served as a member of the Board of Directors of SEMPO. Mike spent 30 years at IBM, rising to Distinguished Engineer, an executive-level technical position. Mike held various roles in his IBM career, including eight years at IBM’s customer-facing website, ibm.com, most recently as the Manager of ibm.com Web Experience, where he led 65 information architects, web designers, webmasters, programmers, and technical architects around the world. Mike's newest book is Outside-In Marketing with world-renowned author James Mathewson. He is co-author of the best-selling Search Engine Marketing, Inc. (with fellow search marketing expert Bill Hunt), now in its Third Edition. Mike is also the author of the acclaimed internet marketing book, Do It Wrong Quickly: How the Web Changes the Old Marketing Rules, named one of best business books of 2007 by the Miami Herald. Mike founded and writes for Biznology® and writes regularly for other blogs. In addition to Mike’s broad technical background, he holds an Advanced Certificate in Market Management Practice from the Royal UK Charter Institute of Marketing and is a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. He also teaches at Rutgers Business School. He was a Senior Fellow at the Society for New Communications Research and is now a Senior Fellow of The Conference Board. A Certified Speaking Professional, Mike regularly makes speaking appearances. Mike’s previous appearances include keynote speaking appearances worldwide

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