Company Spotlight Interview: CMG Partners

Ivy Exec recently interviewed Karl Gustafson, Director at CMG Partners. Since 1998, CMG Partners has been dedicated to activating and accelerating the CMO’s Agenda to drive top-line growth from strategy through execution. The strategic marketing consulting firm has worked with emerging and middle-market organizations, high-performing private equity firms and Fortune 500 companies in creating new revenue opportunities, building brand equity, generating and capturing market demand, igniting customer value and improving overall marketing productivity.

Ivy Exec:
In which area of your company do you expect the most growth during 2012?

Karl Gustafson:
CMG Partners is somewhat unique as we focus purely on marketing strategy: identifying new revenue streams, improving brands, launching new products, improving customer experience, and improving marketing operations. We are seeing a rebounding economy and expect to see strong demand for help identifying new revenue streams and launching new strategies and products.

Ivy Exec:
What changes and challenges do you think your company and industry will see in the next 5 years?

Karl:
CMG Partners is in a rapid growth stage, having experienced significant revenue and team growth over the past two years. Maintaining that trajectory while simultaneously remaining true to our culture and identity is the primary challenge that we will face in the next five years.

Driving top line growth is a key priority for our clients and they face many challenges in this area. These are mainly macro-economic related – meaning how they grow will be dependent on many factors – EU debt crisis, global demand, US unemployment, etc. Our job is to help them navigate these challenges to find the best ways to differentiate themselves and achieve their grow targets.

Ivy Exec:
What attracted you to CMG Partners?

Karl:
The breadth of what we do and the people – as a former line manager I was very attracted to the fact that CMG Partners is involved with strategy development, planning, and execution.

Ivy Exec:
What three words best describe your culture?

Karl:
1. Collaborative
2. Entrepreneurial
3. Quirky

Ivy Exec:
What are the two best perks that employees get at your company?

Karl:
– Tickets to the Durham Bulls minor league baseball games – it’s a good time!
– Quarterly team celebrations, which provides an opportunity for the firm to get together and celebrate accomplishments.

Ivy Exec:
What gets you excited about going to work each day?

Karl:
My colleagues – we have a great team that is smart and collaborative yet challenges each other’s thinking, and most importantly makes an effort to have fun along the way.

Ivy Exec:
Which leadership qualities best insure success at CMG Partners?

Karl:
Confidence, ability to take initiative, and ability to deal with ambiguity.

Ivy Exec:
Who is your pick for the World Series this year?

Karl:
Durham Bulls!

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