Top Marketers Discuss Art vs. Science at First CMO Council European Summit

London (November 18, 2005): “Art is important, but without the science, any organization’s marketing activity will sit low on the CEO’s agenda,” said James Richardson, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Cisco Systems, speaking this week in London at the inaugural European Summit of global technology marketing executives.

Over 100 top-level marketers gathered to hear a blue-chip group of presenters relay their technology marketing insights. Richardson stressed the need for technology marketers to balance creativity with business accountability. “The real issue is, how do we differentiate our products and brands with relevance? We have to make choices. Just because we can advertise, does not always mean we need to. Spending time and resources in an effective manner may mean initiating fewer marketing activities, but achieving greater focus, relevance and customer mindshare,” commented Richardson.

The CMO Council Summit played host to marketing heads from some of the world's biggest and best known technology company companies, such as Dell, IBM, Akamai, Kodak, Symantec, Avaya, Visa, MCI, Microsoft, Intel, Oracle, Philips Semiconductors, Deloitte and Siebel, who challenged conventional thinking. The conference theme, Perfecting the Art; Advancing the Science, stimulated informed discussion and interactive debates on the new challenges, trends and dynamics in global technology marketing – from managing a global brand, to promoting channel relationships and delivering marketing value in the boardroom.

Speakers on the world-class agenda included:

• Stephen Yeo, marketing director of Dell, UK
• Katharyn White, VP marketing Northeast Europe, IBM
• Amanda Jobbins, VP marketing EMEA, Symantec Corporation
• Martyn Lambert, VP marketing EMEA, Avaya
• Tony Kavanagh, VP marketing, Oracle Corporation

The CMO Council’s European Summit is the premier thought leadership and networking event for the CMO Council, an organization of nearly 2,000 marketing decision makers worldwide. Members control more than $50 billion in annual marketing and media expenditures and represent most major global brands.

About the CMO Council

The CMO Council is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to high-level knowledge exchange, thought leadership and personal relationship building among senior marketing and brand decision-makers in the global technology industry. Based in Silicon Valley, the Council works to further the stature, credibility, influence, and understanding of the strategic marketing function among business executives, opinion leaders and critical stakeholders in the technology sector. Nearly 1,500 technology companies are currently represented on the CMO Council, accounting for well over $500 billion in aggregated annual revenues. These include top decision-makers controlling more than $50 billion in global marketing expenditures for many of the world’s foremost computer systems, software, networking, communications, consumer electronics, component, distribution, and consulting brands. For more information, please visit our web site at www.cmocouncil.org.

The CMO Council is represented through regional chapters that convene in technology centers worldwide under the auspices and administration of GlobalFluency, the Independent Network of Influence. Spearheaded by Silicon Valley-based Neale-May & Partners‚ GlobalFluency consists of 114 offices employing over 650 professionals through its 41 agency partners in 72 countries. Together‚ these organizations represent more than $60 million in billings from scores of clients across the information technology‚ communications‚ systems integration and Internet service sectors. More information is available at www.globalfluency.com.