Hello Festival Pass family! We promised big things in the new year, and that’s exactly what we’re giving you in this week’s episode. Taking you behind the scenes is what we do here on the festivalPass Stories Podcast. Our man Pat Tully sits down with a legend in the business, Mr. Geoff Cottrill.

Marketing is such an important division, especially for larger corporations. Geoff has accomplished so much in his career for some of the biggest brands, not only in the United States but on the planet. He’s held positions at the top of companies like Proctor & Gamble and was the Senior Vice President of Strategic Marketing at Coca Cola. He was also the Vice President at Starbucks Entertainment Hear Music, and you know how great the tunes are if you’ve ever been in a Starbucks cafe. This would already be an impressive, dreamlike resume for any marketer if we stopped there. However, Geoff is most known for serving as the Chief Marketing Officer of Converse.

Working for the Nike subsidiary from 2007 to 2016, Geoff played a part in the genius shifts in branding that Converse has made over the years. What started as a sneaker company with a focus on the basketball community, is now one of the top shoe brands for skateboarders. Geoff talks about how Converse’s marketing plan at South by Southwest had the audience in mind and was done for those who love the festival. During this time, companies are quick to make an ad without really thinking about what the consumer wants. You can tell that Geoff is a real people person; a measurable that directly affects his success as one of the world’s best marketers.

In an era like we’re going through today, we need professionals and executives who care about something other than the bottom line, and Geoff certainly falls into that category. Not only is he respected for work in marketing, but Geoff also plays a huge part in his community as a philanthropist. He was given a position as a vice-chair for MusiCares, a charitable organization that is linked to the Grammy Awards. Now, Geoff is working on the board for another non-profit in Atlanta, Georgia that is associated with helping restaurant workers.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, elections, and social unrest, it’s hard to find someone who is as positive about the return of live events as Geoff is. Brandweek’s 2010 “Marketer of the Year” gives us all a bit of hope for the future in this exciting new episode of festivalPass Stories.

“I think you’ve got to understand your consumers, and what’s important to them.” - Geoff Cottrill

Catch the interview on Festival Pass Stories!

https://festivalpass.com/stories

**You can find Geoff on: **

Twitter- https://twitter.com/yogmoney

Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/geoffcottrill/

Geoff Cottrill’s Blog- https://yogmoney.wordpress.com

LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffreycottrill/

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