ANA’s Bob Liodice Talks About Dynamic Change, Opportunities, and the Optimism of 2024 …

Bob Liodice, chief executive officer of the ANA, certainly understands both the challenges and opportunities marketers face today. 

As he anticipates the key issues and trends of 2024, Bob considers both large, defining topics like the effect of Gen AI on the industry and how a central ANA tenet like “growth” is continuing to develop, as well as tactical solutions like new efficiencies available to the media supply chain.

In fact, the ANA’s 2023 Word of the Year was AI… which, interestingly, was also the organization’s Word of the Year in 2017.  Of course, Artificial Intelligence has accelerated dramatically in six years, and now the impact on marketers is substantial. While Bob Liodice believes that many of his members are clearly excited about AI, he understands that others are wary or feel they lack in-depth understanding.

He adds, “Generative AI will be a disruptive technology for years to come, and marketing teams need to address the opportunity and risks head-on.  Nothing has dominated the marketing conversation this past year like AI.”

ANA’s AI FOR MARKETERS

As a result, the ANA is responding quickly to these concerns by providing an Industry Conference this spring (April 8-10). Entitled ANA’s AI for Marketers, the event will offer both virtual and in-person participation at the Margaritaville Beach Resort in Hollywood, Florida. The conference will explore numerous AI examples from leading brands, while also considering issues involving governance, ethics, and intellectual property protection. Discussion will range from how AI improves performance and drive efficiencies to how some companies are instituting guardrails to address larger concerns.

TALENT’S AFFECT ON GROWTH

Bob Liodice also admits that his biggest wish for the industry would be investing in the development of talent. “This would dramatically impact the industry at scale—not only by helping marketing teams gain skills, but by fostering growth through increased performance. Plus, companies and brands with greater capabilities raise the bar for the entire industry.”

To learn more from Bob Liodice and his comments on current realities involving a range of subjects all marketers must consider–from the economy to talent and creativity watch the video interview on Internationalist Marketing TV (IMTV) on YouTube by CLICKING HERE.

In our conversation, we discuss the following:

• Before we start with your thoughts about the year ahead in marketing, let’s turn to the past year.  How would you characterize 2023 for the industry?  Were there any events or issues in 2023 that you would describe as “pivotal” to marketing… in that they may shape the future of the discipline… 

• Let’s turn to 2024, what would you say are the top concerns of marketers now? 

• I know that Growth is core to the ANA agenda… and while the word is evergreen, many issues can impact Growth—from world crises to economic uncertainty.  I’m curious if ideas around Growth have transformed or developed further at the ANA…

• You’ve talked a lot about the Programmatic Media Supply Chain.  Your latest report suggests there is $22 billion in efficiency gains that could be available through greater transparency.  Would you tell us how the average marketer could reap some of those benefits?

• Does purpose still matter?  There is more talk of purpose washing or purpose “gaps”… how have discussions of purpose evolved for marketers?

• Do you think the role of marketing has changed significantly in our post-COVID world?

• If you had a wish list for the industry and a limitless budget, what would you do?

• What’s next for the ANA—in terms of new or expanded initiatives?  

• Finally… What ONE WORD (or phrase) do you believe will characterize the coming year?

Listen to Bob Liodice and his comments on a range of subjects all marketers must consider, and to The Internationalist’s entire Trendsetters podcast series here on iHeartRadio’s Spreaker or wherever you download your podcasts.

Bob Liodice joined the ANA in 1995 as a senior vice president and has since championed expansion for the organization and growth for its members.

Today, he is also co-chair of the ANA Alliance for Inclusive and Multicultural Marketing, chair of the Privacy for America coalition, and he serves on the governing bodies of the Partnership for Responsible Addressable Media and the Global Alliance for Responsible Media.

Prior to the ANA, Bob was vice president of global marketing and sales for Grupo Televisa, a major worldwide broadcaster. His previous experience includes more than 15 years in marketing and financial management at Kraft General Foods and tenure as category marketing manager for the Jell-O and Bakers brands.

The ANA’s membership consists of U.S. and international companies, including client-side marketers, nonprofits, fundraisers, and marketing solutions providers (data science and technology companies, ad agencies, publishers, media companies, suppliers, and vendors). The ANA creates Marketing Growth Champions by serving, educating, and advocating for more than 50,000 industry members that collectively invest more than $400 billion in marketing and advertising annually.