You Might Also Like: Math & Magic: Stories from the Frontiers of Marketing with Bob Pittman

SPEAKER_1 (0:02)

You're listening to Math & Magic, a production of iHeart Podcasts.

Diego Scotti (0:08)

When we talk about stakeholders, when you think of your shareholders, your customers, your employees, and the fourth stakeholder that to me is critical, is society as a whole. And that's why when you put all of that together, every company needs to think about how that purpose-driven marketing should be part of your mainstream marketing, not just something that you do on the side, because it's part of your philanthropic approaches.

Bob Pittman (0:37)

Hi, I'm Bob Pittman and welcome to Math & Magic. Today, we have someone who has an incredible range in marketing, and has a broad understanding of the consumer. Many different businesses, but all focus on the consumer. And it's that consumer expertise that has allowed him to succeed again and again. He's Diego Scotti, most recently Executive Vice President and General Manager of Paypal's Consumer Group in Global Marketing and Communications. He's also had successful stints in American Express, Verizon, Condé Nast and J.Crew. Not many people have that kind of versatility. And today, we're going to dig into how he's done it.

He's from a small town in Argentina, and is fluent in the cultures of Europe, Latin America and the US. He also has a unique blend of business and creative skills.

He's a board CMO, Hall of Famer, along with a number of other prestigious awards. And best of all, he's a nice guy and a good friend. Diego, welcome.

Diego Scotti (1:33)

Thank you. It's great to be here.

Bob Pittman (1:35)

So before we jump in, I want to do you in 60 seconds. You ready to go?

Diego Scotti (1:40)

Ready to go.

Bob Pittman (1:41)

You prefer cats or dogs?

Diego Scotti (1:42)

Dogs for sure.

Bob Pittman (1:43)

Early riser or night owl?

Diego Scotti (1:45)

Early riser.

Bob Pittman (1:46)

West coast or east coast?

Diego Scotti (1:47)

East coast.

Bob Pittman (1:48)

Argentina or the USA.?

Diego Scotti (1:50)

Oh, I gotta say Argentina.

Bob Pittman (1:53)

Coke or Pepsi?

Diego Scotti (1:54)

Coke.

Bob Pittman (1:54)

Beach or mountains?

Diego Scotti (1:56)

Beach.

Bob Pittman (1:57)

Coffee or tea?

Diego Scotti (1:58)

Coffee all the way.

Bob Pittman (1:59)

Books or movies?

Diego Scotti (2:01)

Movies.

Bob Pittman (2:03)

Podcasts or streaming TV?

Diego Scotti (2:05)

Podcasts.

Bob Pittman (2:06)

A good answer. Cook or eat out?

Diego Scotti (2:08)

Eat out.

Bob Pittman (2:09)

Call or text?

Diego Scotti (2:10)

Call.

Bob Pittman (2:11)

It's about to get harder. All time favorite musical artist?

Diego Scotti (2:14)

Oh, I would say Frank Sinatra. I had the chance to see him when I was six years old when he came to Argentina, and I remember that concert like it was today.

Bob Pittman (2:23)

Favorite TV show?

Diego Scotti (2:24)

The Americans.

Bob Pittman (2:25)

Smartest person you know?

Diego Scotti (2:27)

My wife.

Bob Pittman (2:29)

Right answer. Most important bit of advice you ever got?

Diego Scotti (2:33)

If you think it, it's true, meaning your intuition is real information.

Bob Pittman (2:39)

Last one. Favorite place in the world to visit?

Diego Scotti (2:42)

Rio de Janeiro.

Bob Pittman (2:44)

All right. Let's jump in.

You're an expert on the consumer and have talked with them in many different ways. Let's talk about how you see the new generation that has grown up without the unifying mass shared experience like big TV shows to drive a common culture. How are they different from what I would call the TV generations? And how do you reach them and connect with them?

Diego Scotti (3:07)

Well, the first thing that I would say is that in my mind, it's very hard to compare generations because whatever generation we're talking about, when they were there, that's the thing that they knew, that's the thing that they deal with, and that's how they engaged. So, I think the generations might be different when the generation that grew up with the TV or the radio versus now, but the interaction with the media is very organic to the moment, you know? To me, the difference now is that there's no unifying program that everybody's watching or the news that everybody's watching at 7 p.m. every night, but there is a lot more of a shared experience when you think about the way young people interact today with social media.

I do think that, especially for marketers, that kind of like had a leg in each generation. The biggest difference is there's no such a thing as I do one TV ad and that's the message and the story that I'm going to tell. Now, you need to be telling hundreds of stories all at the same time. To me, the most fascinating and challenging dynamic of our times is the way creators right now are the true media. So, just thinking about multiple stories at the same time and letting them help you tell the stories about the brand is the way you reach this new generation.