Lisa Campbell is Chief Marketing Officer at OneTrust, the category-defining enterprise software to operationalize trust, where she is responsible for business and marketing strategy. Lisa has 25 years of software industry leadership experience with extensive knowledge in cloud software, digital go-to-market strategy, building brands, and business development. At both Fortune 500 companies, Lisa successfully partnered with leadership teams to transform brands, launch new products, and business models. She serves as an independent board director at Dropbox. Prior to OneTrust, Lisa spent 18 years at Autodesk, where she served as Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President, Business Strategy & Marketing. Lisa was Chairman of the Board for the Autodesk Foundation from 2017-2021. Lisa holds a B.A. in mathematics and computer science from Boston College and an M.B.A. from Babson College.
Recently, in an exclusive interview with Digital First Magazine, Lisa shared her professional trajectory, her roles and responsibilities as Chief Marketing Officer at OneTrust, insights on some of the most important trends currently shaping the marketing industry in 2024, future plans, words of wisdom, and much more. The following excerpts are taken from the interview.
Hi Lisa. What inspired you to a career in marketing? How did you get your start in this industry?
My marketing journey has been a bit unconventional, considering my background in mathematics and IT. I have worked in many different functions during my career, which gave me great experiences. For example, managing a business unit, building an ecommerce business, and managing industry strategy. Moving into marketing felt like a natural progression for me because it allowed me to leverage my experiences with strategy and revenue growth. I began immersing myself in messaging and positioning, in competitive strategy, and being with customers.
What truly inspired me was the opportunity to connect with people on a deeper level, to understand their needs, desires, and challenges, and to craft solutions that genuinely added value to their lives. Marketing, for me, became more than just promoting products or services; it became a means to build meaningful relationships and drive positive change. It allowed me to have in-depth conversations with customers where they could give me open and honest feedback.
My journey into marketing may have had an unconventional start, but it has been incredibly rewarding, allowing me to combine my technical background with my passion for creativity and human connection.
Please brief us about your roles and responsibilities as Chief Marketing Officer at OneTrust.
As Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at OneTrust, my role is multifaceted and dynamic, reflecting the diverse nature of modern marketing. I lead all aspects of our company’s marketing strategy, revenue marketing, customer marketing, pricing, and packaging, marketing operations, brand and online experiences and technology, digital marketing and more. Ensuring that it aligns with our overall business objectives and resonates effectively with our target audiences.
One of the key aspects of my role is strategic planning. I collaborate closely with other members of the executive team to define our company’s goals, identify market opportunities, and develop comprehensive strategies to achieve them. This involves analyzing industry trends and staying abreast of emerging technologies to anticipate and respond to changing market dynamics.
In addition to strategy, I also oversee the execution of our marketing initiatives. This includes managing a talented team of marketers who specialize in various areas such as digital marketing, content creation, branding, and events. Collaboration and cross-functional teamwork are essential here, as we work together to ensure that our campaigns are executed flawlessly and deliver measurable results.
As CMO, I’m also responsible for building and nurturing relationships with key stakeholders, including customers. Cultivating these relationships is crucial for enhancing our brand visibility, driving customer engagement, and fueling business growth.
Finally, I’m constantly focused on driving innovation within our marketing efforts. Whether it’s exploring new channels and technologies, experimenting with different messaging and creative approaches, or optimizing our processes for greater efficiency, innovation is at the heart of everything we do.
How do you approach the ever-changing landscape of digital marketing and emerging technologies such as AI?
With confidence and with a test and learn mindset, and that means leveraging emerging technologies such as AI to drive strategic growth and innovation in our marketing efforts. Put into this practice, this means: 1) emphasizing adaptability and flexibility in our marketing strategies; 2) fostering a culture of curiosity and learning and providing opportunities for training and upskilling; and 3) encouraging a culture of experimentation within our marketing team where we regularly test new tools, platforms, and strategies to identify what works best for our audience and objectives.
What do you think are the most critical skills that a marketer needs to have to be successful in today’s rapidly changing business environment?
I’d boil it down to these six critical skills:
- Digital Proficiency: Marketers need to have a strong understanding of digital platforms, tools, and technologies.
- Data Analysis: Data-driven decision-making is paramount in today’s marketing landscape. Marketers should possess strong analytical skills to interpret data, derive actionable insights, and optimize marketing strategies and campaigns accordingly.
- Strategic Thinking: Successful marketers must be able to think strategically, aligning marketing objectives with broader business goals and market trends.
- Content Creation and Storytelling: Content remains king and marketing continues to be a powerful strategy for engaging audiences and building brand affinity. Marketers should excel in creating high-quality, relevant, and engaging content across various formats.
- Adaptability and Agility: Given the rapid pace of change in the marketing landscape, marketers need to be adaptable and agile.
- Customer-Centric Mindset: Marketers should have a deep understanding of their target audience’s needs, preferences, and pain points. They should be able to empathize with customers, anticipate their behaviors, and tailor marketing messages and experiences to provide genuine value and foster long-term relationships.
In your opinion, what are some of the most important trends currently shaping the marketing industry in 2024?
From where we sit at OneTrust, data privacy, first-party data, consent and preference management and responsible use of AI rank at the top of the list for marketing. With increasing concerns around data privacy and regulations, among others, marketers are prioritizing ethical data practices and transparency in their data collection and usage. Building trust with consumers by safeguarding their privacy rights, respecting their preferences, leveraging their data based on its intended use is essential for building and maintaining trust.
You have been a part of the marketing landscape for many years. What do you feel are some of the biggest mistakes companies make regarding their marketing efforts?
I’ve seen mistakes vary depending on the context, industry, or initial goal, but some common pitfalls include:
- Failing to develop a clear and comprehensive marketing strategy, which can lead to disjointed efforts, wasted resources, and ineffective messaging.
- Neglecting to understand the needs, preferences, and pain points of your target audience, which can result in messaging that fails to resonate or connect with them.
- Inconsistencies in branding across different channels and touchpoints that can dilute brand identity and confuse consumers.
- Neglecting to track and analyze marketing performance metrics, which can prevent marketers from understanding what’s working and what’s
- Chasing fleeting marketing trends without considering their relevance to your brand and audience, leading to wasted resources and missed opportunities.
- Sticking to conventional marketing approaches without embracing creativity and innovation, leading to stagnation, and missed opportunities for differentiation.
What has been your marketing superpower, the most important skill that makes you a great marketer?
I’m a good distiller of information. If I’m in a meeting where everybody’s throwing out lots of information and brainstorming, I’m good at distilling and creating a framework for it. I refer to this as being a Great Distiller.
Is there a particular person you are grateful for who helped get you to where you are?
I’m fortunate to have had a few people that have been great sounding boards for me during my career. always tell people an important step in our journey is to develop mentor(s) and advocates as both can be instrumental in influencing your trajectory. A mentor is someone you trust and that you know will give you feedback that sometimes you don’t want to hear but you need to hear it to improve. An advocate is someone looking out for opportunities for you and that will put your name forward when they see something that could be a great next step. I’ve had both in my career and am grateful for them.
What does the term “authentic leadership” mean to you?
Authentic leadership, to me, embodies a genuine and transparent approach to leadership that is rooted in integrity, empathy, and self-awareness. It’s about being true to oneself, leading with purpose and values, and building trust-based relationships with others.
What is your biggest goal? Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now?
Early in my career, I attended a workshop and was asked to define a personal tagline to guide my professional journey. I chose ‘make a difference.’ That has been the overarching goal for me -making a positive difference in the lives of the individuals I have worked with throughout the years. I look forward to expanding my journey in the coming years to include more advisory and Board roles.
What advice would you give to somebody who is considering entering the field of marketing or has just entered the field and, one day, would like to become a CMO?
Gain diverse experiences within marketing and in adjacent functions, embrace data and analytics, get close to your customers, and learn from them, and be curious and open to new ideas. Be adaptable and resilient in the face of change, welcome innovation, hire well and be willing to pivot your strategies when necessary to stay ahead of the curve. And finally, don’t be afraid to take calculated risks to propel your career forward.