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Richard Fouts

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Research Director, Gartner

558 points

20 years in various marketing and sales functions in the IT industry, from hardware sales to software, consulting and systems integration. Started out in sales for Hewlett-Packard, later becoming a marketing communications manager, COO, them CMO.

April 2, 2012

Richard Fouts and 1 other person answered this question at this roundtable

How Businesses are Using Location-Based Marketing [4/3 @ 11 am]

What companies are successful with Location Based-Marketing (LBM)?

The company that comes to mind is FourSquare. I get relevant information and offers from nearby merchants when I check in somewhere. And its a good example of advocacy marketing, since many of the messages are from satisfied customers that have had a good experience ... more

Location Based Services

Location-based Marketing

July 21, 2011

Richard Fouts recommends this answer by Matthias Rothkoegel

What is the next big thing in Marketing Automation?

Thank you, Jeff!
Once again I have to admit that I am surprised by the answers given so far. Not that I wasn't aware of the problems concerning the adoption, implementation and proper usage of marketing automation. I just find it really astonishing that it seems ... more

July 21, 2011

Richard Fouts and 10 other people answered this question at this roundtable

The Key to Sales and Marketing Alignment [7/14 @ 9 am]

What are the 3 tangible actions an organization can take to improve sales-marketing alignment?

Carlos, your first sentence caught my attention. Defining it as an alignment issue is part of the problem. This reminds of the IT debate that has gone on for decades which asks, "How can IT better align with the business?" I have a client who, ... more

B2B Marketing Week

July 15, 2011

Richard Fouts and 2 other people answered this question

Do you conduct win/loss reviews at your company? And if so, has it helped you improve win rates?

Thank you. I'm interviewing mktg executives on this topic now .. and one piece of advice that is coming through quite universally .... "execute with an external partner." This is coming from VP Marketing types that have actually scaled and operationalized win/loss at an enterprise ... more

General Management

Competitive Intelligence

July 15, 2011

Richard Fouts recommends this answer by Wayne Spivak

Is social media bringing an increase in business to you?

I don't believe it is bringing in business, but I know it's bringing in looks. Looks will ultimately turn into something.
I do, truly believe that Social Media is way to hyped, and that most believe it to be the end-all and be-all of all marketing. ... more

July 14, 2011

Richard Fouts recommends this answer by Dave Brock

What's your view of "thought leadership" that promotes a vendors or consultants product or service?

Carlos, it's amazing how we always find ways of twisting great concepts to be just another pitch. Too many "thought leadership" pieces are just thinly disguised pitches for a certain product or solution. They've taken a vehicle that has tremendous power--that well executed can truly ... more

July 14, 2011

Richard Fouts recommends this answer by Scott Albro

Will crime increase if there is no football season? According to Ray Lewis, it will.

Domestic violence rates will likely drop in the event of a lockout. The National Bureau of Economic Research did a study of this from 1995 to 2006 and found that when an NFL game ends in an upset there is a brief but noticeable uptick ... more

July 13, 2011

Richard Fouts is now following Arseniy Korobchenko and 1 other person

July 13, 2011

Richard Fouts and 4 other people answered this question

What is Social Media, and how does it matter to your business?

Social media facilitates virtual networks where people with common interests share information, learn from each other, and solve problems. The operative word here is “networks” which is where the magic of social media lies.
There are many examples of how it benefits business, from things ... more

Internet & Social Media

Internet Marketing

Internet Marketing and Online Marketing Experiences

July 8, 2011

Richard Fouts recommends this answer by Lars Schmidt

What are the Biggest Do's and Don'ts of Employee Communications?

Do's
- Celebrate wins and praise your employees: often, broadly, publicly.
- Know your org and leverage the appropriate technology and push/pull channels that will reach employees (intranet, email, employee newsletter, Yammer, blogs, town halls, wikis, etc).
- Have feedback loops throughout the organization so you have a ... more

Human Resources

Information Technology

July 8, 2011

Richard Fouts recommends this answer by Robert Keahey

What are your thoughts on Mark Zuckerberg's announcement today?

If Google hadn't launched Google+ last week then this would have been a pretty good announcement. But in light of G+, the "features" they announced look pretty lame (e.g., comparing FB video chat to G+ Hangouts). I'm not sure what Zuckerberg's preamble about sharing growth ... more

Information Technology

July 8, 2011

Richard Fouts recommends this answer by Paulo Castro

Do you foresee businesses using Google+? If so, how? Will it benefit certain types of businesses?

I definitely foresee some businesses jumping into the Google+ Train. There will always be those businesses who risk failure for the pleasure of having the new toy. However, a smart business technology strategist will most certainly wait a couple of years to see more clearly ... more

Information Technology

July 5, 2011

Richard Fouts recommends this answer by Adam O'Neill

What is your favorite thing about Twitter? What is your least favorite thing?

Favorite: Its addictive nature
Least Favorite: Its addictive nature.

June 29, 2011

Richard Fouts and 7 other people answered this question

POLL: Which trait do you most value or admire in a CEO or other top executive? Why? (pick one)

I really liked this answer because it reminded me of companies I've seen fail - due to an egotistical CEO. Ego can really get in the way of great companies - because infusing ego into decisions will create more bad decisions than good. Oprah Winfrey ... more

General Management

Human Resources

June 14, 2011

Richard Fouts and 12 other people answered this question

What is best marketing tool or process for a startup?

I don't endorse providers in my role at Gartner, but let me just say that I like this answer.. more

Marketing Process

Marketing Tools

June 14, 2011

Richard Fouts and 8 other people answered this question

How do you define an "expert" in the business world?

It was bound to happen. Consultants claiming to be social media experts (which according to the 10,000 hours theory is impossible) and firms adding “social media expertise” to their portfolio.
I had the most wonderful client at Time Magazine years ago that used to hire experts ... more

General Management

Information Technology

June 13, 2011

Richard Fouts and 5 other people answered this question

What does the strategic deal between Marketo and ExactTarget signal?

It gives both providers something to sell into accounts where they may not been considered relevant .. so it’s win/win.
For example, now Marketo has clear entre into accounts that may not have been prospects since the account already has a campaign management system based ... more

Email Marketing

June 10, 2011

Richard Fouts recommends this answer by Mike Volpe

Should B2B marketers compensation be tied to revenue?

I think all the "Revenue Performance Management" terms are sort of gobbeldygook. And all this discussion about a Chief Revenue Officer is weird (that already exists, it's called a CEO). The terms sound nice but when you get down to the details it doesn't mean ... more

Buyer Engagement

June 6, 2011

Richard Fouts and 21 other people answered this question

As an interviewer, what is your favorite interview question?

Very "Wall Street" ....

Human Resources

Applicant Screening

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