CEO Growth Talks: Leigh McAlister Podcast - "Growth Gears: How Companies Drive Business Success Through Marketing"
In this episode of CEO Growth Talks, Pete Hayes speaks with Professor Leigh McAlister about the "Growth Gears" framework from their collaborative research. Professor Leigh reveals how marketing proficiency is integral to company growth, offering insights on strategy, customer understanding, and the role of marketing authority in driving success.
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C-suite marketing perspectives
Podcast: Growth Gears: How Companies Drive Business Success Through Marketing Leigh McAlister Professor of Marketing @ McCombs School of Business, University of Texas
What’s Inside: Introduction Full Episode Video Full Episode Audio Full Episode Transcript Full Episode Article 4:35 Summary Video YouTube Short 1 YouTube Short 2 YouTube Short 3
“Growth Gears: How Companies Drive Business Success Through Marketing” In this episode of CEO Growth Talks, Pete Hayes speaks with Professor Leigh McAlister about the "Growth Gears" framework from their collaborative research. Professor Leigh reveals how marketing proficiency is integral to company growth, offering insights on strategy, customer understanding, and the role of marketing authority in driving success.
FULL EPISODE “If you pick up any marketing textbook, other than Growth Gears, it will suggest that marketing has control over everything. We found that in some companies, marketing does have authority over all those decisions, while in others, it does not.” - Professor Leigh McAlister
FULL EPISODE: Topics Covered The Strategic Power of Market-Oriented Growth Diverse Marketing Authority: A Catalyst for Growth The Shaping Influence of Founders and Early Culture
(4:35 Video) “Three Patterns Defining Marketing Authority Across Di昀昀erent Industries” “I think it goes back to the company's inception. They're trying to build the company with people who support them, so they look for others with a similar outlook. So, it's no surprise that engineers excel in tech companies, while marketers excel in consumer goods companies.” -Professor Leigh McAlister
YOUTUBE SHORT: Three Patterns Defining Marketing Authority Across Di昀昀erent Industries In this YouTube short, Professor Leigh McAlister explains three levels of marketing authority within companies: full authority (including research, pricing, and distribution), limited authority (focused on communications), and no authority. She suggests this hierarchy often reflects the founder's background.
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YOUTUBE SHORT: Marketing Textbooks Overlook Practical Growth Decision-Making In this YouTube Short, Professor Leigh McAlister emphasizes the unique value of the Growth Gears framework, which clarifies how to drive firm growth—a focus often missing in traditional marketing textbooks. She highlights that, unlike typical pricing strategies, Growth Gears advocates starting with insight, aligning strategy and execution, and then determining pricing, making it easier for finance-minded students to grasp and apply growth concepts.
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YOUTUBE SHORT: Understanding Execution Beyond Pricing In this YouTube Short, Professor Leigh McAlister emphasizes that students often rush into execution—especially focusing on price cuts—without considering the brand’s broader strategy and image. Using Burberry as an example, McAlister illustrates that luxury brands maintain exclusivity by avoiding discount outlets, urging students to think beyond their budget constraints, and resisting the impulse to follow competitors' actions blindly.
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