During this episode of “Marketing Today,” I interview Dara Treseder, chief marketing officer at Carbon. Before Carbon, Treseder was the CMO at GE Ventures, which is GE’s corporate venture capital arm and GE’s business innovations, focused on new business creation and new marketing development and technology licensing. Before GE, Treseder led various marketing efforts at Apple and Goldman Sachs. Treseder talks about her current role at Carbon, her Nigerian roots, insightful lessons and mentors she’s had along the way. She later discusses marketing and product development.
Dara explains how Carbon, the world’s leading digital manufacturing platform, is helping companies accelerate product innovation. She talks about the three key things that were critical during her entrance into Carbon. They include elevating Carbon as a brand, having people understand who Carbon is and what they do and driving growth by setting up the marketing and communications program for success. She also shares how Carbon uses technology and innovation to protect football players and how they marketed this idea during a Super Bowl.
What made Treseder such an excellent fit for Carbon? She says, “at the core of who I am, I am an analytical thinker. But I am also a true creative. I love marrying art and science, and I think, for the future of marketing, that is what it’s all about.”
Treseder discusses how Carbon is impacting the marketplace, noting, “it is all about how can you use data and technology to reach people and how can you communicate and connect with people in a way that truly resonates with them.” What does it take to be as innovative as Carbon has consistently? “The only way you can really create breakthrough products is innovation across those three elements: the software used to create designs, the hardware used to make it and the material from which the product is made.”
Highlights from this week’s “Marketing Today”:
- What does Dara miss the most about Nigeria and what is her favorite food? (01:40)
- Where did Dara start her career? (04:06)
- What was her charter as she was coming into Carbon? (06:50)
- What exactly is Carbon and when was it founded? (07:35)
- Dara talks about her past start-up and what a ‘fat start-up’ is? (08:37)
- What drew Dara to Carbon? (10:40)
- How are partnerships driving Carbon’s business? (12:33)
- How did Dara turn around a Super Bowl in early February so quickly after just joining in December? (15:10)
- Is there an experience in Dara’s life that has defined who she is today? (22:39)
- What advice would she give to her younger self? (27:00)
- What fuels Dara Treseder to keep going in his career and life? (27:43)
- Are there brands that she thinks we should pay attention to? (29:11)
- Where does Dara see the future of marketing going? (30:32)
Alan B. Hart is the creator and host of “Marketing Today with Alan Hart,” a weekly podcast where he interviews leading global marketing professionals and business leaders. Alan advises leading executives and marketing teams on opportunities around , customer experience, innovation growth. He has consulted with Fortune 100 companies, but he is an entrepreneur at his core, having founded or served as an executive for nine startups.