199: Restoring the Soul of Business with Rishad Tobaccowala

During this 199th episode of “Marketing Today,” host Alan Hart interviews Rishad Tobaccowala, author of the new book, "Restoring the Soul of Business: Staying Human in the Age of Data."We discuss Tobaccowala's long career at Publicis Groupe. Then Tobaccowala tells us why he wrote "Restoring the Soul of Business" and what it means to be human in light of all the technology and data that's flying around us as well as the impact storytelling still has.Tobaccowala shares why he thinks businesses fail when they focus too much on numbers on data. He says, “I believe that it is extremely important that any company, individual, or team, realizes that success is combining what I call the story and the spreadsheet.” Tobaccowala emphasizes that the human element is still very important to business as he reflects, "If a company allows growth, purpose, and connections, it begins to attract talent." When sharing some of the top lessons he learned during his successful career, he advises that we should, “Never underestimate how much of your success is due to things you do not control.” Tobaccowala's thoughts on the leadership marketers need today can help us think about how we can regain support from our boards as we show them the enduring value of connection and creativity. Highlights from this week's “Marketing Today”: Rishad describes himself as a resource who combines a long history in the company, a global perspective, and someone who speaks truth to power. 01:30Rishad shares why he had such a long career at Publicis Groupe. 02:51The mentors that stood out in Rishad's career. 05:47Why Rishad wrote Restoring the Soul of Business. 08:21Rishad has always believed that human relationships were important to business. 18:46Learn where Publicis is in the development of its AI platform, Marcel. 26:39How can executives in the marketing and creative industry restore the soul of their company? 32:20What are the top challenges Rishad is hearing from brand and company leaders in 2020? 37:09Is there an experience in his past that defines who he is today? 42:14Rishad describes the impact of the women in his life. 44:43What is the advice Rishad would give to his younger self? 47:55Are there any brands, companies, or causes that Rishad follows that he thinks other people should take notice of? 50:49 Become a member today and listen ad-free, visit https://plus.acast.com/s/marketingtoday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.