Trendsetters: GE's CMO Linda Boff Shares Her Strategy for Compelling Content

There's little question that General Electric has made business-to-business marketing-- well--sexy.

Although Linda Boff, GE's recently-appointed Chief Marketing Officer, stated at last month's ANA Masters of Marketing Conference, “We don't believe in B2B or B2C, we believe in B2H. We market to humans. We want to talk to people.” Ms. Boff and her team have captivated the imaginations of many humans through content that she calls “interesting, contagious and shareable” by putting science at the center--often with humor, but always with a “wow” factor. The result is that GE is now as much a part of popular culture as any consumer or business brand--not bad for a global corporation that's well into its second century.

Beth Comstock, GE's former CMO and now elevated to Vice Chair of the comany's Business Innovations unit, said at a past ANA conference that many people assumed B2B advertising stood for “boring 2 boring.” GE has certainly defied any notion of dullness as the company puts good old-fashioned storytelling and fun at the core of its work. Yet Linda Boff believes--unapologetically-- that being a first-mover in all forms of marketing has also made a big difference to the brand. Early adoption, experimentation and taking risks on what's new or emerging not only resonate with the GE ethos, but being out front works well when creating a sometimes unexpected home for compelling content.

In her ANA talk, she admitted, "Sometimes people say, 'Are you chasing the shiny object?'” Her answer: "Maybe a little bit. But we do this for a reason. We think you only get one chance to be out front... And the spoils go to the first early adopters."

What are the benefits of so much buzz particularly for a company that sells jet engines or the outcomes of an efficient operating room or the advantages of digitally-enabled machines? According to Linda Boff, “Brand matters. In fact, brand matters a lot. It matters in recruiting. It matters in investing. It matters in relevancy."

GE does business in 170 countries. “Our approach to marketing is the same as our approach to business. We want to be first.” She adds, “We also want to be creative. We ask how we can produce the best story, so that people will pay attention. Then we move fast. We have a very flat organization with little bureaucracy. We know ourselves. We understand the ‘north star' that guides us. We pay attention to our gut.”

Her advice to fellow marketers is simple:

• Experiment. You've got to be on the playing field, and it often costs very little to participate.
• Build a team that's focused on “yes,” and not “no.” Include the agencies as part of the team.
• Be Creative. Nothing takes the place of great storytelling.

So where does GE go now? According to Linda Boff, “GE is a company that's always about reinvention. We're tackling what it means to be digital and industrial at the same time. Telling the story between software enabled machines is a hard story to tell.”

Interestingly, GE has produced a new documentary series for television called Breakthrough that highlights innovation in science and technology. It has begun airing this month on the National Geographic Channel in 140 countries. GE partnered with producers Ron Howard and Brian Grazer at Imagine Entertainment on the series. Ms. Boff mentioned that Ron Howard began his acting career on "GE Theater" hosted by Ronald Reagan. She commented, "History comes forward again."

Linda Boff is responsible for GE's global advertising, digital and content marketing, and brand, experience, sponsorship, and design strategies. Previously, Ms. Boff was chief marketing officer at iVillage Properties, part of NBC Universal. She joined GE in early 2004 with 18 years of experience in marketing, advertising, and communications, including senior roles at Citigroup, the American Museum of Natural History, and Porter Novelli.

She is a 2014 AWNY Changing the Game Award winner, B2B Magazine's 2012 Digital Marketer of Year, and a 2012 Media Maven. She is on the board of Partnership with Children, a NYC-based organization which provides social support to 5,000 hard-to-reach schoolchildren. Linda Boff is also on the Ad Council's Executive Committee and is a member of Digital 50. She earned a B.A. in political science and psychology from Union College.