ClemsonGC student attends Forbes CMO Summit in California

November 25, 2019

ClemsonGC student and intern at Erwin Center for Brand Communications, Caroline Schoenberger (second from the left), attends Forbes CMO Summit

Written by Caroline Schoenberger, Class of ‘20

This year Forbes hosted it’s 15th annual Forbes CMO Summit. This is an event in which Forbes invites the most influential and innovative Chief Marketing Officers to gather in the same room to discuss accomplishments, struggles, ideas, and the evolution of the ever-important CMO role. For the first time ever, Forbes invited students from the business schools that host their University Alumni Series and asked them to attend this year’s exclusive event. I was honored to be chosen as one of the four students in attendance.

My internship with the Erwin Center for Brand Communications provided me with the opportunity to create content and help plan the inaugural Clemson CMO Summit in partnership with Forbes. It was an incredible experience that both challenged me and inspired me. Ever since this event, I have continued to keep up with the amazing things that Forbes is doing through the CMO Network. Thus, when I was presented with the opportunity to attend the Forbes CMO Summit, I was ecstatic. 

Next thing I knew, I was headed to beautiful Laguna Niguel, California to attend the Summit. Over the span of three days, I heard from CMOs of the world’s biggest brands such as Facebook, Adobe, Target, Pinterest, Anheuser-Busch, Taco Bell, Denny’s, Dunkin, SAP, Chipotle, Marriott, Wells Fargo, NHL, Citi, and Ally Bank — and these are just a few. Not only did I get to listen to these CMO’s ideas, but I also was able to have one on one conversations with them which were invaluable, especially as a student aspiring to enter the industry. It was an honor to represent the GC program, the Erwin Center, and the College of Business on the Forbes CMO stage and throughout the event.

Some of my favorite takeaways from the event are:

• As a marketer and specifically a CMO, you are the chief dot connector.
• Robots should not be doing marketing. It is not only science or art, but both.
• Every company benefits from a culture that encourages bold creativity.
• Data does not make decisions, it is only as good as the questions asked. 
• Consistency is the output, diversity is the input.
• Join a company that wants to do GREAT things.

I am so thankful for the opportunity to attend the Forbes CMO Summit. I am thankful for the GC Department for helping to make this opportunity a reality, the Erwin Center for Brand Communications for bringing the Forbes University Alumni Series to Clemson University and connecting me with the CMO Network, for the hotel accommodations generously covered by Clemson Alum and Erwin Center Board Member Lisa Holladay of Ritz Carlton, and for the invitation extended to students by Jenny Rooney, Editor of the Forbes CMO Network. It was an amazing experience that I will never forget. I encourage Clemson GC students to attend the future Clemson CMO Summits and to keep up with the Forbes CMO Network, as both are a wealth of knowledge for anyone wanting to enter the industry.