Meet Scott V. Williams, new Network Council chair.

• Position: Marketing Edge

Scott V. Williams, CFMP, Bas been selected as the 2003-04 chair of the ABA Marketing Network Council. He is the senior vice president, director of marketing for Legacy Bank of Texas. Williams has served on the ABA Marketing Network council for three years and "has served as co-chair two times for the ABA Marketing conference.

Marketing Edge asked Williams to provide insight into his experiences as a marketing executive and his vision for the ABA Marketing Network.

What do you see as the challenges and issues facing marketing professionals?

To demonstrate strategic marketing. Our companies need us to stay focused on strategic initiatives that will accomplish strategic results. We've "all had it happen: Someone in our organisation wants us to "do some marketing" for them and may even have a sound strategy for us to implement (usually something they saw somewhere else). But can they quantify what they want to accomplish? We need to demonstrate how strategic thinking must accompany any marketing effort. Once we know the desired outcome, we can put our best strategies at work to accomplish success.

Another challenge is increasing the value experience of the customer--overcoming the commodity mindset that a bank normally has. We have to provide customer value, above and beyond the function of the product or service. We cannot continue to give away the farm without undermining our profitability. We have to be responsible [with our marketing efforts] from a profit standpoint.

What opportunities do you see opening up to financial marketing professionals in the future?

Making a direct impact on the bottom line performance of the company and acceptance [of marketing] as a strategically vital part of the success of the company.

Prove your worth by adding measurable value to the bottom line. This is a business we are in and our shareholders expect the company to perform successfully. Marketing has a major impact on that performance. Proving it with strategic marketing--smartly executed with measurable results, is critical to prove the power and worth of our marketing efforts. It's the best way to avoid the "marketing is an expense" stereotype and the corresponding budget cut when times are tough.

What marketing tactics and tools do you think are critical for marketers to deploy in order to succeed in their career?

Think differently. Our job is to help customers see how we can provide them with financial solutions. Our focus should be on the customer...