Ok so I can’t go into the details, it’s all NDA and shit. Can’t even show you the video he showed us.
But I can at least say Kodak’s CMO Jeff Hayzlett is an animal like no other. And it’s not just the belt buckle, the boots and the balls.
Handsome, ain’t he? The guy’s even sporting some classic Kodak-colored formalwear.
If you were running marketing for a company that’s 130 years old, the company that invented motion picture film, whose business technically should have died with the invention of digital cameras…wtf would you do?
And what would you wear on the red carpet?
After his private presentation here, Wednesday, caused some “trouble” (the good kind), I was supposed to interview him in front of all my bosses. Humbling? Slightly. I only asked him one question before I launched into the Q&A part with audience. My question was, “Do you actually have any friends at work, Jeff?”
Months ago, Jeff said something once that I’ll never forget:
The worst thing you can say about Kodak is nothing. We want to hear the bitches and the moans and everything else that’s going on out there. Twitter and social media gives us the opportunity to engage.
He’s also made me think more on the expectations of our viewers and our users, and the promises we make them. What happens when the promise of a network conveys expectations that we sometimes, admittedly, do not deliver on as much as we should?
Kodak was founded in 1880. What strikes me about Jeff is how — using twitter, his blog, and worldwide speaking engagements — he’s turned the traditionally opaque office of a CMO into one that’s completely transparent. You can literally watch him reinventing Kodak from the ground up, minute by minute.
One way is to follow him on twitter, where he’s just behind QuestLove of the Roots and SouljaBoy as my most frequent tweeters. Here are some classic Jeff Hayzlett tweets:
Broke down and washed my truck. But does not mean i will fix the 2 cracks in the windshield.
Enjoying a backyard fire and watching fire flies. Makes me want to get a mason jar and catch a bunch.
At eye doc for lasik check — i like to cross my eyes when i walk in @ tell receptionist — look what you did!!!
Ashamed at what i did for a Klondike bar
This week I bestow on Jeff the honor of being my “Follow Friday” favorite twitterererer.
Wish I could tell you his “Carpet Cleaning” story, or his story about corporate photos….
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