"The authenticity of a brand is something we think about all the time. How do we stay true to our brand. I think in our case -- in the case of brands that are really smart about this -- that they think about What's the essence. What is it that differentiates their company. In your case, it's innovation and technology. And we know if we stick to that, stick to core messages that reinforce our brand as an innovative brand involved in hi-tech business practices like technology and energy, that we're going to stay the course. And we think really hard about who do we want to talk to. It's not how do we get the most number of eyeballs. It's how do we talk to people in the most relevant way possible. And by doing that, that feels right for our brand and that's a true expression of how to do brand marketing without taking it overboard. " -- Linda Boff
How do you strengthen your brand without going overboard?
Linda Boff was named Global Director, Marketing Communications, GE in November 2008. In
this role, she is responsible for driving cross-business collaboration for key GE Initiatives, as
well as for functional leadership of Marketing Communications across the company. Boff and
her team are responsible for driving digital strategy across GE and run the Digital COE. She
also leads event marketing, sponsorship and promotion for GE.
Previously, Boff was Chief Marketing Officer of iVillage Properties, part of the NBC Universal,
where she was responsible for setting the company's marketing vision and strategy and
overseeing the development of the iVillage brand. Boff also led a range of key functions
including online marketing, member communications, promotions, creative services and market
research.
Prior to iVillage, Boff was Director of Employee Marketing for GE. In this role, she was
responsible for all internal communications for the company and for driving key initiatives
to GE's 300,000 employees. She was also a co-leader of GE's Promotions Team, a cross-
business initiative devoted to exploring how GE can take greater advantage of various
promotional techniques across the company.
Boff joined GE in early 2004 with 18 years of experience in marketing, advertising, public
relations and communications. Prior to joining GE, she was Director of Marketing and
Communications for Citigroup's Women and Company division. Other previous roles include
Director of Marketing for the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, leader
of communications for Times Mirror Magazines and Vice President at Porter Novelli, a global
public relations agency.
She is a former board member of the Alliance for the Arts, a NYC-based organization that
promotes arts education and advocacy of funding for the arts. She is an active member and
frequent speaker at communications venues including International Association for Business
Communicators, Women in Communications, Word-of-Mouth Marketing Association and the
Promotional Marketers Association.