There are challenges, though, in aligning the kind of person he wants on his staff with what is expected in other areas of the organization. The Grammys are overseen by the Recording Academy, a trade association for musicians that is relatively conservative by nature, Green explains.
“It’s a non-traditional marketing team, and I
see our function as being an agent of change in a
conservative, traditional organization,” he says.
“The people on our team have to have critical
thinking and critical reasoning skills to the ex-
tent that they can evaluate a situation and make
shifts in real time. We’re talking about people
who are not rigid in a traditional mindset. We
have a very entrepreneurial culture here in this
department where I like to empower innovative
thinking and new ideas.”
Being an agent of change requires strong lead-
ership, confidence and a willingness to stand up
for the validity of new ideas, Green says.
“Trying to institute change can be tough.
There are a number of voices of dissent. I recog-
nize that we’re going to make some mistakes,”
he says. “But there is a certain confidence that
comes from knowing you’re doing the right
thing for the right reason. We use that as our
true north. We really look to serve the Academy
and serve the brand in the most meaningful and
respectful way possible. Despite the fact that
there isn’t always unanimity of agreement in
how we do it, we are driven by a deep sense of
right and wrong and a deep sense of really being
a service to the brand.”
One way this approach manifests itself is in
the varied marketing partnership initiatives that
the Grammys undertakes throughout the year.
The brand works with other brands including
music festivals, large retailers and consumer
goods companies.
“We are very proud of the fact that we are in business with some of the most effective, prominent and relevant brands on the planet,” Greene says. “If we can over-deliver for a partner in year one, we’ve created a trusted long-term relationship. So we don’t approach things from a standardized perspective.
We spend a lot of time listening right up front,
trying to understand what success looks like for
them.”
The major theme that the marketing depart-
ment at the Grammys operates under is authen-
ticity. Greene notes that many consumers in the
company’s target audience are increasingly cyni-
cal and aware of when they’re being marketed
to.
“If you can create an authentic conversation, you have the opportunity to deepen the relationship with the consumer,” Greene says. “The re-
