Given the size and scope of IBM Corp., and also given its lengthy legacy reputation, it can be a challenge to market to today’s increasingly fast-paced, digitally-focused world. Michelle Peluso, chief marketing officer at IBM, joined John Furrier (@furrier) and Dave Vellante (@dvellante), co-hosts of theCUBE*, from the SiliconANGLE Media team, during the IBM World of Watson event held in Las Vegas, NV, to discuss some ideas around how to market IBM and Watson, as well as to find out Peluso’s thoughts around women in technology.

Delivering value for businesses

Furrier remarked that Peluso is new to IBM and that, in fact, there have been quite a few new hires brought on board recently.

Peluso agreed, saying, “It’s a time of acceleration and change for everyone. My mandate here, coming in and being a huge fan of what IBM has, is how do we sharpen our messaging? It almost feels like a challenger brand. What can Watson do for people, what the cloud can do, what our services business can do, and how is that distinctive and differentiated from everybody else out there?”

In the past, a large company like IBM would have placed TV ads; they were the most effective way to reach many consumers at once. But it’s a different, digital world now, so how has the marketing message changed?

“Think about the Watson branding, what does Watson really mean? Yes, it’s cognitive and it’s cloud, but at the end of the day, it’s about helping people make better decisions,” said Peluso.

She explained that IBM does the “high” advertising with the well-known ads featuring Watson with Bob Dylan or Serena Williams. But then you have to bring it “all the way through,” and that’s where the messages come from clients who are using Watson. It’s far more powerful, listening to clients talking about how they are using Watson embedded in their processes and tools to make their end-users’ experiences better, and how no other company could do this for them, the way Watson’s doing it, she said.

Team diversity leads to more creativity

As Peluso is a woman pioneer in the technology field, serving as the CEO of such online companies as Travelocity and Gilt, Furrier spoke to her about the TechTruth initiative and asked about her thoughts on women in technology, as well as the new combination of talents that will be needed in the technology field.

“Thank you for doing what you’re doing; it takes a lot of people up there, saying this is important, to make a difference,” said Peluso. “I think the point is, the advantages a company has when there are great women in engineering and great women in data science and great women in user experience and design, are just palpable … the team is more creative and open to new ideas,” she went on to say.

Watch the complete video interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE and theCUBE’s coverage of IBM World of Watson 2016.

*Disclosure: IBM and other companies sponsor some IBM World of Watson segments on SiliconANGLE Media’s theCUBE. Neither IBM nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.

Photo by SiliconANGLE