This was the message delivered by Aviva chief marketing officer Amanda Mackenzie at the seventh annual Media 360 conference in Manchester last week.
Outlining the success of the 2009 rebrand of Norwich Union to Aviva, Mackenzie said passion and creativity were essential for brands looking to stand out in increasingly cluttered markets.
I don't think any of us would dispute her sage advice. However, audacity and chutzpah can often lie out of reach for marketers working within big corporations where structure and process abound.
There's nothing quite like endless pre-testing and statistical analysis to stifle creativity. Luckily, some of the UK's biggest advertisers are trying to structure their marketing teams more effectively.
Of course, the recession has provided most companies with a financial imperative to streamline the marketing function, but there also seems to be a genuine desire among brands to bring greater flexibility, dynamism and innovation to the communications process.
This trend is reflected in the pages of Marketing this week. As we reveal, both British Gas and Nestle are handing greater responsibility to their top marketers in an effort to boost the role of the brand bosses within their respective organisations.
At the same time, Bacardi is restructuring its marketing team to bring creative consistency to individual brands, while rival Diageo is moving toward category-based promotions.
Whatever the motivation behind these shifts, it's encouraging to see focus brands on creating environments in which their marketers can truly thrive.
With economic growth set to be slower than expected next year, and budgets likely to remain tight, being bold may well become more important than ever.
Gareth.Jones@haymarket.com.