“Future Proof” with Abbi Ludwig
In her role as Vice President of Marketing and Communications for the Maryland Chamber of Commerce, Abbi Ludwig oversees a variety of messaging, membership, and proactive communications programs. Her enthusiasm, positive energy and spirit of teamwork have served her well in past roles as VP of Marketing and Communications for Port Discovery, the Children’s Museum, and Communications Director for Montgomery County Parks.
We sat down together to discuss how she’s driving innovation, what trends she’s following, and how she’s creating impact for Maryland. What follows is a lightly edited transcript of our conversation, enjoy!
Q: For those who aren’t as familiar with the Maryland Chamber of Commerce, please start by telling us the mission of the organization. What does the chamber do?
A: The Maryland Chamber of Commerce is the leading business advocacy organization in Maryland. We work with organizations, businesses, and policymakers to address critical public policy issues and find solutions that allow our state’s businesses and communities to thrive.
Q: What is something your team is doing now that would have been unthinkable five years ago?
A: We’re leading conversations about business, economic competitiveness, and the importance of business friendliness in our state. Our team is strong, passionate, and dedicated, and we have great relationships with businesses and legislators.
We’re a small team, and our revenue model is membership-based, so we weren’t able to do more proactive advertising, media outreach, and campaigns. This past year, we knew we needed to have more influence, so we took a risk and launched the Fair Opportunity Maryland campaign advocating for smart tax policies. We host webinars with the comptroller’s office and it’s partnerships and conversations like these that didn’t necessarily happen 5 years ago. We’re in touch regularly with the administration and our general assembly to truly be the voice of business.
Q: If you had to ban a marketing buzzword for 2025, what would it be?
A: “Strategy” or “being strategic.” That word gets thrown around without people really digging into it. We had a speaker from Under Armour who said that if you ask the CFOs to come up with a strategy, it’s going to look very different from what the architects, marketing team, or business development team would create. We tend to assign strategy to one group instead of unpacking it together and bringing different viewpoints to life.
When you have different perspectives, you get questions like, “What are we really trying to achieve here? What are we missing? What’s an interesting way this has already been done?”
Q: What trend do you think is overhyped?
A: Saying yes to everything in terms of, “Yes, let’s do that content, that project, that initiative.” I’m a yes person, and luckily, I have people on my team who balance me out and tell me when I’m juggling too much at once.
When you say yes to everything, you’re really saying no to many things. You spread your audience too thin, and it’s hard to get a core message through. You have to protect your audience, brand, and organization, and be intentional about what you’re saying yes to.
Q: What part of your budget would you triple if you could?
A: Digital advertising. Before our advocacy campaign, our advertising budget was around $5,000. I know the power of digital marketing and advertising, and it certainly proved itself this last session for the Chamber.
We were able to reach millions of people with ads on a tight budget, so imagine if we triple it and really amplify the messaging and storytelling for the advocacy campaigns. That could move the needle in an even bigger way.
Q: How do you make space for creative risk inside a risk-averse organization?
A: My background is government work, so talk about risk-averse. I like to move fast, I like to try new things, and I’m not afraid of failing forward.
Do I want to fail? Absolutely not, but if I’m afraid, then I’m not going to be very good at what I’m doing. My trick is to start small, pave the path, and be open throughout the process.
“What did you learn? What worked, what didn’t work?” Tell that story to the team you’re working with and build trust, so when you propose a crazy idea, they’ll be more open to that conversation. It’s about being willing to try things and take small steps –– you don’t have to go immediately big right off the bat.
Q: What does marketing leadership look like in this next era?
A: There’s a quote from Sheryl Sandberg that says, “Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.”
I see myself as a cheerleader for our entire team. I’m here to build them up, work collaboratively, learn from them, and hopefully leave a positive impact on people.
On the marketing side, it’s very demanding and subjective. One thing I’ve learned to ask is, “How do you continue to motivate people? How do you build their confidence so they don’t feel overworked, overstretched, or like they can’t win?”
Being a “people champion” is what I think leadership looks like. You set direction, you listen, you collaborate, but you’re also their cheerleader.
Q: What are you reading or listening to that’s influencing how you work?
A: Vanessa Van Edwards is somebody I’m listening to. I’m at a level where I’m thinking, “Okay, I’m at a good place professionally, I’ve built the career, I can execute on the tactics, but how do I work on the human side of things?”
Vanessa brands herself as a recovering awkward person, which I’d 100% say fits me. I resonate with having authentic conversations, so I always shy away from more networking-type events or opportunities. Vanessa gives you tools and tricks so you won’t be intimidated by that.
Q: How do you get your news?
A: I probably get 100 different news emails every morning, I’m on social media, and I check multiple outlets. My mass communications background comes into play. There are different agendas, and I want to dig into the meat of what’s really happening and see different perspectives.
Q: Anything else you’d like to share?
A: In my role, I have the pleasure of interacting and talking with business leaders and professionals on multiple levels. I love the stories I hear, so if you’re at a restaurant or a retail shop, I encourage you to talk to the owner because you’ll be amazed by what drove them to start their own business and what they’re doing with it.
About “Future Proof”
To celebrate our 20th Anniversary, we’re sitting down with marketing leaders in Baltimore and beyond to explore what’s on deck for the future of our industry.
