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CMOs: The Three People You Need In Your Corner

Lisa Arthur
Contributor
Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.
I write about how data & data-driven marketing are changing business.
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Strong business partnerships have never been more essential to success. That’s particularly true for marketers who are charged with driving competitive advantage and top-line growth across a wide range of off- and online channels. How could a CMO possibly go it alone when faced with so many complex and fast-moving parts? But, knowing which relationships deserve your attention can be tricky. Which people do you most need in your corner?

I suggest you focus on these three:

1. The customer. To compete in today’s customer-centric marketing environment, CMOs need to truly understand their customers –and not only through executive visits, conferences, sponsorships and the like, but at an individual level, as well. What are his buying behaviors? Which platform does she prefer for marketing communication? How often is he visiting your site?

Here’s where big data analytics can really shine. When marketers apply big data analysis and digital attribution solutions and marry that up with the traditional insights gleaned across the organization and services, they can gain actionable insights about customers, both as aggregates and as individuals. That’s powerful . . . because once you know your customers wants, needs and behaviors, you’re better able to present the right offer at the right time using the right channel.

But, engaging your customer to join you in your corner isn’t an easy process. It requires re-thinking traditional strategies, updating marketing processes, untangling the mess of data and systems and well, change –which can be a struggle every step of the way.

What can you do to keep driving towards that all-important, customer-centric approach? Read on . . . and bulk up. You’ll need to tear down a few silos so you can get two additional people in your corner.

2. The CIO. Most business operations now express their strategies using technology. Marketing is no exception. As CMO, you’re in charge of the message and elevating the customer experience--and the CIO is the one who can help you connect that message to your customers using technology.

Good news: Odds are, IT is just as anxious to start collaborating with you. Gartner predicts that by 2017, CMOs will spend more on technology than their counterpart CIOs. Revenue growth and mastering customer data are now irrevocably linked, and savvy CIOs know marketing represents the biggest opportunity for IT to impact business results.

Today, we are all CMOs and CIOs, and a strong partnership between IT and marketing is essential to delight customers.

3. The CEO. CEOs are interested in one thing: the success of the business. So, move the CEO –and the rest of the C-suite, for that matter –into your corner by showing exactly how marketing influences competitive advantage and top-line growth.

Build meaningful strategic partnerships at the C-level by rising to the occasion. Demonstrate how today’s data-driven techniques allow you to balance both the art and science of marketing. Report your results. Stay accountable. Once you start proving ROI, you’ll get the support you need . Just be prepared . . . with all these new allies, you’re probably going to need a much bigger corner.

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/76029035@N02/6829381157/

Lisa Arthur
Lisa Arthur