Executive Appointments
Hein Schumacher is a former Heinz executive and currently CEO of a Dutch-based global dairy and nutrition business. He takes over in July.
MARKETING CAREERS
Is this the age of the Great Chief Marketing Officer Extinction?
By our News Team | 2022
Three ways that the CMOs of the world can avoid becoming extinct in the rapidly evolving marketing environment.
In late May, the marketing industry publication, Ad Age, reported how massive change in the role of the marketing department in big businesses – accompanied by high turnover of senior marketing staff – is seeing some companies hiring CMOs on a short-term basis only.
It called them “CMOs for hire” filling “gigs that are short by design”. Which begs the question as to whether the traditional Chief Marketing Officer role is a thing of the past? Unilever, for example, has already done away with the job title (see our website post of 5 May 2022).
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Now Kirsten Allegri Williams, CMO at Optimizely, a leading digital experience platform in the US, has written a column suggesting how the CMO can, as a species, avoid becoming extinct in the new age of marketing. She makes three key recommendations:
1. Understand the digital experience imperative
CEOs are tasking CMOs with spearheading the digital revolution, but many CMOs are still stuck back in the Triassic period, utilising decades-old technology and gut-based decision making. Without access to actionable insights, CMOs struggle to implement the experiential changes that create more customer-driven growth.
2. Build an infinite optimisation journey
A comprehensive digital experience meets customer needs at speed. CMOs must unlock their teams’ potential with the tools to experiment across the digital customer journey, from content to page layouts to brand experiences. And alongside marketing, developers can accomplish more than ever before, and unleash their creativity, when the creation-to-optimisation silos are broken down. CMOs must partner within the organisation to create a new customer journey.
3. Embrace higher pressure to realise higher purpose
Gone are the days of an online presence as a static focal point for publishing content. This is the age of the dynamic digital business engine that incorporates the feedback of sales, marketing, product, partnership, development, customer experience, UX/UI and HR. In order to survive the mass evolutionary event of CMO extinction, CMOs must treat the website as the most sophisticated business application their company has to offer.
“The core of optimisation is creativity, and great CMOs have always adapted to the higher purpose of unlocking business potential,” Williams says.
Read the full article here.
Public Relations
African and global PR bodies collaborate on latest industry study to examine communications practice and ethics on the continent.
Consumer Influences
Pop culture, religion and community culture are the biggest influences. Family and friends, as well as social media, are also influential.
Brand Strategy
Long-established sports brand launches ‘Adidas Sportswear’ line to take on Nike for a bigger share of the global Generation Z audience.
Influencers
Consumer commission investigating misleading testimonials and endorsements, as well as failing to disclose affiliations with brands.
Consumer Preferences
Companies spend fortunes on tracking changing customer preferences and then adapting to them. But is seems brands like Disney may be exempt.
Sports Sponsorship
Marketing deal would cost around US$51.8-million over three years and aim to boost international tourism. But critics are unconvinced.
Customer Experience
Changing consumer expectations mean many CX strategies won’t win and retain customers in this new business environment, study finds.
Retail Industry
Organisation’s mission is to offer education, insights and events that help drive the evolution of the retail industry around the world.
Travel and Tourism
Sector must take advantage by finding fresh routes to traveller engagement and new ways of building customer experiences.
Conferences and Exhibitions
More than 300 exhibitors representing 15 African countries are already registered, along with 275 buyers from 45 countries.