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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). 

Marketing Careers

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. 

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Dr Kin Kariisa

Group CEO - Next Media

Dr. Kin Kariisa is an extraordinary force at the helm of Next Media Services, a conglomerate encompassing NBS TV, Nile Post, Sanyuka TV, Next Radio, Salam TV, Next Communication, Next Productions, and an array of other influential enterprises. His dynamic role as Chief Executive Officer exemplifies his unwavering commitment to shaping media, business, and community landscapes.
With an esteemed academic journey, Dr. Kariisa’s accolades include an Honorary PhD in exemplary community service from the United Graduate College inTexas, an MBA from United States International University in Nairobi, Kenya, a Master’s degree in Computer Engineering from Huazong University in China, and a Bachelor’s degree in Statistics from Makerere University.
Dr. Kariisa pursued PhD research in Computer Security and Identity Management at Security of Systems Group, Radboud University in Nijmegen, Netherlands. As a dynamic educator, he has shared his expertise as a lecturer of e-Government and Information Security at both Makerere University and Radboud University.

Dr Kin did his PhD research in Computer Security and Identity Management at Security of Systems Group, Radbond University in Nigmegen, Netherlands. He previously served as a lecturer of e-Government and Information Security at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda and Radbond University in Netherlands.

Dr Kin did his postgraduate courses in Strategic Business Management, Strategic Leadership Communication and Strategies for Leading Successful Change Initiatives at Harvard University, Boston USA.

  • Other current and previous roles played by Dr Kin Kariisa:
  • Lecturer of e-Government and Information Security to graduate students at Makerere University, Kampala and Radbond University in the Netherlands
  • Director of Eco Bank Uganda Limited, one of the largest banks in Africa
  • Chairman of the National Association of Broadcasters, an umbrella industry association for all Television, Radio and online broadcasters in Uganda.
  • Chairman of Board of Directors of Nile Hotel International, that owns the leading hotel in Uganda, Kampala Serena Hotel.
  • Chairman of Board of Directors of Soliton Telmec Uganda, the leading telecom company in Optic fibre business managing over 80% of optic fibre in Uganda.