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By Scott Baker

Many to whom I have spoken recently concerning the “Great CEO-CMO Divide,” especially in marketing, acknowledge that the disconnect in the executive suite between CEO and CMO is real, but they are reluctant to go “on the record” with their opinions.   However, two recurring themes have emerged through my discussions -- 1) short-term focus on quarterly results by CEOs, especially given the state of the world economy, makes it difficult to deploy any marketing initiatives that require longer term investments, and, 2) the “buzz” surrounding social media and e-marketing, as well as the perception in the executive suite that e-marketing generates immediate results and is much less expensive to deploy than traditional marketing channels, negates focus on other marketing initiatives.   As one CMO stated to me, “[Our CEO] is convinced that e-marketing is almost free.”

Sandra Zoratti, of InfoPrint Solutions, recently pointed out in responding to the original article -- “Can CMOs Successfully Promote TransPromo Opportunities? CEOs Say No!” – that the critical alignment is that of the CIO and CMO when presenting and deploying CCM initiatives:

“Among the biggest drivers for CIO/CMO alignment are how technology underpins customer experiences, access to crucial customer intelligence and digitally driven consumer engagement. To emphasize these points, the study [from the CMO Council] reveals that 65% of CIOs and 50% of CMOs attribute technology as the underpinning of customer experience, and 53% of CIOs and 55% of CMOs acknowledge that access to and leverage of customer intelligence is a key competitive differentiator. IT is the foundation of data-driven marketing and Precision Marketing cannot be leveraged unless CIO-CMO collaboration is firmly established”

Can better alignment between CIO and CMO help bridge the credibility gap between CEOs and CMOs? 

Do the CIOs and CMOs in your organizations, or to whom HTVO vendors are currently speaking, view technology as “the underpinning of the customer experience”? 

Are CCM/Precision Marketing/Data-driven Marketing initiatives even on the radar of C-level executives?

How do you feel about this topic?

Agree? Disagree? I look forward to your feedback in the comments section below.

Join me over the next few weeks (months?) as I and some fellow contributors examine how to cross the great (C-Level) divide.

Scott Baker
VP Worldwide Channels at GMC Software AG