By Scott Baker, GMC Software AG

One of my favorite activities at the recent Graph Expo was hosting the panel discussion “Understanding the Role of the CMO and Adjust Your Business Strategy.” Beyond having an engaging group of panelists – Harry Stephens, CEO of Datamatx, Liz Miller,  CMO Council, Sandra Zoratti, VP of Marketing at Ricoh, and Roger Gimbel, President Gimbel and Associates – the session was well attended and covered many questions related to the “Great CEO-CMO Divide”  debate. 

Three key points from the session –

1)       The general consensus of the panel was that most marketers do “get it” – the need to align marketing metrics with overall company goals and KPIs. Roger Gimbel added, however, that it is imperative that partcipants in any CCM project agree to not only document, but also to share results that are achieved. Sandra Zoratti concurred, highlighting the importance of conducting  pilot projects to validate assumptions concerning response expectations and ROI goals.   Providing a CEO’s perspective on the CEO-CMO disconnect highlighted in the article, “Can CMOs Successfully Promote TransPromo Opportunities? CEOs Say No!”, Harry Stephens stated that it is the CEO’s responsibility to ensure that the CMO and his organization are aligned with their company’s goals.

2)       Liz Miller introduced an interesting insight to the dialogue, stating that many CMOs were not actually performing the role for which they were hired. Rather than focusing on brand revitalization, initiating strategies and marketing campaigns to generate top-line growth, CMOs are increasingly becoming responsible for their firms “customer experience.” The pressure to create, monitor, manage, optimize and expand a company’s social media and web presence is falling squarely on marketing and the CMO, who may not be equipped to handle it. “Building and executing a winning marketing strategy is difficult.  Many CMOs are really challenged by this change in role.”

3)       “I make the decisions in my organization,” stated one CEO in the audience when I asked how his firm evaluated and acquired CCM solutions. However, he pointed to the CMO as the focal point of any HTVO solution buying center. “It is my CMO’s job to select solutions that ensure we will achieve our goals and then to sell me. I am interested in results…”

Does piloting TransPromo or other CCM projects ensure successful adoption by HTVO firms?

Has the role of the CMO really morphed into something different?  Has this change contributed to the “Great CEO-CMO Divide” identified in the Fournaise study?

Should the CMO be the buying center focus for both vendors and internal champions of CCM/Precision Marketing initiatives?

How do you feel about this topic?
Agree? Disagree? I look forward to your feedback in the comments section below.

Join me next week as we continue to examine how to cross the “Great CEO-CMO Divide.”

Scott Baker is VP Worldwide Channels at GMC Software AG.