There is
no doubt that the role of marketing is continuing to evolve, as technology and
consumer behaviors undergo dramatic changes.
So it
stands to reason that the marketing function must grow in both
its function and its perception, and then be given more prominence and
authority in the C-sui9te.
Unfortunately, marketing has often been ill-defined
and given a narrow role in many organizations. In some, marketing is solely focused on external advertising, brand management,
and research, while in others, the term marketing is used only in their sales department.
.
In still other organizations, marketing’s role is as an adjunct to sales, and its function is to communicate via
outside channels and provide insight on customer attitudes. And then to merely transmit that information and
insight to sales.
In order to gain influence and earn
a seat at the executive table, marketers must become customer experience
experts who understand and contribute to how the entire organization functions.
If we continue to limit our role to one of just communication, or as an in-house
agency to sales, we won’t be able to transform organizations or the way
marketing operates.
As more than one author has noted, now
is the time that we shift from describing the value of the products or services
that our company sells to creating value through the work that we do. That is
an admirable goal for marketing, but how do we begin to accomplish it?
Tomorrow’s marketers must create value for all departments within the organization by understanding how
new consumer buying behaviors affect all aspects of the corporation.
Companies will not succeed long term
without understanding and heeding the voice of their customers. Tomorrow’s marketers must be able to not only
listen to their customers, but provide insight on how their behavior impacts product
development and improvements, business models, selling strategies, cost
structures, technology needs, etc. .
Tomorrow’s marketer must be a collaborator that understands
and impacts content, channels, and data analysis.
The Chief Marketing Officer must
wear many hats. He must be the internal
“voice of the consumer’ and ensure that and external communications are
providing relevant content via the
right channels while gathering,
analyzing, and using consumer attitude and usage data to update and evolve marketing programs.
Most importantly, tomorrow’s marketers must gain visibility and internal prestige by educating the company on the needs and wants of the customer.
One way we can do this is by identifying the most
profitable customer segments, and defining how their buying behavior can be
capitalized on by other departments and functions.
Senior marketing executives
must be seen as business leaders, not just marketing leaders.
Tomorrow's marketers must demonstrate a strong profit-and-loss focus to illustrate
how marketing activity fits with the overall business objectives of the
corporation. It is essential for
marketing to use their consumer knowledge to become an integral part of all
decision-making within the organization.
In today’s fast-paced economy, every dollar needs to work
as hard as it can, and marketing, in particular, is under tremendous pressure. We need to not only demonstrate that we understand
the need for accountability, but we must show how our actions impact the bottom
line.
Accountability is the key to credibility and a seat at the
executive table. And unless marketers
can demonstrate their value to the corporation beyond its current limited
viewpoint, we will continue to be nothing more that another cog in the corporate
wheel.
Shouldn’t we be the driver and not just a cog?
