Future-Proofing the Role of the CMO: Owning the Seat at the Growth Table

Human Centricity The Core of MarketingquotHuman centricity is the keyquot asserts Samantha Maltin CMO at Sesame Workshop highlighting the essential shift towards putting people at the heart of marketing strategies The CMO39s role today extends beyond external customers to include internal stakeholders Janet Balis from EY emphasizes amp8220Definitions donamp8217t work anymore We need to think beyond traditional silos and embrace a holistic view of our customers and our employeesamp8221One of the critical aspects of humancentric marketing is understanding the internal brand Maltin elaborates amp8220As a CMO youamp8217re a steward of the entire brand inside and out The more we demonstrate fluency across the Csuite and reflect that empathy and expertise the more we can influence the overall business strategyamp8221Fluency Mastering the Language of BusinessCMOs must transcend traditional marketing boundaries and develop a deep understanding of the entire business As Josh London from Reuters explains amp8220The best marketers are adept at spotting trends and turning dots into lines This ability to connect insights and communicate their strategic value is essentialamp8221Fluency in strategic communications is another vital skill Soyoung Kang CMO at EOS Products notes amp8220Strategic communications should be part of the CMOamp8217s core capabilities Itamp8217s about communicating with clarity simplicity and influence both internally and externallyamp8221Defiance Challenging Conventional NormsCMOs must defy traditional definitions and challenge the status quo to drive innovation and growth amp8220We need to own the brand of Chief Marketing Officersamp8221 says Balis amp8220When the pandemic hit who innovated through the crisis It was the CMO who understood the zeitgeist of consumers and turned around a crisisamp8221This defiance extends to redefining partnerships and collaborations At an earlier panel on purpose Macysamp8217 amp8220For Every Oneamp8221 campaign was cited as a prime example of leveraging partnerships for greater reach and relevance Maltin highlights the importance of aligning brand stories with cultural zeitgeist as seen in Sesame Workshop39s collaboration with Unitedamp8217s Chief Trash Officer campaign and Hazel Healthamp8217s telehealth services for kidsAgility Navigating the Future with FlexibilityAgility is crucial in adapting to the fastpaced changes in the marketing landscape amp8220Agility of talent is about moving from shortterm to longterm thinkingamp8221 says Kang amp8220A growth mindset integrity and curiosity are fundamental traits for todayamp8217s CMOamp8221The ability to pivot quickly and embrace new opportunities is vital Minjae Ormes Vice President Marketing from LinkedIn points out LinkedInamp8217s successful growth from 1 billion to 2 billion engaged users as an example of strategic agility amp8220Donamp8217t stay in your laneamp8221 she advises amp8220Expand your remit and embrace transformationamp8221Key Skills for FutureProofing the CMO RoleFutureproofing the CMO role requires a reciprocal understanding of business functions and the ability to expand the remit of marketing This involves getting to know the plumbing and connective valves of the organization amp8220CMOs should show up as amp8216Marketamp8217 experts not just amp8216Marketingamp8217 expertsamp8221 says Benji Baer CMO at CBRE amp8220Itamp8217s about thinking like a business owner and delivering value that aligns with business KPIsamp8221A strong business understanding strategic communication skills and a growth mindset are essential Ormes emphasizes the importance of partnerships citing their collaboration with Unilever on the Crown Act and Headspace to champion mental health at work amp8220Itamp8217s about expanding your audience reach and bringing in new perspectivesamp8221ConclusionThe role of the CMO is undergoing a significant transformation To own the seat at the growth table CMOs must embrace human centricity develop fluency in business language defy conventional norms and navigate the future with agility As Balis succinctly puts it amp8220The CMO sits at the heart of all commercial growth functions and tethers everything back together in an increasingly datadriven worldamp8221Futureproofing the CMO role is not just about adapting to change but leading it By focusing on Centricity Fluency Defiance and Agility CMOs can deliver growth one business KPI at a time and ensure their continued relevance and impact in driving business successPhoto credit Source DALLE 2024 with prompt quotFutureProofed CMO and teamquotPosted at MediaVillage through the Thought Leadership selfpublishing platformClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillageorgMyersBizNet

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Future-Proofing the Role of the CMO: Owning the Seat at the Growth Table

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Raquelle Zuzarte

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