I’ve drawn a lot of cartoons over time on the evolving Chief Advertising and marketing Officer position, which is partly a proxy for the ever-changing job of selling normally.
Lengthy gone are the times when CMOs have been simply accountable for “advertising and marketing comms” and advertising and marketing was dismissively described as “the coloring-in division.” Immediately’s Chief Advertising and marketing Officer position is nearly impossibly deep and huge.
I spoke just lately with a pal attempting to recruit a CMO, and was struggling to search out candidates with the proper depth of expertise in each model advertising and marketing AND efficiency advertising and marketing. Not to mention all the opposite hats a contemporary CMO is anticipated to put on.
Not solely do many CMOs take the lead on each area of interest advertising and marketing channel or expertise that emerges, their work requires broad alignment with each cross-functional division within the firm. CMOs are held accountable for each side of buyer expertise, even when they don’t have precise authority for these areas.
“Work is extra enjoyable with framed marketoons in your wall”
And, as we hit the one yr anniversary of ChatGPT, CMOs are sometimes the tip of the spear in organizations determining tips on how to method Generative AI.
As Gartner VP Chris Ross put it just lately:
“Being a CMO isn’t for the squeamish, however there could also be no different position positioned to make almost so nice an influence.”
With such an increasing remit, the Chief Advertising and marketing Officer dangers devolving into the Chief One thing Officer — jack of all trades, grasp of none. This identification disaster has led to most of the semantic gymnastics some corporations have pursued to rename the CMO place completely — in favor of Chief Expertise Officer, Chief Digital Officer, Chief Income Workplace, Chief Progress Officer, and so on.
It doesn’t matter what you name it, I feel that leaders moving into the CMO position should outline what they do (and don’t do) with readability and focus in the event that they wish to achieve success.
Listed below are a number of associated cartoons I’ve drawn over time:
