Previous technology and business shifts have subtly changed the role of the CMO. However, the new consumer engagement models of the social revolution will spawn the need for a new breed of business and marketing technology leaders. These leaders must navigate a myriad of converging and disruptive technologies, align new initiatives to both business value and technology ROI feasibility, and identify strategies to leverage existing program investments to fund innovation.
The traditional CMO must overcome inertia and wear one or more of the four hats or roles for The Social CMO: Chief “Maintenance” Officer, Chief “Migration” Officer, Chief “Measurement” Officer, and Chief “MatrixMarketing” Officer. In our survey of 126 CMOs in the second quarter of 2011, Constellation Research uncovered the priorities for these next-generation CMOs.
Shifting to a Chief Maintenance Officer, Chief Migration Officer and Chief MatrixMarketing role should be a smooth transition for most CMOs, but only a few with vision, ambition and business savvy will grow into the Chief Measurement Officer role. In each of these shifts, CMOs will have to reprioritize their project portfolios and develop new skill sets. Regardless of the shift, a new breed of CMOs will emerge to match the needs of the organization, taking a more leadership-focused, customer experience, and business point of view.