CMO

Chief Marketing Officer

The CMO is the C-level executive in charge of developing the strategy for corporate advertising and branding and developing a comprehensive marketing plan and message that will promote brand recognition and help the organization gain a competitive advantage. It is the CMO's job to understand the company's position in the marketplace, using traditional methods, as well as newer technologies such as data analytics.

Why the CMO role has gained prominence in recent years:

Technology advancements of the 21st century have elevated the importance of the CMO position. The internet, the ubiquity of mobile computing, the internet of things, analytics, artificial intelligence and social media platforms all have created new ways to reach customers and understand their thoughts on products, services and brands. CMOs are able to tap those technologies to reach and influence customers, position their products and challenge competitors at the same speed and scale as the customers.

You’re the expert, some CMO board stats to sprinkle in to the conversation:

• Historically, the representation of marketing executives on corporate boards has been between 1-2.6% + of the Fortune 1000 have been held by active marketers, according to one study by Spencer Stuart. Demand for digital and social media know-how in the boardroom rose gradually from 1-2.6% historically to 21% in 2016 - and continues to rise.

• Said Bonnie Gwin, CEO of the board practice at Heidrick & Struggles. "There's an agreement among board members that somebody who has deep marketing skills will also bring good business insights, and be strategic and creative."

ADVISORY TOPICS trending for CMOs:

• Analytics for new marketing direction in order to identify and analyze latest trends

• Event driven marketing

• Accelerate the professional growth and impact of marketing leadership

• SEO

• Public relations

• Digital marketing

• Content marketing

• Market research

• Lead generation

• Advertising

• Customer lifecycle

• Outbound vs. inbound marketing

• Strategic project support