Last week, I had a great conversation with Evan Burfield of Synteractive on marketing and its traditional archetypes. After hanging up the phone, it made me wonder: Is the traditional CMO archetype dead? If so, what has replaced it?
In Marketo’s Are You a CMO or a VP of Marketing, Jon Miller goes into the origins of each terms and the differences between a Chief Marketing Officer and a Vice President of Marketing. Here is a breakdown from the article:
When I look at this list, one of the key elements missing from the CMO side is execution. It’s all strategy. When I think I of true CMO thought leadership, I think of the people who are writing their own blogs and using social media to stay connected. They execute. They are the people and the brands that I pay attention to.
Jeffrey Hayzlett of Kodak and Barry Judge of Best Buy are two prime examples of how the CMO archetype has evolved and become more hands on through the use of social media. Both know the power of personal engagement and how it integrates the building of a brand. Both brands have grown through their thought leadership and social media influence.
What are your thoughts? Do you feel like the CMO Archetype is dead or are these two just exceptions to the rule? What is the future of this role and will we eliminate the Vice President of Marketing role all together? I would love to hear from you.
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2 Comments
Whatever the title, marketing leaders requires an executive orientation necessary to make marketing responsible for revenue growth.
Marketing has long since stopped being cost center “The Make it Pretty Department” to the company’s growth engine.
If you like this link of thinking – check out The Shift by M. Scott Davis. I read it last year, when starting at Sokolove, and recommend it highly.
http://usefularts.us/2009/09/24/the-shift-m-scott-davis/
Dave, I agree with you. After some of my experiences and this wonderful conversation with Evan, it became clear that there are still a lot of CMO’s who are just focused on strategy and do not want to implement at all. I am finding that more and more companies are not interested in someone who just manages.
I will definitely check out The Shift. Thanks.
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