brandknewmag.com
08
Scientists of evolution use the term cladogenesis to describe
the division of an existing species into multiple lines -- thus
creating new species -- often in response to radical change
in the environment. Marketing appears to be going through
a process much like this, right before our eyes. The 21stcentury CMO faces an explosively expanding range of
options from which to branch out in new directions.
Seeking insight into how marketing is changing, we had
conversations with dozens of CMOs and other C-suite
executives, mined our firm’s ongoing study of marketing
leadership trends, and tapped the direct observations of
consultants across our global CMO practice. We found that
the demands on marketing are growing far more eclectic,
stretching marketing organizations and their leaders between
divergent poles. The stretch is occurring across five critical
axes:
Sophisticated Strategist vs.
Entrepreneurial Trailblazer.
Stable, mature markets offer large, reliable revenue streams,
but competition tends to be fierce and growth potential is
limited. Marketers must rely on intricate consumer insights and
sophisticated strategies to eke out marginal gains. Emerging
markets, in contrast, offer far less data to guide marketers,
but far greater growth potential. The Entrepreneurial
Trailblazer works creatively with what is available. In Africa,
for example, more people have mobile phones than have
access to electricity, and so mobile devices must be basic in
design, to provide long battery life. As millions of Africans
access the internet on a 2-inch cellphone screen, in black
and white and text-only, marketers are skipping traditional TV
advertising to move into the uncharted territory of advertising
according to those parameters.
Business Leader vs. Marketing Guru.
Companies increasingly require a CMO to be much more
than a marketing star. Today’s CMOs are expected to help the
CEO shape overall business strategy and guide how resources
\