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Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Applying some ideas from this event can help you change your marketing mindset, so you can rise above the e-commerce industry\u2019s 1.5% conversion rate<\/a>. This article recounts Molloy’s experiences at the 2013 CMO Club Summit, and it offers some first-hand quotes from the lectures she attended.<\/p>\n Quick Takeaways<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Top performing CMOs consistently recognize that customer-centricity is more than a buzzword\u2014they understand that having a first-hand knowledge of the end-to-end customer experience<\/a> is critical. Katrina Klier from Accenture put it plainly, \u201cBe a user, trier, tester. Don\u2019t rely on the experience of others; get your hands dirty.\u201d<\/p>\n The benefits of this field-based approach are manifold. As Sandra Zoratti from Ricoh pointed out: \u201cThe best way to give an idea a sense of urgency is to invoke the voice of the customer.\u201d<\/p>\n As it relates to getting closer to customers, it was clear that big data was top of mind as a means to help marketers \u201cwalk in customers\u2019 shoes\u201d at scale. But while big data may serve as a new route to customer insight and behavior, it hasn\u2019t yet fully lived up to that promise.<\/p>\n Perhaps data alone is not the answer\u2014intuition and action are required. Jonathan Becher from SAP spelled it out: \u201cIt\u2019s about big decisions, not big data.\u201d<\/p>\n I believe CMOs must walk in customers\u2019 shoes (often), ask the right questions, and be guided by experience to deliver the right outcomes for their businesses and their clients.<\/p>\n This was a recurring theme throughout the conference. Cammie Dunaway of Kidmania took it a step further by linking customer understanding to engagement<\/a>: \u201cTrue engagement is about changing customer behavior.\u201d<\/p>\n Mary Ann Fitzmaurice of American Express OPEN shared the impact of the Small Business Saturday initiative, a program designed to help small businesses: \u201cOur customers love us because they know we have their backs.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition, Jonathan Becher of SAP underlined the magnitude of this desired shift: \u201cThere are now more mobile phones in the world than people.\u201d When we look at mobile and social together, it\u2019s clear we are now in an \u201calways-on\u201d era. Becher emphasized the urgency of the situation: \u201cBusiness will need to run in real-time to facilitate personalized engagement with customers.\u201d<\/p>\n Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Dunaway also offered a powerful analogy to illustrate the contrast between a customer and an advocate’s relationship to a brand: \u201cThe difference between customers and advocates is like the distinction between tourists and citizens in a country.\u201d<\/p>\n In my view, motivating customers to that level of devotion requires CMOs to deliver a great experience at every customer touchpoint.<\/p>\n The CMOs in attendance engaged in candid discussions on skills and careers. Tom Seclow of Spencer Stuart presented a case study with the message that CMOs\u2019 tenure continues to climb as they become more entrenched in their roles and expand their influence across their organizations. However, he warned that \u201cshort-term thinking and focus on quarterly earnings is a big challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n Douwe Bergsma of Georgia-Pacific laid out three critical requirements for the role: \u201cCMOs need to be:<\/p>\n And if that wasn\u2019t enough ground to cover, Maryam Banikarim of Gannett told CMOs to \u201chave creative agility, be connectors, [and] use interpersonal skills.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite the heavy responsibility, the mood about the CMO role was upbeat. Mark Wilson of Avaya captured the sentiment when he contended that \u201cthere has never been a better time to be a marketer.\u201d<\/p>\n Terri Funk Graham, Chairman of The CMO Club Presidents Circle, made an assessment that resonated with me: \u201cThe most important skill of a great CMO is courage.\u201d<\/p>\n I\u2019d like to add curiosity. Without curiosity, you don\u2019t ask the great questions that will inform the intuition and insight to fuel that courage\u2014as well as all the other necessary skills listed above.<\/p>\n The innovation imperative surfaced many times during the Summit. SAP\u2019s Becher hammered home the importance of culture: \u201cCulture eats strategy for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, so fix your culture to make your strategy work.\u201d<\/p>\n Kidmania\u2019s Cammie Dunaway also offered a pragmatic analysis: \u201cChanging organizational behavior is as much about muscle memory as resistance.\u201d<\/p>\n Stephanie Anderson of Time Warner Cable reinforced that \u201cwe need to continually train and educate internally.\u201d<\/p>\n Nancy Smith of iRobot also offered practical tips based on iRobot\u2019s rule: \u201cLeave at least 5 percent of your budget for crazy stuff (aka experiments). Why not give everyone on your team an opportunity to do a cool project, to be a part-time intern?\u201d<\/p>\n On organization, Denise Incandela of Saks Fifth Avenue advised: \u201cCreate an environment that rewards innovation and rapid testing. Don\u2019t say yes to every new thing; focus and do what your firm can do well. Think scalable programs.\u201d<\/p>\n To me, this body of advice can be summed up in a simple idea: marketing departments need to behave more like high-performing startups<\/a>. CMOs must embrace experimentation, fail fast, get close to the customer, reduce internal approval cycles, and focus on fewer, more actionable metrics.<\/p>\n We had a vigorous debate over dinner about whether the B2B\/B2C divide was still meaningful. Jonathan Becher of SAP nailed it with his pithy insight: \u201cGlass buildings don\u2019t buy software; people do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
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\u00a01. CMOs Must Walk in Customers\u2019 Shoes<\/h2>\n
2. Firms Need to Differentiate Through Brand Experience<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\n3. The CMO Role is a Great Gig, But It Requires Major Skills<\/h2>\n
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4. Marketing Teams Need to Behave More Like Smart Startups<\/h2>\n
5. The B2B Versus B2C Dichotomy is Becoming Irrelevant<\/h2>\n