Ten years ago several proclamations surfaced in the general business community that the role of the Chief Marketing Officer was dead. As digital advertising and paid social performance marketing continued dominate how brands were engaging with consumers – and measuring that engagement – the perceived role of brand marketing was deemed unnecessary by some.
A recent AdAge article noted that there have been a copious amount of marketing-related chief titles that are replacing CMOs. Brands are continually creating new Chief INSERT DESCRIPTION HERE Officer titles to fit very specific roles that evolved as technology changes the way businesses function. And with those new c-suite roles, the traditional territory of CMOs is shrinking.
Yet, just because there are more seats at the c-suite table doesn’t mean that CMOs should disappear. In fact, it’s essential that businesses continue to prioritize the unique perspectives and strategic thinking that marketers provide. What does need to change is the antiquated definition of and parameters put around the role of the CMO. We can’t use dated concepts and be surprised when the industry says the role is being replaced.
New titles and roles that have been created, such as chief growth officer, chief purpose officer, chief digital officer and chief engagement officer, have very clear areas of focus. You can tell almost immediately what that person’s responsibilities include. Typical c-suite titles also come with a very clear understanding of roles – think CFO and COO.
The CMO title is, and always has been, more elusive. CMOs’ responsibilities tend to evolve over time and expand across various teams within their organizations. For example, 20 years ago the CMO had a clear swim lane: market to specific audiences to ensure they know about the company and are buying the product. Five years ago that expanded to include all of the expanded capabilities technology brought – new marketing channels, the need to personalize, and the requirement to be transparent with audiences. The CMO is one of the few legacy c-suite titles that sees immense change in their responsibilities so frequently.
So how can today’s PR agencies support today’s evolving CMO?
Create PR programs that clearly align with the CMO’s business objectives
PR programs are not cookie cutter – each program should be tailored to the specific client. Beyond that, PR programs should have direct alignment with the client’s business objectives. Does helping recruit top talent fall to your CMO? If so, your PR program should have a strong company awards program that highlights company culture. On top of that, a strong blog and social media presence that amplifies employee voices will increase visibility and show clear impact.
Think about who the CMO is working with across the company and what results will resonate the most. Education is key here. As mentioned, it’s difficult to succinctly define marketing, and subsequently PR, so it’s important to show a through line of the results earned media has on the business as a whole.
Deliver results that can be leveraged throughout the organization
PR and marketing are not, and should not, be standalone programs in a company. Having relationships with and visibility with key stakeholders throughout the organization is imperative to CMOs’ success. The information gained through those relationships informs how marketing plans are developed. Inversely, it’s important for PR and marketing teams to arm people throughout the company with collateral that will help them in their roles. A key relationship that impacts both parties’ success is between the marketing and sales teams. As a PR professional, delivering a piece of coverage in Business Insider that can be used as a resource for sales enablement creates a new way to measure success. That Business Insider article can serve as another touchpoint with prospects and provide third-party validation as to why they should work with the organization.
By working closely with CMOs, PR professionals have a unique opportunity to take success seen in one area and scale that success across multiple channels. A PR program that snaps into the overarching marketing puzzle enables CMOs to better showcase the company-wide impact to the c-suite.
The role of the CMO will always evolve. And while other c-suite titles may come, the core value the marketing leader brings to an organization is the ability to understand the goings on of multiple divisions of the company, while also keeping a clear pulse on customer sentiment and demand. As PR professionals, our job is to accept that and grow with the changes that will constantly happen, while providing clear paths to success.
Emma Wolfe, Vice President