Will the CMO Weather the Storm of a Sagging Economy?

I continue to be struck by the quick turnover of CMO’s. I hope we are beginning to see a reversal of this trend, but there is little question that marketing will often be used as the scapegoat if sales falter because of the economy. At the same time, there is little question that too many CMO’s are caught in actions and strategies based on the past, not the current realities.

This Adage article written by Avi Dan, who is former global executive director of Euro RSCG and managing partner of Berlin Cameron Red Cell, gives CMO’s some great food for thought. Avi’s point, “Check out the circuitry of your OS” emphasizes this truth.

The media landscape has changed because consumer behavior has changed. It is no longer good enough to talk about integration of traditional and digital media efforts, nor is it enough to talk about connecting legacy systems to finally understand what marketing truly impacts sales. The tools and talent exists for these things to happen today, my guess is that the CMO’s that will weather this storm (and last longer than two years on the job) are those that are quickly adapting to these new opportunities (and requirements).

Posted by: Matt Spiegel, CEO