By nickjohnson - August 28th, 2013
Bridging the CMO-CIO Divide: how one exec became CMO after decades in the IT backroom
Accenture have just released a report entitled "The CMO-CIO Disconnect". In it, they find that only 10% of execs feel that collaboration between the two functions is at the right level. This only adds to the chatter around the need for better alignment between the two departments.
In that context, this interview with Marilyn Ling is instructive. Ling is the CMO of Singapore Pools, and she moved into the CMO's office after working as CIO for several years. Among many interesting observations, Ling highlights the relatively 'unstructured' nature of marketing as compared to IT. While IT departments cannot afford to take risks, in Marketing
It's a very reactive role, and bends to market [conditions] and competition," Ling explained. "Most of the time, changes made don't have an impact that could cause major problems for the business."
For more from Ling, check out the interview here.
Big data isn't a priority for marketers in 2014 - content curation matters more
We recently found that only 7% of Marcomms execs see big data as having the biggest impact on their role this year. It appears the guys at Gartner agree with us, with Jake Sorofman pointing out that organisations care far more about curating content than they do on leveraging big data. Obviously, as time passes, companies will begin to act on the undeniable opportunities big data offers - but if you haven't done that yet, don't worry. You're in the majority.
General Motors reverse another of their ex-CMO's policies - and plan another big Superbowl spend
It's too easy when beginning a multi-channel push to focus on 'shiny new' opportunities, and give short shrift to the opportunities presented by traditional channels. You can read more on this in our interview with Jeff Shafer, Head of Comms at Lenovo.
The team over at General Motors appear to have heeded Jeff's advice. They're going back into making a big advertising buy around the Superbowl this year after stepping back last time around. The recent outsting of Joel Ewanick as CMO has led to the automaker reversing many of his decisions - they're back paying for Facebook ads, too.