Oh, the Places CMOs Go!

Chief marketing officers (CMOs) have one of the toughest jobs within any organization. Being responsible for all marketing-related activities—product development, advertising, sales management, market research, etc.—commands the skill of a professional who can wear many different hats.

A recent Marketing Week article looked at a survey released by Accenture, which found that CMOs felt less prepared to meet the challenges of their industries than they did a year ago. Why? They all seem to be equipped with the right tools to get the job done—more data, newer technology and skilled employees. However, the reporter surmises that there is a bigger issue afoot: CMOs feel less prepared because of a lack of leadership or strategic direction.

We at Bliss Integrated, along with our partners from the Worldcom Public Relations Group, took on the challenge of providing a clearer direction for marketing professionals. Assuming the role of cartographer, we mapped the marketing and PR landscape of different countries, regions, cities and industries around the globe to help CMOs expand their companies’ brands in uncharted areas.

The result is this e-book: 2013 Global & Local Marketing Guide for CMOs (go ahead…download it!)

Forty participating partners representing more than 15 countries took a survey that looked at key marketing and PR trends. Among some of the findings:

• 88% said that email is the most preferred method of business communication, though 34% said that social media is the most preferred method of consumer communication
• 76% said that social media is a top priority for their company and/or their clients, with Facebook being the top social network
  
• LinkedIn ranked as the top social network for business professionals (85%)

In addition to the survey, many of the partners submitted specific data about their country, city, state and/or industry to help paint an even more localized marketing and PR picture. Topics addressed included health of the economy, marketing environment, state of earned media and a list of significant online influencers. For example:

• In Hungary, mobile advertising experienced 12% growth and grabbed 18.8% of the overall advertising pie in 2012 (insight provided by Probako Communications)
• In Hong Kong, according to a 2012 survey on advertising spending, 42% of advertisers said that they would increase their advertising budgets by 6-10%, despite the negative economic condition in 2012 (insight provided by A-World Consulting Ltd.)

Perhaps most helpful, our partners weighed in on 10 questions that CMOs should ask themselves before pursuing global marketing and PR campaigns. The consensus was that in order to sustain any level of success, the art of networking must be mastered. Despite the rapidly changing communication environment, most partners say that nothing will replace face-to-face meetings for relationship building, but that many promising professional relationships are forged through both online and offline networking.

What marketing and PR trends are you seeing in your neck of the woods? What else should CMOs consider?

Connect with Gregory:

Email: greg@blissintegrated.com

Twitter: @gregoryhassel

LinkedIn: Gregory Hassel