Your new post is loading...
Digest...
In the military, a force multiplier is a capability that significantly increases the potential of a combat force, enhancing the probability of a successful mission. Many CEOs are looking to marketing to assume the role of force multiplier across their organizations, using customer insights to influence business strategy.
The ability to divine customer insights – and make them relevant to business people – is one of five key responsibilities CMOs must embrace to successfully transform marketing. Here are three ways to become a force multiplier:
Serve as a bonding agent: At LinkedIn, marketing and product development teams are highly integrated: product marketing managers are matched with product managers, who in turn work closely with the engineering teams. They share customer experience insights to determine what to build, how to deliver it, and how to communicate the brand value. Marketing has an equally strong partnership with the sales organization, collaborating not just on taking products to market but on strategy.
Combine c-suite roles: Technology services firm Cognizant took an increasingly common approach to ensuring that marketing lines up with business strategy: It put both functions under Executive VP Malcolm Frank, who serves as both chief strategy officer and chief marketing officer.
Break down your own walls. I’m not a fan of adjectives in front of marketing. Designations like “North America marketing” or “Web marketing” or “solution marketing” simply drives us further into our own internal silos. One small step we’ve taken internally is by using our social collaboration software, SAP Jam, to discuss marketing ideas, settle on best practices, and vote on the things that work best. We are also implementing cross-functional marketing metrics that focus on business outcomes instead of activities.
___________________________________
-Receive a FREE daily summary of The Marketing Technology Alert directly to your inbox. To subscribe, please go to http://ineomarketing.com/About_The_MAR_Sub.html (your privacy is protected).
-If you like this scoop from The Marketing Technology Alert (brought to you by iNeoMarketing), PLEASE share by using the links below.
Via Marteq
Theoretically, marketing as the force multiplier sounds wonderful, but you can't decide this on your own (as opposed to the military, who can force it down the organization by edict). It's a noble effort, and perhaps worthy of 2014 qualitative goals.