In 2012, Gartner made the bold projection that by 2017 the CMO would outspend the CIO on technology, and Forrester Research has been advocating for some time for a new C-suite role: the chief marketing technologist.
Technology is in a state of swift and constant change, and forward-thinking CEOs are taking steps to ensure their organizations remain relevant and agile. Though few companies have appointed a chief marketing technologist, there is indeed a growing trend to do so. An informal survey on CMO.com showed that 22 percent of individuals polled currently have a CMT at their organization and 17 percent believe their organization will hire for this position in the coming year. Adam Howatson, CMO of OpenText, explained in an interview with CMO.com,”Marketing as an enterprise function has been taking a leading role in the implementation of new technologies that help customers connect with businesses. I think it is safe to say that CMOs who ignore technology won’t be CMOs for much longer. Marketing technology will be a defining factor in how an enterprise communicates with its customers.”
The opportunity of the chief marketing technologist is big: to create a nimble environment that responds quickly to both changes in technology and the ever-evolving wants and needs of the customer.
The challenge is when technology tactics supersede the marketing strategy, this nimble environment can easily drive inconsistent messaging that causes market confusion and a fragmented customer experience.
To be successful, the CMT must work collaboratively with the CMO to ensure the technology serves its primary purpose: to deliver a clear, consistent and compelling message that is born out of a Corporate Messaging Platform. A Corporate Messaging Platform ensures that your message is strategically aligned with your business objectives and that your story is relevant, unique and consistently deployed across all technological platforms throughout the customer
Download the “5 Ways to Transform the Customer Experience” infographic.
