The world is going digital at a frenzied clip. It’s gone from being the flavour of the season to being the only reason for brand marketers and CMOs. In this sordid vortex of elation and over glorification with digital being heralded as the manna from heaven, the campaign hits are paraded for the world to see. There is hardly any mention of the innumerable misses that get lost in the wilderness.
Take a look at the average CMO tenure- it’s not going anywhere beyond 18-24 months(with some exceptions of course). If it’s a hit parade through and through on all campaigns, would this be the threshold duration?
So the next time you have a fire and hire issue for a CMO, please do remember what your new CMO will say:-
It doesn’t matter what the problem is..the answer will be:
- we need to get more digital
- we need to get more younger
You have a crappy product:
- we need to get more digital
- we need to get more younger
You have no discernible strategy:
- we need to get more digital
- we need to get more younger
Your advertising is a stupid pile of shit:
- we need to get more digital
- we need to get more younger
Your stores are filthy, your people are morons:
- we need to get more digital
- we need to get more younger
If you are looking for a marketing job, repeat after me:
- we need to get more digital
- we need to get more younger
It seems to be the universal marketing strategy that will get you get employed by any dumb ass organisation. Never mind that you will last only 18 months. Or 24 at best. There is always another sucker(dumb ass organisation I mean) around the corner. That needs your ‘ keen insights ‘.
Agreed we are now in an era where the 4Ps of marketing has seen a shift to personalisation, privacy, permissions & performance- fully respect the merits of these. But it sure does not offer a license to overlook fundamentals like product quality, your advertising content, the customer experience you deliver, the human resources you have and the market insights that drive your R&D. Ideally, could the true CMO combine the traditional 4Ps with the new age 4Ps? What a potent combination that would be!
There is already talk in some organisations around the world about making the CMO position redundant. So, let’s not do our bit to accelerate the demise.
Digitelly yours!
www.groupisd.com/story
www.brandknewmag.com
www.weeklileaks.com