CMOs Need A Seat At The Board

    CMOs need a Seat at the Board-01

    The success of an organization in 2022 and beyond requires the CMO to have a seat at the decision-maker’s table. 

    Delivering an exceptional customer experience is no longer just an option but has become a necessity. For organizations to succeed in their endeavors, they need to keep marketing at the core of their decision-making process. Additionally, with the introduction of data and analytics, organizations now can assess the impact of their marketing efforts on commercial performance. Yet, many organizations still are not providing CMOs a seat at the boardroom table.

    As per a 2018 report from Deloitte titled, “Board Practices Report,” only 26% of CMOs regularly attend board meetings. With today’s B2B landscape shifting at an unprecedented pace, organizations cannot afford to not incorporate feedback from marketing executives, to stay ahead of the competition.

    Also Read: 5 Must-Keep Resolutions B2B Marketers Need to Keep this Year

    The Value CMOs Bring to the Table

    The sales and marketing leaders are in direct contact with customers, and hence can provide valuable insights into their changing behavior. Marketers stay in touch with customers via research, trends and data-driven campaigns.

    Marketers stay close to the end consumer through research, data-driven campaigns and trends. In fact, the sales and marketing people can be alerted to behavioral shifts even before the   numbers start showing it. They are the only ones with the direct opportunity to care for unhappy customers, ensuring that complaints received from customers can be resolved easily and fast for better market feedback.

    As these departments directly operate under CMOs, and the team is interacting with customers, they are in the perfect position to measure customer satisfaction. Every day, the CMO’s team analyzes the brand head, check-in on brand recognition, gauge customer loyalty as well as look into any feedback that could be a significant market barometer. In conclusion, CMOs are the voice of customers in the boardroom or board-level discussion.

    Why having CMOs in the Boardroom Makes Sense

    CMOs are responsible for taking care of the brand. They continuously strive to reach more customers, perfect the message, and execute the strategy that aligns with the brand vision.

    Also Read: Three B2B Marketing Strategies to Incorporate in Today’s Privacy-First Environment

    Typically, board members are operations and finance senior experts who can make decisions associated with brands. They often use their expertise without the depth or insights to make the correct decisions for the customer. But, asking CMOs to join the board can provide the answers that the members who are not really in touch with their product’s market, may not find.

    Since CMOs are in–charge of brand and customers, they should not be left out while making key decisions. The decisions they help to make in the boardroom will line up with the brand and its purpose, thus helping to release the full sales potential of the brand purpose.

    That is why organizations should involve them in discussions about the plans and roadmap for the brand, indeed the whole organization.

    Marketing needs to be Integral to corporate Development

    Most organizations view marketing as a cost center, where the board members make the first cuts to the budget. Organizations pour money into it when the times are good; however, they pull the plug in times of crisis, though this is the time when they should keep the investment going.

    Overall, most organizations do not see marketing as integral to the health of their brand, leaving them behind and hence are unable to tap into full potential. So, when the messaging does not work, or the vision does not speak to the core of the brand, it comes as no surprise since they are out of line with the brand’s purpose.

    Hence, C-suites should invite their CMO to the boardroom frequently, and maybe even have a marketing lead from the organization on the board.  They should be invited to sit on the board, and their insights should be leveraged, as well as valued for the unique perspective that only they can provide.

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