No CMO will want to miss a recent report from The Economist Intelligence Unit entitled “Outside Looking In: The CMO Struggles to get in Sync with the C-Suite.” Based on a survey of nearly 400 executives around the world and in-depth interviews with leading CMOs and marketing experts, the report provides many insights into the challenges that CMOs face, but one challenge in particular screams out to us. In section 2, “CMOs Are Swimming Upstream,” the researchers note that “fully half of all CMOs say their ability to play a more strategic role is limited by the lack of relevant skills among marketing executives.” We aren’t surprised by this finding – we encounter this problem among our clients all the time.
How can CMOs, with their vast responsibilities, get everything done when their team lacks the right skills? The answer is simple: They can’t. And as we peel the onion we find that the biggest obstacle to having the right skills is knowing what the right skills are. We often find companies that don’t have a clear view of the skills required for success in marketing – what those skills are, at what levels of proficiency they need be performed and by whom, and what skills should take priority given the business strategy.
At EMM Group we deeply believe that marketing provides the engine of growth for businesses. Operating that engine without a keen understanding of skill needs, their relative importance, and a plan to close critical gaps is akin to putting diesel fuel in a gasoline-powered car: you won’t get very far.
The attached white paper “Managing Talent for Marketing Excellence” details our point of view about determining the right marketing skills, the business logic behind them, and a model for building them rapidly and effectively. In light of the EIU report, you probably don’t need much prodding to consider making these skills a 2013 priority, and we think that our white paper might provide the needed gas to get your marketing engine humming.
To learn more about EMM Group, please contact us.
