Digital experience is more important than ever. The core principles of modern marketing were not born yesterday.
So why are some marketing teams struggling to keep up with the pace? These difficult times will highlight a specific type of leader in marketing. They are the ones who can inspire change throughout the entire Culture.
It takes work to make changes. It can be challenging to transform an entire team—an Everest-sized obstacle. Problems with corporate management and finding the right employees make the situation even more difficult. It’s no wonder that the CMO job is considered the most dangerous.
Forty-one percent of all marketers think the C-suite understands digital’s importance and potential. Marketing managers report that it is challenging to retain digitally-savvy employees at 48 percent. However, 99.9% of your target audience expects more. The kind of more,’ that can only come from digital technology is what 99.9% of them are expecting.
Marketing: The (Changing) State
Modern marketing transformation represents a significant shift in the marketing landscape. It’s still evolving. It’s not going to stop, slow down, or plateau ever.
As a result of the rapid rise in digital, social, and mobile technologies and the rapid changes in how everyone gets and processes information on the planet, governments, businesses, and individuals all face the challenge of adapting to constant change.
Marketing plays a more significant role as organizations strive to be different. Marketing is no longer limited to simple advertising campaigns or tactical strategies to win new customers. CMOs recognize the importance of defining the vision and path for fundamental marketing transformation.
Why? Because innovation cycles in business have increased. In milliseconds, communication takes place across the globe. Customers expect immediate service and support. As a result, the political, economic, and global landscapes have become more complicated. CMOs require new skills.
Unsurprisingly, marketing departments need help to keep up with the massive shift from traditional to digital. In the past, we used to be able to predict how long each campaign would take and invest in it. We would hit the launch button, then let go.
It’s an in-the-moment process involving analyzing and refining existing campaigns. It’s not just about creating new ideas but also the continual learning of new techniques and methods.
We have gone from making a big splash with every big reveal to rushing down effervescent rivers of modern marketing. We are mobile, social, and agile. Many of us have reduced our advertising, if any since we’ve already adopted the more powerful world of content marketing.
Marketing is changing. Marketing is changing from land-bound caterpillars to see-you-later butterflies. You must provide the right environment for this new creature to flourish. Culture must be unbounded.
There are enough flowing rivers and fluttering butterflies. How does that look in practice? What Culture is needed to enable a modern, robust, and sustainable marketing transformation?
What happens when marketing transforms?
Consumers are the most significant driver for marketing evolution. Customers have higher expectations. Modern brands must respond to customer expectations to be competitive.
This holds for both customer retention and lead generation. We have shifted from the marketing mix and 7 P’s to the customer mixture and 6 W’s. It’s not about what we sell but who we sell it to.