What Keeps CMOs up at night? And does your head hurt?

There are days when we all want to call upon Deepak Chopra and one of his amazing meditation affirmations. One like this . . . “I’m in a fog today. Please give me clarity!”

So, how do we get clarity? Last year (2014), Korn Ferry through Marketing Charts showed us these top concerns as the ones that get inside our heads. Take a quick look and then read on.

Demonstrating Marketing’s ROI was not at the top of the list. Really?

               And it’s still valid in 2015.

But here’s where it starts to get strange. Change is happening so quickly that it’s difficult to know what a modern marketing campaign even looks like. Bryan Jones, VP of marketing at Dell, was quoted by Hubspot that he questions everything from his team’s organizational structure to having the right agency partners. He also spoke on the issue of being reactive versus proactive, and how to maintain a balance. There’s no perfect model of an effective media model, and brands have to experiment and define their own marketing path.

And . . . our job description keeps changing. Technology, marketing, and sales are more intertwined than they’ve ever been before. The lines are blurred, and CMOs are wondering how exactly their focus should adjust as a result. Should they zero in on customer experience? Or are they now Chief Information Officer? Integration starts at the top, and CMOs are still figuring out what and how to manage the new ecosystem.

Bottom line, at least until Friday, is this;

It’s harder than ever to reach buyers!

Buyers are doing more research online before they purchase: They are reading product reviews, asking for feedback on LinkedIn and Facebook, and perusing competing brands’ sites. That means that they are at least halfway through the buying cycle before they even contact a sales rep or walk into a store — if they do at all.

CMOs are trying to meet these research-focused consumers in the digital space while they can still be influenced. The problem: It’s still difficult to know where and how to best communicate with these prospective customers.

The key question you might ask is; what am I doing to become a remarkable visual story teller? And how do I get my stories into the channels my prospects and buyers surf?

And while you are popping a couple of Tylenol, you can choose Fractional Chief Marketing Officer (FCMO) services or Concept to Content (C2C) services that deliver real, measurable value and underscore the culture you are building. We can show you how.

Remarkable team . . . The Slade Group. Reach out and let us respond. We’re content marketing pain relievers!.