Digital transformation is the most important task for marketing managers
The latest CMO Barometer from Serviceplan Group surveyed nearly 300 marketing executives in the DACH region about the current situation. The annual study provides insight into marketing trends, the current challenges facing chief marketing officers, and their outlook for the future.
Four key insights can be distilled from the responses of the 271 top marketers in the "CMO Barometer".
1. digitization in fast motion
Digitization has never before had such a high urgency for CMOs. Not a new topic in itself, it has nevertheless rapidly gained speed through Corona.
2. marketing is done by and for people
Being close to people is key in times of crisis - whether it is being close to your own employees through good leadership or to your clients and their (changing) needs.
3. sustainability does not become a luxury topic
Sustainability communication and brand purpose remain core topics and do not lose weight even in difficult economic times.
4. agility & transformation capability as success factors
Being able to react agilely to changing circumstances and needs is becoming the decisive factor for CMO success. In his own company, the CMO becomes the driver of the transformation agenda.
Trends in marketing
In each case, more than 80 percent of CMOs assume that the marketing trends digital transformation (88%), online/e-commerce (87%) and data-driven marketing (85%) will gain in importance. 86 percent think this about sustainability communications - up from 83 percent last year.
"One might have suspected that sustainability communication would become a luxury topic in times of crisis. The opposite is the case: even more CMOs than in 2020 see it on the rise," says Alessandro Panella, Managing Partner of Serviceplan Consulting Group. "That digital transformation, e-commerce and data-driven marketing will continue to gain importance for CMOs is hardly surprising in a year of such rapid digital acceleration. What's exciting here is: many CMOs, see the pandemic here as a positive accelerator of a long overdue digital transformation in the company."
CMO tasks and everyday life in Corona times
Digitization and the human factor: When asked what they consider to be their most important tasks, digital transformation (36%), fostering team spirit & culture in the marketing team despite remote working (26%) and adapting/optimizing the marketing organization (25%) were the most frequently mentioned open mentions.
Digital and leadership aspects are also at the top of the list of tasks that will become more important: Digitization of marketing was named by 74 percent of CMOs, and fostering team spirit and culture in marketing by 59 percent.
The human factor was also the focus of the responses to the question about the greatest change caused by Corona. Here, the most frequently mentioned open mentions were remote work (62%), lack of exchange with customers/colleagues (28%) and changed leadership (27%).
The future of the CMO
Agility is becoming a success factor: The vast majority of CMOs, 86 percent, believe that the role of the CMO will change. At the same time, a large majority (86%) also see the CMO as a transformation driver and driver of the transformation agenda in the company.
"Agility is the keyword of the hour," says Florian Haller, CEO of the Serviceplan Group. "In these corona-crisis times, when trends and developments - such as digitization - have been rapidly accelerated, adaptability becomes the greatest success factor. CMOs who manage to quickly recognize changes and flexibly go along with them manage successful brands."
For the "CMO Barometer" 271 CMOs/marketing decision-makers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland were surveyed online. The survey took place in February 2021 and lasted approximately 6 to 8 minutes per person. The respondents were asked six questions.
The detailed results of the barometer with a classification of the results as well as further CMO voices can be viewed in the presentation of the study by Serviceplan Suisse.
