You’re joining the C suite at what you hope will be a hot company. You signed the contract. You already wrote the obligatory LinkedIn post to make your network aware. Congratulations, you’re the new chief marketing officer and everybody knows it.
You’re happy. You’re proud. And perhaps…you’re just a little bit afraid, in that “be careful what you ask for” kind of way.
It’s an incredible career opportunity. Yet, it’s worth considering the inherent contradictions that come with being a modern CMO.
Nothing is static
Part of your challenge is that you’ve been brought in at a particular point in time defined by a problem (maybe lots of acquisitions require a brand consolidation) or an opportunity (an emerging company preparing to cross the chasm to the mainstream of the market). Yet, nothing is static in our chaotic world. Your charter consists of that problem/opportunity – and everything else that’s going to happen. You’ll be evaluated on how you deal with all of it.
Earn the “C” in the title
Research shows that the CMO title waxes and wanes, even within a given company. The fact that you’re considered part of the C suite indicates that the position is seen as strategic at this time, not just functional. The title is nothing unless you are perceived as earning it. Everyone – your peers and the CEO you report to – wants to see energy and strategic progress in short order. Your seat at the table hasn’t been reserved for you. It must be earned, right from the start.
Be strategic, and manage the function
Yes, be strategic. You can’t ignore that the marketing function is one of the highest-profile parts of the company with many moving parts. Your promotion just raised its profile further. The modern function touches virtually every part of the company: data analysis, lead generation, campaigns, sales tools, events, content development, social media and on and on. None of that stopped when you walked in the door and various beasts still need to be fed while you’re off being strategic. You need some threads to tie all this together – quickly.
Bridge the internal and external audiences
The B2B audience is sophisticated. They don’t want a sales pitch. They want understanding of their situations and useful information before they buy. Revenue, deal flow, lead generation are all part of the internal system you’re now part of. And everyone has a strong idea of what you and your team should be doing to generate more traffic – whether that’s clicks on the website or sales calls. If your new company is owned by private equity, there may be further expectations to meet or systems to be implemented. Do the inside realities match the external audience’s needs? You must bring them into alignment.
Checking boxes quickly
You’re going to be pulled in many directions right from the start. Get a solid foundation in place quickly. We recommend three complementary steps that come with deliverables that drive other action.
- Figure out the story you need to tell. What challenges do your customers face and how do you help them? What’s your new company’s hero journey? What differentiates your company in that story?
- Build the message map that breaks that story into aspirational elements that provide emotional cues for your audience.
- Develop the Thought Leadership plan that showcases your brain trust and demonstrates how your new firm is essential to your clients’ success.
That foundation and the effort that goes into it will check the “act strategically” box. It will also provide the basis of all the more tactical parts of the marketing function’s efforts.
We stand ready to help.