final year project

1 | P a g e P h i l i p S t e p h e n s - M a r t e c


Business Final Year Project

“Research into how marketing as a business function must evolve and adapt in

this “Digital Age” with a special emphasis on leadership, strategy, traceability

and the Chief Marketing Technologist”

Name: Philip Stephens

Student ID: 11141646

Supervisor: Dr Conor Carroll

Course: BBS with French


Acknowledgements

I wish to thank the each and every lecture I have had over my four years of education in the

University of Limerick. Each one of these has influenced this research in a different but equally

as important way.

Most importantly I would like to thank Dr Conor Carroll who accepted to supervise this

research which I am extremely grateful for. His passion and interest in the area was crucial in

providing me with key insights and directions throughout when I needed it most. I can only

hope this research reflects his great knowledge and expertise in this area in some way.

As a result of this research, Dr Carroll approached me and three other classmates to represent

the University of Limerick in the Alltech Innovation Competition. Our innovative business

plan brought the theory of this research into a real life business plan which was extremely

beneficial to my knowledge of this area and it was a great life experience.

I will be forever grateful for his generous contributions and input to this project.


Table of Contents

1) Introduction………………………………………………………………………..…..5

2) Methodologies…………………………………………………………………………6

3) Literature Review

a. The Changing Consumption Patterns………………………………………...8

b. The Changing Customer Interactions………………………………………...10

c. Role of Marketing……………………………………………………………12

d. Marketing Leadership

Adapting to the Digital Age……………..………………………15

Ambidexterity…………………………………………………...16

Strategy / Finance……………………..………………………....17

Technology / Culture of Measurement………..………………...18

e. Integration of IT

Information Technology…………………………………………18

IT / Marketing Relationship……………………………………...19

Concerns………………………………………………….………20

4) Discussion

a. Rise of the Marketing Technologist

The Immediate Future.....……………………………………..…21

Accountability…………………………………………………....22

Strategic Investment……………………………………………...22

Integrated Marketing Approach / Cross Functionality………......23

Strategy…………………………………………………………..24

Marketing Technology (Martec)………………………………....26

Examples of Martec Available…………………………….…….27

b. New Marketing Skills Gap…………..………………………………….…...33

c. The New Breed of CMO……………………………………………….……36

5) Conclusion

a. Research Stimulus…………………………………………………….……..38

b. Innovation is Paramount…………………………………………..…………39

c. A Digitally Enhanced ROI ………………………………………………….40


6) Implications for Research……………………………………………………………41

7) References……………………………………………………………………………44


1) Introduction

The world of marketing is experiencing change at a pace never witnessed before. Business has

been dominated by a goods dominant logic in terms of transactions and economics etc. for

some time but now it is evident that the service dominant logic has made a return, (Sheth &

Parvatiyar, 1995). This shift constructs a new emphasis on intangibility in terms of

relationships, co-creation and customer experiences. This approach has been used in practice

for quite some time but with the introduction of technological innovations and the function of

Web 2.0, the playing field is changing rapidly. The aim of this research project is to analyse

precisely many areas interlinked with this evolving playing field such as; (1) the changing role

of the Chief Marketing Officer, (2) the need for marketing to “upskill itself” as function, (3)

the effect this change will have on strategy and (4) the necessity for a Chief Marketing

Technologist.

There is an explosion of literature which is focusing on this major development of marketing

with many making very strongly worded projections on how marketing will change going

forward. For instance projections such as;

“Customer-focused firms are amenable to new and better ways of doing things for the benefit

of their customers. Technology, knowledge and networks thus represent a unique set of factors

that can fuel innovation in service organisations. It is the combined effect of technology and

network that gives a firm the ability to focus its amorphous resource on the future (as yet

unexpressed) needs of customers – the true innovative feature, (Kandampully, 2002)”.

With all this being said it is very easy to get carried away and conform to this hype but the true

aim of this research is to assess the validity, credibility and feasibility of the anticipated future

developments. There are many challenges standing in the way of implementing an integrated

marketing approach and many improvements need to be made if the CMO is to have adequate

input into an organisations overall strategy. It would seem like there is a need for marketing to

grow and expand as a business function going forward, however, there still remains many

business professionals, scholars and academics that disagree with this trail of thought. This is

predominantly to do with the fact there is a constant struggle for marketers in bridging the gap

between a firm’s marketing activities and the resulting effect on their financial value in a way

which is easily understand to all stakeholders involved which remains a constant challenge


today. The research stimulus outlined above will give me a strong indication whether or not

this “Digital Age” will aid marketing and organisations in general to overcome this challenge.

This inability in not being able to quantify the performance of marketing activities mixed with

marketing’s lack of fluency in the language of business; finance, is a major obstacle for such

change as Kandampully, (2002), suggested. Yes, the combination of technology, knowledge

and networks can bring about substantial innovation, however with its disruptive nature there

are many business practices and processes that will be effected not mentioning the severe costs

in technological investments and business model changes. The overall challenge we are facing

in this modern age is whether organisations have to ability to adapt and keep up with the intense

velocity of change in the external environment as a result of technology, (Day 2011).

2) Methodology

The researcher chose an empirical research format for this study. When gathering data it was

essential for the researcher to gather as much as possible from as many different angles as

possible to construct well educated knowledge to avoid compiling research which lacked depth

and overall context. Once this initial stage was compete, an in depth analysis was carried out

looking for various patterns, comparisons and conflicting areas that were present within the

specific level of focus of the various areas being researched. The researcher was careful not to

rush this stage and spent quite some time building his research’s structure and direction here.

This led the researcher to his final stage of the project which was developing theory from what

he had learned from his work on this area.

The data which was gathered and analysed was sourced from the work and views of industry

experts, a vast array of highly respected industry scholars and it was also necessary to review

highly credible published articles by the likes of Harvard Business, McKinsey Consulting and

Forbes etc., in order to gain an up to date perspective, as many of these articles were written as

early as February, 2015. To fully understand the impact and capabilities of technology in

marketing, the researcher also read the book; “Data Driven Marketing: The 15 Metrics

Everyone in Marketing Should Know” by Mark Jeffrey which proved to be an essential factor

in bringing concentrated detail to many facets of the research. Crucially this book armed the


researcher with a tremendous grounding and a fundamental understanding of the role of data,

technology and metrics in Marketing Performance Measurement (MPM).

Also as this area is encountering rapid change, the researcher used Twitter to access near real

time information and data released by key influencers across various different professions

regarding the future of the CMO etc. This information made available online through Twitter

from management consulting organisations, marketing experts of technology, financial experts,

and strategists etc. cultivated the researchers modern day understanding of the chosen area

immensely. This was essential in order to carry out successful research in the area as it is a

rapidly evolving area as mentioned previously. With the quantity and quality of data being

intensely researched it enabled the researcher to develop an empirical level of detail and

competency on the area in question which resulted in a constructive and accomplished

conclusion.

The researcher wisely chose to focus on the high level secondary research mentioned above as

his capabilities of carrying out primary research to contribute to such a complex area would

have been very limited in comparison to the secondary research which is available.

There were many challenges whilst carrying out the research. One of the most challenging but

fulfilling parts of the project came when the researcher analysed all of his qualitative data

together and identified patterns, opportunities and comparisons which he built upon in his

throughout the project. This proved very time consuming and questioned many areas of the

research. As a result, I discussed these obstacles with my supervisor on various occasions

which proved crucial with him providing invaluable direction at a time when needed most.

Also in order to gain context and a broad knowledge on this new area, the researcher read an

abundance of literature. This was one of the major frustrations of the research as a large

proportion of material researched did not feature in this paper and only impacted the direction

slightly. Finally, the area of research required to researcher to investigate and explore the world

of marketing technology which was very time consuming albeit rewarding process. As it is a


new area it was challenging to identify credible material as the majority of sources are pioneers.

The theory was challenging but studying actual technology products available on the market

improved my real life knowledge and brought great balance and realism to my theoretical

research.

3) Literature Review

a) Changing Consumption Patterns

The world we live in today has seen massive changes as a result of the introduction of

technology and the internet of things. The accessibility of information through social media

sites, blogs, websites etc. has shifted the power from the brands to the consumer and as result

the marketing landscape has witnessed rapid change. These new digital platforms have opened

up a two-way conversation between brands and their customers with which a brand now must

act upon. As illustrated by Edelman, 2010; modern consumers see user-generated content

(reviews, online comments etc.) as a more credible source of information than content

published by the brand itself. Kandampully, (2002), builds upon this with his view of the

modern day service organisation. The role and activities of marketing needs to evolve with

these trends to remain a success and even survive in some insatnces;

“In the same way teachers used to stand in front of a class and broadcast lessons to passive

recipients, marketers used to get away with just speaking at a mass audience. It’s been a while

since either approach was effective or acceptable.” (Vaz, 2014),

This shift in power has resulted in an explosion of research in the area with new research stimuli

in the environment being identified regularly. With this rapid increase in the volume of research

many theories collide and cause friction but in saying this, the common denominator is that the

modern “consumer now owns your brand” and you must evolve in line with this, (Lingham,

2014).

A large proportion of literature suggests that there are changing consumption patterns as a

result of this shift of power. In addition, it is impossible to deny that loyalty is now harder to

achieve than ever and the market place is seeing a growth in micro-segmentation and

competitiveness. This shift in consumption patterns is tied with the increasing force of

Generation Y, people who are approximately aged between 18-30, and the way they utilise the


internet, mobile devices and technology in general, (Costanza, 2015). For generation Y

information is constant and immediate, they are tech savvy from a young age. On the other

hand Generation X is in the older demographic and are not as familiar with technology and

lived for a large part of their lives pre-digital, in a world dominated by traditional mass

marketing. It is believed that generation Y are proven to be less loyal, more brand conscious

and more expansive than the previous generation X, (Reisenwitz & Iyer, 2009). Therefore, the

recent revolution and changes in consumption patterns are being brought about by generation

Y, like most revolutions they are driven by the young, (Kinmont, 2014). As a result, modern

day marketers in the digital age must adapt and change tact in targeting new demographics, in

order to be successful in encompassing all of the market.

The source of this shift is based around the service dominant logic and the role technology is

playing here. Intangible features such as customers’ interactions and experiences, relationships

and interactivity are crucial today rather than tangible features related to the product and

packaging etc. This shift results in organisations losing power in the newly formed two way

relationship which would suggest that strategy may need to become more “emergent” rather

than “deliberate”, when taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture, (Minztberg &

Waters, 1985).

Positive “earned media” is acknowledged across all research to be the “Holy Grail” for

marketers in the modern environment, with it having far higher “authority and confidence than

traditional media” Maurya, 2011 p.3). Theory does not question traditional marketing’s

relevance, it implies that it needs to be updated and integrated with modern marketing, rather

than change its core elements and principles, in order to effectively market to the new

demographics along with the old. Therefore, overall business strategy needs to take count of

this and adapt, (Gok & Hacioglu, 2010, Scott 2013, Tollin & Schmidt, 2012).

Although there are still many questions to be answered and obstacles overcome, there are early

signs of this change in the recent Gartner CMO Spend Survey 2014;

a) Customer experience is the top innovation project for 2015

b) Digital advertising leads digital marketing spending in 2014, and is tied with mobile

marketing for largest 2015 increase


c) Marketing expense budget is 10.2% of revenue in 2014 — half of companies plan an

increase in 2015

This new value creation shift has led companies to adopt a holistic styled engagement strategy

which is geared towards creating a consumer centric brand (McGuire, Meyer, Stone, 2013).

With this Gartner Survey in mind, one must question still, whether organisations have the

capability to evolve and remain competitive in the markets within which they operate as

organisations are traditionally lethargic and weak at embracing rapid change.

b) Changing Customer Interactions

These changes in consumer patterns have forced

modern day organisations to interact differently

with their target audience in particular through

mobile, as seen in the diagram to the left,

(marketingcharts.com).

The introductions of Web 2.0 and innovative

technologies have fundamentally changed the consumer decision journey and how

organisations interact with their customers. Edelman, (2010); has created a new theory which

introduces the notion of an expanding number of “touch points” and researches areas in the

consumer decision making process which should be prioritised. He bases his research upon

irrationality of consumers and behavioural economics (BE) and believes “new media make the

“evaluate” and “advocate” stages increasingly relevant. Marketing investments that help

consumers navigate the valuation process and then spread positive word of mouth about the

brands they choose can be as important as building awareness and driving purchase”,

(Edelman, 2010, p.5).


As a result, this would further suggest that

organisations need to adapt and develop their

marketing investments further as “up to 90% of

spend goes to advertising and retail

promotions” which is aimed at traditional

channels which are becoming less and less

effective (Edelman 2010, p.8).

The Consumer Decision Journey has three features;

1) Prioritising touch points

2) How to leverage these touch points

3) Allocating resources accordingly

These changing factors indicate from a macro marketing perspective that marketing thought

and practice is continuing its evolution from a largely goods-dominant logic to a service-

dominant logic, (Lusch and Webster, 2011). An organisation’s interaction framework with

their target market is changing towards these newly available digital platforms which focusing

on ameliorating customer experience. Gartner CMO Spend Survey 2014 indicates this also;

1. 68% of organizations have a separate digital marketing budget — it averages a quarter

of the total marketing budget

2. The highest marketing technology investment in 2014 is customer experience, followed

by marketing operations and analytics

Yes, the Gartner CMO Spend Survey 2014 indicates a change of direction; however, the

statistics and percentage increases in investments

do not appear to be as high in relation to literary

views. This critical analysis is agreed on by

Edelman as he more recently stated in a

consulting capacity with McKinsey and

Company that; organisations are not progressing

as well as anticipated and “few have taken the

time to measure the level of digital maturity their

organization has achieved”, (Van Bommel,

Edelman, & Ungerman, 2014). The failure of big


companies to adapt to changing circumstances is one of the fundamental puzzles in the world

of business, (Birkinshaw, 2013).

However, one basic assumption is that, this kind of stagnant reaction by organisations

responding to theoretical breakthroughs may be due to the fact organisations tend to be

lethargic and lag behind changes in the external environment as previously mentioned. The fact

that an SDL approach is a major universal initiative amongst organisations currently does not

mean the old GDL framework has been banished just yet, (Vargo and Lusch, 2006). Therefore,

firms remain stiff, sluggish and less competitive as this transition will not be achieved

overnight. On the contrary, the external environment is powering ahead in terms as

organisations struggle to “comprehend and cope,” which is a major concern for these

companies, (Day 2011). “Structural insularity” introduces a greater level of detail in the

diagnosis which views the silos which still exist from the GDL era as strong barrier to

organisational change, (Aaker, 2009). Integrated technology into all platforms, functions and

processes etc. is paramount as technology is the main driver of this rapid change in external

environments; “While technology was once on the periphery for marketers, today so many

aspects are being powered by technology”, (Smith, 2014).

On the contrary, the failure of firms to react may also be a domestic issue for marketing itself

as this lethargic reaction may be due to the disconnection between marketing leadership and

the c-suite, (Lusch and Webster, 2011). A major shift in strategy as suggested is costly and

awkward in terms of resources and financials. This is lack of fluency in finance within

marketing, leads to a failure in communicating the return on investment of digital investments

and also the true value creation of a marketing influence on a firm’s strategy, (Lusch & Vargo,

2006). Therefore, marketing must progress and grow the ability to better articulate itself and

communicate effectively with regard to financials and stakeholder impact studies etc. In

general, the message is that marketing needs improved management competence to influence

change as much as it would like on an organisations investment budget and overall strategy,

(Lusch & Webster, 2011). This point brings reality to a situation which is hugely biased and

presumptuous that the CMO will go from a “trusted second in command” to one of “partners

in arms” (Roll,2015), with the CEO in an overnight fashion.

c) Role of Marketing

http://fortune.com/author/julian-birkinshaw/


Evidently with regard to the shifting patterns and changing interactions with consumers,

marketing’s role is undergoing intense change and modification with regard to customer

centricity. Literature is conforming to this belief unanimously, Scott capitulates this evolution

perfectly, (Scott, 2013, p. 2);

“Traditionally marketing is charged with advertising and promotional campaigns, relaying

customer interaction throughout the firm, and new product launches. In many of today’s

marketing operations, cross-functional and diverse teams are necessary for producing the best

results…. Maintaining a customer orientation in the organisation requires input and assistance

from various functional departments.”

These developments are interlinked with the SDL regarding business strategy, (Vargo and

Lusch, 2006). The integrated marketing approach is the product of this transformation in theory

in which the CMO attempts to have each department singing off the same hymn sheet. This

integrated marketing approach involves an “orchestrator”; who is responsible in ensuring the

overall message and tone of the orchestra/organisation is consistent and entail a high standard

of clarity at all times; packaging, CRM activities, press releases, pricing etc.

Secondly, Edelman believes a “publisher” is responsible for providing a coherent customer

experience in managing the “content supply chain”. This role is crucial as spam marketing can

devastate a company’s progress in today’s world. Instead “knowing more about your customers

doesn’t mean you should communicate more; it just means you should now be able to

communicate better”, (McGuire, Meyer & Stone, 2013). Lastly, an “intelligence leader” is the

last piece of the puzzle. This role was founded on the fact that “as more touch points are

becoming digital, opportunities to collect and use customer information to understand the

customer decision journey knit together the customer experiences are increasing”, (Edelman,

2010, p.10). This is in relation to IT infrastructure, business intelligence, analytics, actionable

data etc. which introduces the modern relationship between marketing and IT which will be

developed in detail at a later stage.

This literature is useful, albeit it is very narrow minded and indicates theoretically what needs

to be done going forward without bringing in any real life challenges associated with such


action which in effect, limits the use for such literature in many cases. In saying this, scholars

have developed upon Edelman’s work and attempted to bridge the gap between theory and

reality with the notion of shifting strategy downstream across the firm as whole, (Dawar, 2013)

and the creation of a new “Marketing Environment Paradigm”, (Jackson & Wood, 2013).

Granted this theory is lacking in some ways, however, when we assess the literature altogether,

they do convey that there is a major need for marketing’s role and the organisation to be

critiqued from an external viewpoint.

The notion of an increasing amount of “touch points”, (Edelman, 2010) can only have been

assumed due to extensive research into the external environment. This illustrates that

marketing’s role is becoming more reliant on data and improving business intelligence

potential etc. In this sense the role of marketing is evolving undoubtedly. Data mining for

example, is a new technique that will enable the role of marketing to grow further; “In the

current customer centric business environment, it is our firm belief that there is a need for

deeper understanding of use of data mining and knowledge management for marketing

decision support” and furthermore it can improve “customer relationship management, real-

time interactive marketing, customer profiling and cross-organisational management of

knowledge”, (Shaw, Subramaniam, Tan, Welge, 2001, p.8).

Therefore, all marketing actions must be based on extensive market research and having access

to multifaceted marketing intelligence is critical which is also supported by Trim & Lee,

(2006). More recently Jackson &Wood, (2013) have proposed the following to ensure an

ameliorated understanding of the external environment;

Appoint individuals to be “Environmental Scanning Czars”

Subscribe to a set of publications for each of the network groups

Set up regular meetings to examine changes in the B2B marketer’s environment.

Establish a periodic system of conducting research


It is important to note; an organisation that can understand

its environment is not necessarily one that can control it.

Web 2.0 and the Social Media (SM) Ecosystem, (Hanna,

Rohm & Crittenden, 2011, p.4), have changed this forever.

SM platforms have “transformed the internet from a

platform for information, to a platform of influence”,

(Hanna, Rohm & Crittenden, 2011, p. 8). Reverberating

back to Edelman, (2010), “consumers of media and marketing messages as intelligent,

organising and more trusting of their own opinions and opinions of their peers”, (Karpinski,

2005, p. 3).

Therefore, the role of marketing is being forced to evolve in the sense that the landscape is

being forced to change. For example some believe that “conversations are the products the

new marketers are marketing to one another constantly…by comparison, corporate messaging

is pathetic”, (Hanna, Rohm & Crittenden 2011, p.3). In line with this “Social networks aren’t

about web sites. They’re about experiences”, (Hanna, Rohm & Crittenden 2011, p.4); which

involve conversations to an extent.

With all the above (Data Mining, BI, Web 2.0, Social Media Ecosystem) discussed, the general

implications are that the consumer experience is paramount and should remain the core focus

in everything the business does.

The huge negative with this literature is that taking each piece separately, the managerial

implications seem rather feasible, conversely, when analysed altogether, the changes and

theories advised are extremely wishful and one would have to question the plausibility to adopt

such drastic changes all at once. Theories like that of Simonsen & Rosen, (2014) suggesting

that external analysis needs an overhaul in the sense that predicting customer patterns is a thing

of the past and analysing “influencers” in the media sphere is the way forward. Yes, the role of

marketing is evolving and the literature available does not lack creativity and thought

provoking suggestions, however, the CMO at the end of the day has to take large portions of

this with a pinch of salt and act accordingly within his / her context.


d) Marketing Leadership

Adapting to the Digital Age

As Edelman pointed out in his work, many organisations are investing in the wrong areas when

it comes to marketing and seriously need to reassess the direction they are going. Business in

general is witnessing great change and need for further evolution is unavoidable. The key to

success today is to understand exactly how one can create value for the customer and the fact

that the “notion of value for customers in the digital age is now vastly different, (Bernhard &

Olderog, 2014, p.8). The overall strategy and process within which an organisation targets

customers is an area which is changing quite somewhat; “increased access to individual level

customer information has accelerated the use of targeted, multi-channel communication”,

(Godfrey, Seiders, Voss, 2011, p.13), which is a large amount due to the increased availability

of customer data nowadays.

Organisations will need an innovative approach when adapting to this digital age. Successful

innovation in the market place is a result of effective metric selection, (Silverthorne, 2007),

and as metrics and key performance indicators (KPI’s) are set conjointly at board level this

means that this transition will be a challenge both marketing leadership and the board will have

to tackle together. The current dynamic environment requires constant innovation which

makes the point that cross functional solutions (integrated marketing approach) will be

necessary rather than various isolated and fragmented approaches, (Cufaude 2009). This raises

questions on the existence of silos in organisations and also examines for example, if a

disconnected R&D department is really the answer to innovation in the modern age.

Ambidexterity

During a time of change a CMO’s role is more to “explore” and encourage innovation and be

a visionary if you like as it is needed during a period of change more than any other time.

However, this is only one side of the CMO, they must also capitalise on current market

opportunities and maximise resource potential etc. Therefore, the CMO must be highly

ambidextrous in the sense that they are expected to explore and exploit simultaneously which

is no easy task, (Tollin & Schmidt, 2012).


Enacting an ambidextrous strategy is a logical way to gauge a company through change when

attempting to grow as a business and take every opportunity that comes with it, (Tollin &

Schmidt, 2012). Ambidexterity in logic is almost utopian in nature, but in reality is anything

but. There are many headaches which marketing leadership will need to confront; is the CMO

right for the task at hand in this new climate?, what changes are needed to the present business

model arises etc.?, which is costly and awkward in terms of resources and financials as already

mentioned.

Exploration is mandatory for growth in this digital age and successful innovation in the market

place is a result of effective metric selection, (Silverthorne, 2007). Therefore, great prudency,

foresight and accuracy will be demanded from leadership in decision making. This high level

ambidexterity is heavily linked with the overall strategy of the business.

Strategy / Finance

First and foremost, the most pressing issue for the CMO is to rekindle the marketing

relationship with the c-suite and CEO. Marketing Leadership must influence the overall

strategy of the firm, thus, this relationship needs to be ameliorated. Failure to do this will result

in a “disconnect between the overall strategy of the company and what marketing understands

to be the actual needs of customers” which is fatal and will end with severe repercussions,

(Silverthorne, 2007).

Communication from the CMO is failing to convince the CEO of marketing’s capability as the

most pressing issue’s revolve around corporate governance and financial purity in the

boardroom, (Silverthorne, 2007). This lack of focus towards marketing is ironic as the

“yawning gap between actual revenue growth and investors’ expectations is a ticking time

bomb. Marketing is the way in which firms can close the gap because it encompasses all the

activities of an organisation that listen to the customers’ voice and ultimately generates

profitable relationships,” (Silverthorne, 2007).

Certain scholars view the relationship as a naturally problematic one as the majority of

marketing investments focus on the long-term which conflicts in comparison with a

predominantly short term focused top management, (Gök & Hacioglu, 2010). In certain areas

marketing is immiscible with the financial market as it is proven that proactive strategies result


in a negative effect on stock value more so than passive and reactive strategies, (Hanssens,

Rust & Srivasta, 2009), which conflicts with an ambidextrous strategy.

In order for marketing to step up to the mark and turn theory into a reality, the CMO and

marketing leadership must make financial intuition, stakeholder understanding and

management competence a major priority, (Lusch & Webster, 2011), and in general find

common ground with financial leaders in the business. Once these objectives are accomplished,

marketing leadership may “bridge the gap between marketing reality (e.g., brand image, brand

equity, customer equity) and financial value in a way that analysts can easily understand”,

(Hanssens, Rust, Srivastava, 2008, p.4), thus; marketing respect, credibility and influence will

grow within a firm.

Accountability is an age old issue amongst marketing leaders, (Ambler, Kokkinaki, Puntoni,

2004; Hanssens, Rust, Srivastava, 2008; Ambler, 2000), and is something marketing leadership

needs to address before moving up the pecking order. I believe it will come once the

improvements are made above. This clarity and mutual understanding will “put pressure on

the board to explain what “success” will look like”, (Ambler, 2000 p.5) as key performance

indicators are set at board. Marketing’s role may grow henceforth as; “for two decades,

scholars have forecasted a shift in the marketing discipline from a communication to a business

discipline but, in practice, the proposed movement seems slower than forecast,” (Gok &

Hacioglu, 2010, p. 301), which is due to this disconnect primarily.

Technology / Culture of Measurement

It can be proven that organisations that strategically implement technology as a core tool for

innovation process create a measurable and sustainable advantage over their competitors,

(McKinsey). With growing number of touch points, channels of communication, platforms etc.

there is a need for marketing to focus on technology going forward. With technology in

marketing it will introduce a more scientific and exact approach in terms of traceability,

accountability and measurement. There is a “need to create a return on investment culture that

embraces every marketing initiative and encourages a shift from an opinion-driven decision

making to data-driven decision making.” (Gok & Hacioglu, 2010, p. 303)

e) Integration of IT


Information Technology

The fact that the marketing world is changing rapidly with the introduction of new technologies

and the Web 2.0 cannot be denied; “Today’s CMOs told us that things have been changing

more rapidly in the past three years than during the entire previous decade,” (Bernhard &

Olderog, 2014, p.4). The intense velocity of change is due to a combination of Moore’s Law;

technology grows exponentially and the velocity of change is set to increase rather than decline,

and Darwinians punctuated equilibrium theory (Necsi.edu); evolution in general progresses in

sharp spurts followed by long stagnant periods rather than gradual evolution.

This intensity of change is routed in technology which is improving and advancing various

areas of marketing; advertising, direct marketing, analytics etc. With the birth of thousands of

software applications and services created entirely to improve marketers effectively targeting

their audience, technology is simply part of the game now, (Smith 2014). The gunpowder in

all this is the data, these new channels of communication, social media platforms etc. capture

extensive data. It would be right to say that the data “is mostly there, but someone needs to take

charge of bring it all together”, (Ambler, 2000, p.6), which is in line with the “Intelligence

Leader”, (Edelman, 2010).

As this is relatively new ground, the relationship is highly collaborative. Incorporating

technology into marketing activities will be no easy feet and there are certain risks which must

be accepted. By 2015, research firm IDC expects that 90% of all jobs (marketing and business

wide) will require Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills”, (Capgemini

Consulting, 2013, p.6)

Relationship

To successfully adapt, evolve and succeed in this new environment, the Chief Information

Officer (CIO) and the CMO have to work closer than ever. The marketing and IT relationship

is a rather complex one but best described through the simple description of going to see your

doctor, (Jeffrey, 2010, p.43);

“If you hurt your elbow playing tennis, you don’t go to your doctor and say, “I want an MRI

scan and a jar full of Vicodin to kill the pain.” Rather you explain your symptoms and the

doctor will prescribe the solution. Similarly, with IT, you have to clearly define the marketing

business requirements, the objectives, what you want to do with the data, and so on. IT should

then prescribe the solution and is responsible to meet your requirements – they should deliver


the system in a reasonable amount of time and to the budget you agreed upon. Marketing is

responsible for the business returns of the system, not IT.”

For this relationship to be a success it must be highly interdependent and collaborative. With

this being said however, the CMO must have the final say as marketing is predominantly

responsible for the outcome of technology investments. Marketing leadership needs to be very

skilled and experienced when working with the CIO as there are distinct differences between

marketing goals and IT goals and what they look for, (Brinker, 2010);

IT Marketing

Stability Speed / Agility

Security Innovation

Economy Market Impact

Standardisation Differentiation

Function Experience

Considering the difference in both approaches, input from key decision makers within the firm

apart from marketing and IT is essential to bring balance and direction, (McGuire, Meyer &

Stone, 2014). The CMO needs to step up and dominate in many areas as experience is crucial

to guide these technically skilled employees. For example; “Focusing on isolated customer

interactions instead of customer journeys can lead to what we call “the downward slope of

death”. Even if a customer has a great experience at a single touch-point, the end-to-end

journey may be unsatisfying”, (McGuire, Meyer & Stone, 2014). Therefore, leadership is

crucial to ensure the big picture remains the primary focus.

Concerns

The literature available increases our awareness of the fruitful benefits of the Digital Age,

however, it fails to focus in detail of the many concerns and issues which lay ahead on the other

hand. For instance, “77% of companies consider missing digital skills as the key hurdle to their

Digital Transformation”, (Capgemini Consulting, 2013, p. 3). This echoes the figures Gartner

CMO Spend 2015 and the fact that organisations are not progressing as well as they should

;“few have taken the time to measure the level of digital maturity their organization has

achieved”, (Van Bommel, Edelman, & Ungerman, 2014) as highlighted earlier.


With Gartner predicting that by 2017 the CMO will be spending more on technology than the

CIO, (Brinker & McLellan, 2014), one could not but be worried with the lack of skills available

to match these investments. This may lead to a case of “having more money than sense”.

4) Discussion

a) Rise of the Marketing Technologist

The Immediate Future ss

It is hard not to be aware from analysing literature that there is an urgent need to upgrade all

marketers’ skillsets in an almost overnight fashion. Marketing is moving in a way which is

forcing marketing to expand and innovate more through technology rather than traditional

means, although traditional platforms remain a crucial function, (Maurya, 2011; Edelman,

2010) .There is the belief also that the marketing narrative needs to be rebooted and the

architecture of brand building re-engineered”, (Dan, 2010). This immediate transformation

cannot be achieved in an organic fashion thus, enter the Chief Marketing Technologist (CMT).

The CMT’s expertise lie in both technology and marketing, which will therefore be a strong

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advisor to the CMO. Note: the CMT is only the initial stage to a very long and thorough

transformation and is only part of the solution.

Accountability

As previously analysed, marketing as a business function must become more accountable,

(Ambler, Kokkinaki, Puntoni, 2004; Hanssens, Rust, Srivastava, 2008; Ambler, 2000), to gain

presence in the c-suite. Jeffrey, (2010), interviewed a CMO from a Fortune 500 company who’s

analogy describes the struggle for credibility well;

“Every week I have to go to a gun fight, the senior executive meeting, and I am tired of going

to this gunfight with a knife.” His frustration was the result of having no concrete data to

answer hard questions about the value of marketing activities in his division.” (Jeffrey, 2010,

p. 3). This is due to a lack of technology infrastructure and skills and the fact that “data linking

marketing actions and their impact on firm value are difficult to obtain… In some cases, the

availability of data defines the problem that is being addressed rather than the other way

around”, (Hanssens, Rust, Srivastava, 2008, p.3).

The CMT can potentially end this struggle as they report to the CMO and act as a technology

translator. To prove this; 150 CMO’s were surveyed by the CMO Council; the 50% that have

grasped technology and have implemented a “formal marketing technology strategy achieve

more targeted, efficient and relevant customer engagement” and a further“39% see an

increased return and accountability with their marketing dollars”, (Gesenhues, 2014). In

addition to this, “67% believe marketing technologies are essential or very important to overall

marketing group performance and effectiveness”, (Gesenhues, 2014).

Strategic Investment

For the 50% of CMO’s that have not grasped technology in this CMO council report, survival

is the main concern; “they are being held back by technology overload, too many data sources,

and lack of strategic application and integration of disparate point solutions and data”,

(Gesenhues, 2014). This is linked back with the concerns highlighted in the “Integration of IT”

section.


It is proven that companies that have a Marketing Technologist receive more investment

proving my point here; “Organisations with this position doled nearly 12% of revenue on

marketing. Those without the role spent just 7%”, (Smith, 2014). Marketing investments going

forward will primarily go through the CMT as this recent report from “The Economist” which

is pictured, indicates that 8 out of 12 areas of investment revolve around technology (Brinker,

2012). The Marketing Technologist will prove to be an essential player in the future of

marketing as 40% of CMO reported that technical expertise is increasing in importance with

another 60% believing the same for data driven analytical capabilities, (Brinker, 2012).

The CMT is gaining solid ground although the role is not sufficient to deliver the digital

transformation needed; “organisations with this position doled nearly 12% of revenue on

marketing. Those without the role spent just 7%”, (Smith, 2014).

With investments assured to be more SMART; specific, measurable, actionable, realistic and

time conscious, this puts pressure on the c-suite to determine KPI’s etc. and assess the direction

of their strategy as discussed before in the “Marketing Leadership: Adapting to the Digital

Age” section.

Integrated Marketing Approach / Cross Functionality

Digital marketing is not an IT issue; it’s a company issue, where the CMO must take the lead

to build bridges to relevant functions across the organization. The CMT can create the ability


of a cross functional organisation to “share data and

insights to create a consistent multi-channel customer

experience”, (Brinker, 2012). This ability is also

important as “as more touch points are becoming

digital, opportunities to collect and use customer

information to understand the customer decision

journey knit together the customer experiences are

increasing,” (Edelman, 2010). The ultimate aim is to

create agile marketing from agile software development, (Brinker, 2010). The CMT is a good

starting point for this digital transformation and integrated marketing approach as they bring

all they incorporate all of the following, (Brinker 2010);

Strategy

In terms of overall strategy going forward, an organisation’s’ “highly emergent” strategy,

intends to adopt a holistic and highly engaging customer centric brand, (McGuire, Meyer,

Stone, 2013). On the other hand and more importantly, organisations must become

“deliberately emergent” by evolving in synchronisation with the ever changing external

environment such as integrating newly available technologies, upskilling workforce etc.,

(Minztberg, Waters; 1985). This “deliberately emergent” approach in the technology

dominated environment needs a highly skilled CMT.

It would be fair to be cynical towards this digital transformation as technology investments are

costly, business model/ approach change is costly in terms of wasted resources etc. as analysed

Marketing

Capabilities

Customer

Experiences

Organisational

Efficiency

Technological

Synergy

Competitive

Positioning


in the “Changing Customer Interactions” section, and as pointed out also; there is a major issue

in terms of workforce skills, (Capgemini Consulting, 2013). However, the competitive

advantage to be gained is colossal. This advantage is the ability to create dynamic capabilities;

an expansion in resource based view theory which is heavily tied with a GDL approach.

If an organisation can adapt and successfully get through this change by becoming a more agile

entity it is well known that “winners in the global market place have been firms that can

demonstrate timely responsiveness and rapid and flexible product innovation, coupled with

management capability to coordinate and redeploy internal and external competences,” –

Dynamic Capabilities, (Teece, Pisano, Shuen, 1997, p.8). Technology investments are

worthless without these dynamic capabilities; “industry observers have remarked that

companies can accumulate a large stock of valuable technology assets and still not have many

useful capabilities,” (Teece, Pisano, Shuen, 1997, p.8).

The importance of the CMT is huge here, however, the challenge is real and if one is of a

rational and cost/benefit analytical financial background, their concerns are viable, however,

actions and technological investments are needed regardless; “while technology was once on

the periphery for marketers, today so many aspects are being powered by technology”, (Smith,

2014). The CMT is potentially the individual in the near future that can mould dynamic

capabilities together; human capital, processes, in house technology frameworks etc. As a result

of these dynamic capabilities, there is a massive scope for organisations to look very different

although operating in the same market, which introduces our cladogenisis theory which will be

later discussed.


Marketing Technology (Martec)

The technology landscape is rapidly evolving as a result of Moore’s Law and Darwinian’s

punctuated equilibrium which was detailed earlier. The number of technology companies,

technology areas etc. is increasing and their dynamics and integration are growing extremely

complex; (Brinker, 2014) as illustrated below;

As previously outlined in Gartner research, the CMO will be spending more than the CIO on

technology in 2017, (Brinker & McLellan, 2014). The CMT will need to lead the way as IT

and marketing goals differ greatly as detailed earlier in the “Relationship: Integration of IT”

section. The technologies available have great potential but as outlined earlier they must be

consistent with the aim of the company and integrate and contribute to the dynamic capabilities

of the firm, (Teece, Pisano, Shuen, 1997). To provide real life examples of the amazing

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technologies available, I have constructed a table which include some these and how the CMT

may assess each one in terms of benefits etc.

Examples of Martec Available

INT

ER

AC

TIO

N

DIR

EC

T M

AR

KE

TIN

G

Email Marketing Software

Purpose: This technology helps organisations to;

Manage a range of marketing and sales activities

Manage subscriber lists

Track Campaign Performance

Handles sign-ups, un-subscribers and bounce back cleaning

Ability to grow pipelines and generate better leads

Flexible Email scheduling / Time Efficiency

Optimise deliverability with custom email authentication

SPAM analysis

Examples

:

Oracle Siebel Email Marketing

Mailchimp

Salesforce Pardot

Mobile Applications

Purpose: Why your business needs to own its own app;

Be Visible to Customers at All Times

Provide Value to Your Customers

Create a Direct Marketing Channel

Improve Customer Engagement

Stand Out From the Competition

Cultivate Customer Loyalty

Build Brand and Recognition

Examples

:

QBurst

The App Business

Intellectsoft


i-Beacon Technology

Purpose: Main Features of i-Beacons;

In store product navigation for consumers

Send hyper personalised content to customers as they approach

Facilitate fast M-Commerce without interference of people

Increased in-store engagement

Drive in-store traffic

Geo-Location Analytics

Drive higher conversions and offer real-time deals and coupons based

on the location and context

Examples

:

SmartBeacon.eu

Roximity

Gimbal

AD

VE

RT

ISIN

G

Search Engine Marketing (SEM) / Pay Per Click (PPC) Software

Purpose: This software minimizes manual labour while simultaneously giving you the

analytical insight to make the right decisions about your ad campaigns. You

can expect to;

Maximize results for money invested

Maximize results for money invested (cost-per-click, cost-per-action)

Reach the broadest targeted audience possible

Enjoy qualified traffic and minimized irrelevant clicks

Reduce money wasted on irrelevant traffic

Learn more about your customers and adjust your approach

appropriately

Examples

:

Google Adwords

Criteo

Adxsearch

Periscopix

Video Advertisement Management

Purpose: It consists of evolutionary, cloud-based video review & approval platform

which provides instantaneous, detailed, actionable feedback on every video

http://www.wordstream.com/ad-campaigns

http://www.wordstream.com/cost-per-click

http://www.wordstream.com/cost-per-action


you present and share which enables the business to build relationships in the

best and most effective way possible with real time data.

Examples

:

PringoConnect / Mobilebits

Simian

WE

BS

ITE

MA

NA

GE

ME

NT

Web Analytics

Purpose: Make more concrete decisions based on concrete data

Get rich insight into who is visiting your website

Reduce customer defection to competitors.

Increase revenue

Convert more traffic into purchasing customers

Fix problems with your website before it’s too late

Identify which areas of improvement will have the biggest impact on

sales

Track performance over time

Convert more traffic into purchasing customers

Make your website a differentiated asset of your organization

Examples

:

Google Analytics

Yahoo Web Analytics

Crazy Egg

A/B Testing Technology

Purpose: More specific than web analytics A/B testing focuses on the websites interface.

A/B testing is a simple way to test changes to your page against the current

design and determine which ones produce positive results. It is a method to

validate that any new design or change to an element on your webpage is

improving your conversion rate before you make that change to your site code.

Quantitative data speaks for itself. A/B testing allows you to show visitors two

versions of the same page and let them determine the winner. Constantly

testing and optimizing your page can increase revenue, donations, leads,

registrations, downloads, and user generated content, while providing teams

with valuable insight about their visitors.

Examples

:

Optimizely

Unbounce


KISSmetrics

Visual Website Optimizer

Tag Management Systems (TMS)

Purpose: Tags are snippets of code that usually placed in the <head> of a webpage

which enable 3rd-party tracking, analysis, and reporting. Analytical platforms,

remarketing, conversion tracking, affiliates, and advanced customer insight

services are managed and tracked through TMS. It is a concept that was born

out of the increasing need for more agile marketing measurement and tracking

ability. The purpose is;

Increase marketing agility

Reduce costs

Improve site performance

Improve vendor selection

Protect consumer privacy

Examples

:

Adobe

BrightTag

DC Storm

Ensighten

Google Analytics

SO

CIA

LM

AR

KE

TIN

G

Monitoring

Purpose: This is the act of monitoring what is being said on the internet. It is also known

as social listening, buzz analysis etc. It is software that analyses and “crawls”

through sites continuously and indexes them. This is usually done in real time.

Once all these sites are indexed, they can then be searched. Most tools use

some form of queries, or search strings, that the user writes to find mentions

of specific words and phrases on those pages. It will then bring these

“mentions” back into the software tool’s interface, which can then be read,

analysed, compared and acted upon. Here are the benefits;

PR; it can be used to avoid issues management that might, sooner or

later, turn into a crisis.

http://www.google.com/analytics/


Market research; carry out competitor analysis and improve your

insight into the target audience categories by finding out more about

their location, preferences and online habits.

Media scanning through cutting edge software can be done through a

simple click

PR; it can turn negative publicity into positive publicity

Examples

:

Brandwatch

Radian 6 Salesforce

SAP

Gamification

Purpose: Gamification is the application of game mechanics into a digital experience in

order to engage users. The idea is that tapping into people’s innate desire to

play games can be an extremely effective way to engage users, and convey

ideas such as a brand’s story. The rise of gamification in marketing has been

made possible in part due to the increased use of social media.

Gamification creates the opportunity for companies to push the

boundaries of creativity and enhance the customer’s experience

Brand awareness can be amplifies through successful initiatives

Crowdsourcing helps you solve complex business problems with

games with a purpose

It can be an educational tool for product testing trial

It offers a way to give back to the community

Stay relevant with your customers

Examples

:

Gamify.it

CloudCaptives

Rypple - Salesforce

DA

TA

A

ND

AN

AL

YT

ICS

A

NA

LY

TIC

S

Reporting and Business Intelligence

Purpose: Gathering real time data from all business functions is crucial for making

decisions. This software provides easy to use, self-service BI capabilities and

makes real time analytics readily available on mobile devices along with all

others. It also includes data visualisation which brings clarity when it is needed

most.

http://www.brandwatch.com/ebook-market-research-with-social-media-monitoring/


Unlocks new insights and creates new opportunities

Enhanced 3600 view of the customer needs

Big Data Exploration

Operations Analysis

Data Warehouse Augmentation

Security and Intelligence Extension

Examples

:

IBM

SAS

SAP

EMC2

Predictive Analysis

Purpose: Predictive analytics is the practice of extracting information from existing data

sets in order to determine patterns and predict future outcomes and trends, it

does not tell you what will happen in the future. It forecasts what might happen

in the future with an acceptable level of reliability, and includes what-if

scenarios and risk assessment. The benefits are;

The ability to access and combine unstructured or semi-structured data

so you get improved predictions and optimal performance

Interactive visuals and plain language summaries so that statistical

analysis and discovery are more accessible to business analyst

A powerful tool for uncovering customer sentiment dispersed over

multitudes of online sources

Examples

:

Oracle Data Mining

IBM Predictive Analytics

SAP predictive Analytics

SAS Analytics

Statistica

DD

AT

A

MA

NG

ME

NT

.

Data Warehousing

Purpose: A data warehouse is a subject-oriented, integrated, time-variant and non-

volatile collection of data in support of management's decision making

process. It has many benefits for the modern day business;

Integrates data from multiple sources

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/D/data.html

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/D/data.html

http://www-03.ibm.com/software/products/en/category/predictive-analytics

http://www.sap.com/pc/analytics/predictive-analytics/software/predictive-analysis/index.html

http://www.sas.com/en_us/software/analytics.html

https://www.statsoft.com/


Performs new types of analyses

Reduces cost to access historical data

Delivers Enhanced Business Intelligence

Saves Time

Enhances Data Quality and Consistency

Generates a High ROI

Examples

:

EMC

SAP

Data Self

Infosolve Technologies Inc.

Data Management

Purpose: Data management is the development and execution of architectures, policies,

practices and procedures in order to manage the information lifecycle needs of

an enterprise in an effective manner. It has many benefits for the business;

Improved Efficiency

Protection from data-related risks

Improved research quality

Enhanced reputation and prestige

Increases customer acquisition

Creates business wide intelligence removing silos

Large ecosystem enables business to create a unified and revenue –

generating customer experience by delivering programs and

campaigns

Examples

:

Oracle

SAP

Microsoft

IBM

Teradata

EMC

b) The Marketing Skills Gap


The CMT is not a permanent solution and marketing along with the business in general must

evolve as a unit if they are to embrace this digital change as an organisation. Currently, there

is a skills gap opening between marketers actual skills set and the skills needed to compete in

the quickly evolving external environment. Organisations’ “strategies are not keeping up with

the disruptive effects of technology-empowered customers; the proliferation of media, channel,

and customer contact points; or the possibilities for micro-segmentation,” (Day, 2011, p.1).

This is an organisation wide issue and “75% of all

respondents in the Skills Gap study stated that

their skills gap has an impact on their corporate

revenue”, (Focus Research, 2012, p.2). This

marketing gap must be flagged at c-suite level by

the CMO. This issue must be addressed with great

urgency as organisations need this upgraded

skillset to compete in the new way of marketing;

“Marketing used to be a lot like American football - a game that consists of running a play,

regrouping, running the next play, and repeating, until you score. Players (or, in this case,

CMOs and their teams) had time to regroup and re-strategise to keep moving the ball closer

to the end zone, one first down at a time. These days, marketing has morphed into a sport more

akin to soccer - a game where strategies are determined in real time as the landscape is

redefined with each move. The ball is passed frequently and players constantly re-evaluate,

shift their positioning and collaborate with every “touch.” Brands need to be sharp and strong

to withstand being constantly on the go (sans media breaks!) on this new playing field,”

(Bernhard & Olderog, 2014, p.6).

This shift in the environment does not mean that all marketers will need to become

technologists; however, technology must become part of each marketers DNA in the long run,

(Brinker, 2010). There are major problems in the short term as, 98.8% of CMOs surveyed by

McKinsey said that getting the necessary data talent is a problem, (McGuire, Meyer & Stone,

2013). Granted this a problem, however, to compete at the highest level in today’s diverse


environment it is my belief that strategic relationship planning, training, acquisitions, and

renewed recruitment etc. are needed to overcome this skills gap issue.

Strategic “relationship planning is the ongoing process of assessing your position in a nexus

of relationships to which you are connected and then formulating and implementing a

relationship strategy to develop your position”, (Donaldson & O’Toole, 2007, p.39). There are

many ways to creatively evolve your organisations and close the skills gap through the careful

use of strategic relationship planning as shown below, (Capgemini Consulting,2013, p. 7);

Also, as the skills required in the marketing function nowadays are very diverse and analytical

in nature, I believe the marketing department needs and upgrade and recruiters must “look for

graduates and business professionals with backgrounds in such disciplines as philosophy and

physics, as well as an analytical mind-set yoked to insatiable curiosity”, (McGuire, Meyer,

Stone, 2013). Diversity and variety is the best strategic approach to compete in uncertain times,

(Day, 2011) Diversity brings about great synergy and increase potential undoubtedly. It also is

a great defence mechanism in times of uncertainty and change. This is best described through

the context of science; “a high degree of biological diversity ensures that no matter what


particular future unfolds there will be at least some organisms that are well suited to the new

circumstances,” (Day, 2011, p. 9).

The marketing skills gap returns to the Generation Y and Generation X theory as mentioned in

the “Changing Consumption Patterns” section earlier, (Reisenwitz & Iyer, 2009). Some believe

that the marketing skills gap is much to do with the older Generation X proportion of the

workforce not having the adequate skills, tech savviness, etc. unlike the younger and more

recently recruited Generation Y and as result, the marketing workforce is believed to be upside

down in terms of skills (McGuire, Meyer & Stone, 2013). This is very radical and lacks

rationality as it disregards industry experience, leadership etc. However, it does raise an

important issue that indicates the need for a more empowered workforce, a lowered chain of

command, use of diversified teams etc. within the modern day organisation operating in a real

time environment.

All in all when addressing the marketing skills gap, in order to create dynamic capabilities /

adaptive marketing capabilities, the organisation must ensure, (Day, 2010, p.9);

There is a vigilant leadership team

The business model is responsive to fast changing market signals

The organisation structure is aligned to the market

c) New breed of CMO


In this modern era of Web 2.0, new technologies and a new emphasis on dynamic capabilities

in the era of a service dominant logic, the new breed CMO is more complex than ever. In the

current climate, a CMO must be a part data scientist, part creative technologist and part

innovative strategist, (Cameron, 2014). Due to the velocity of change in the external

environment and the creation of in house dynamic

capabilities, experts have introduced the theory of

cladogenisis, (Patton & Finlay, 2013);

“Evolutionary scientists use the term “cladogenesis” to describe the division of an existing

species into two or more new species, often in response to radical change in the environment.

It appears the chief marketing officer is going through something very similar. The demands

on these managers are growing so diverse, never has there been so much potential for two

successful CMOs to look so different from one another—to be, in effect, separate species”

This “cladogenesis” theory is closely related to the punctuated equilibrium theory discovered

by Darwin, the father of evolution himself which brings the theme of nature to full circle in

this research paper. This rapid change results in the modern competitive advantage of an

organisation to lie within its intangible assets rather than its tangible assets in the bygone era

of the Goods Dominant Logic; therefore marketing plays a massive role in creating this

competitive advantage as it can create many intangible assets for an organisation.

When analysed from another angle, there has been a shift in value creation for the modern day

consumer, (Edelman, 2010), with the emergence of generation Y which has led companies to

adopt a holistic styled engagement strategy which is geared towards creating a consumer

centric brand (McGuire, Meyer, Stone, 2013), which has been previously mentioned. With

these massive shifts in the environment, the CMO today needs to develop fast. This is a

challenge, and yes, the CMT be of great help but will never lead and only accommodate. The

CMO knows best how to align the organisation structure to the market and ensure that the

business model is responsive to the appropriate, ever changing market signals, (Day, 2010,

p.9).


To explain this new breed of CMO in a very basic way, I

believe comparing the new CMO from the old CMO is very

much like comparing Sean Connery and Daniel Craig as James

Bond. If we take James Bond to be the CMO and Q to be the

CMT, we can see how ground breaking technology can help Bond achieve his objectives in

very different ways today in comparison with Connery’s generation, (much like the doctor /

patient analogy described by Jeffrey (2010) earlier in the “Integration of IT: Relationship”

section). The objectives of both Connery and Craig are very similar and remain the same

almost; take down an evil villain.

Therefore, yes, the CMO of the future appears very different from the CMO of the past;

however, their objectives have not changed; create value for the customer. However, the

environment and the technology available is very different, therefore Q is vastly different. So

much so a new more advanced Q is needed – the CMT. The key facet in the role of technology

to highlight is that the best technologies reinforce very old-fashioned values of brand building,

(Dan, 2010).

Yes, Craig accomplishes his goals differently than Connery with more advanced technology;

however, the key facet in the role of technology to highlight is that the best technologies

reinforce very old-fashioned values of brand building, (Dan, 2010).

5) Conclusion

Research Stimulus

As explicitly researched throughout, marketing as a function must evolve rapidly in order to

survive in this new climate as the power of the consumer grows. Due to their being no blueprint

for the pioneering fashion of this movement, I believe my research stimulus focused on four

rational and logical areas which will need to be assessed and improved upon if organisations

are going to develop and embrace this change going forward;

The new breed of CMO

The need for marketing as a function to upskill itself

The requisite for marketing’s impact on strategy to grow

The growing demand for a CMT


The huge issue with such change is that with no blueprint or roadmap, investment will be very

hard earned which highlights the need for a revamped culture in marketing. An amplified focus

on measurement and return on all investments will be needed in my opinion. As Mark Jeffrey

outlined on numerous occasions in his book, original technology investments must focus on

quick wins and short term returns to build trust and belief at c-suit level that there investments

are justified and also must detail how the situation has improved since investments have been

made. Once this initial trust is in place more long term investments can be made and focus can

shift on the overall digital transformation plan, (Jeffrey, 2010).

An integrated marketing approach is an absolute must for all organisations today. The business

as a whole must collaborate with one another when investing but in saying this, the holy trinity

in this decision making process will remain to be the CMO, CMT and CIO, (Teece, Pisano &

Shuen, 1997; Brinker & McLellan, 2014) along with the c-suite.

Innovation is Paramount

Concluding my research and re-analysing the core elements of the research stimulus, I

personally believe that ambidexterity is central to future success, more specifically exploration

(Tollin & Schmidt, 2012). As is well known to all strategists, the external environment is

completely out of an organisation’s control and in this case technology is driving unstoppable

change. I believe if a CMO can encourage proactivity and innovation across the organisation

as a whole rather than rely on a segregated silos and R&D departments, (Aaker, 2009), a

business can truly embrace game changing innovation and increase its market share going

forward.

CMO CMT CIO


Looking at the current situation from a very high

level, it is useful to bring in blue and red ocean

theory, (Mauborgne & Kim, 2004). This theory

is two-fold and is essential for all business going

forward;

1) Blue Ocean (exploration); there are new industries being created as a result of the

developing external environment which have little or no competition due to their recent

creation. It is necessary for the c-suite to work closely with the CMO to assess whether

their business model will remain relevant to changing customer needs going forward. This

is paramount to avoid failure due to the Icarus Paradox, (Vermeulen, 2009); the aspect of

the business which brought success, will also bring its downfall, for example, being over

reliant on an outdated business model and concept. Listening to your market is more

important than ever as a result, (Silverthone, 2007). This exploration is the engine of

business growth.

2) Red Ocean (exploitation); this is the current industry within which you operate. The aim

here is to maximise and squeeze the most out of current industry and edge ahead of

competition which is fierce. Studies show that more organisations focus on exploitation,

(Mauborgne & Kim, 2004) and personally believe this is linked with the fact financially

focused are more focused on short term returns than assessing customer lifecycle

projections and the need to innovate, which is a struggle which I will discuss shortly.

I believe the most successful organisations with the most profits are the more explorative in

existence, which is supported by studies, (Mauborgne & Kim, 2004);

“In a study of business launches in 108 companies, we found that 86% of those new ventures

were line extensions—incremental improvements to existing industry offerings—and a mere

14% were aimed at creating new markets or industries. While line extensions did account for

62% of the total revenues, they delivered only 39% of the total profits. By contrast, the 14%

invested in creating new markets and industries delivered 38% of total revenues and a startling

61% of total profits”.

https://hbr.org/search?term=renée+mauborgne

https://hbr.org/search?term=w.+chan+kim






In conclusion, this ambidexterity in the current climate could not be achieved with the c-suite

and the “Holy Trinity” as the intersection of “technology, knowledge (market research) and

networks thus represent a unique set of factors that can fuel innovation in service organisations,

(Kandampully, 2002)”. Granted I do theoretically approve of exploration based organisations,

the term is ambidexterity after all and therefore both exploration and exploitation should be

perused, the balance of the two depend heavily on the organisation, the industry etc. Therefore,

the balance between pursuing a more red or blue ocean dominated strategy is specific to each

organisation.

A Digitally Enhanced ROI

Accountability and ROI as mentioned through this research is and has been a major issue and

a damaging aspect to marketing’s integrity always; (Ambler, Kokkinaki, Puntoni, 2004;

Hanssens, Rust, Srivastava, 2008; Ambler, 2000). The more digital channels that replace

traditional channels, the more data is captured which leaves the issue of putting together the

jigsaw piece by piece with intelligent framework, (Ambler, 2000). If the skills gap is removed,

(Day, 2010) and the CMT uses his data scientist abilities to piece this data puzzle together,

(Cameron, 2014), I firmly believe that traceability of marketing actions will be greatly

increased which will lead to a greater clarity regarding calculating a return on investment.

Therefore, if marketing as a function can develop these

competencies and flourish as the science that it is, the age

old “Achilles heel” of marketing – accountability; may be

solved. This is reliant on marketing as a function being

able to separate the market signal from the market noise

in terms of traceability. If this can be achieved along with

financial intuition, stakeholder understanding and management competence, (Lusch &

Webster, 2011), marketing will be set to gain huge credibility and weight in the c-suite going

forward. This would lead to greater investments, influence on strategy decisions and influence

across the organisation etc. These ROI calculation improvements cannot shadow the rich

customer data insights also that are captured through this digital transformation which will

enable the organisation to reach its customer centricity peak.


Implications for Future Research;

1. I suggest that leading Marketing and HR scholars look into the exact science and

feasibility of diversifying the marketing function, as this will be a key area going

forward in my opinion. There are many combinations that could work very well in

certain areas of marketing. For example; a physicist, a financially qualified expert and

marketer would be a magnificent combination for ROI capabilities.

2. As the CMT is a new concept and is a function yet to be adopted by all organisations, I

believe the role is very broad and both theory and business have huge demands for the

CMT. I believe this role needs to be dissected and developed upon with a greater level

of detail and research.

3. Also on the general success of the CMT, primary research must be carried out to

increase the quantitative data available to prove the necessity for the position. The

qualitative data seems to be failing to convince a portion of organisations to introduce

the position.

4. As technology is featuring more and more in marketing, I have stated that this will lead

to increased credibility, accountability and influence etc. This considered along with

the growing importance and future developments of the integrated marketing approach,

marketing will be influencing strategy more and more.

Therefore, I believe the role of the Chief Marketing

Strategist may be needed going forward. I believe more

research is needed on marketing and strategy going

forward and the possibility of introducing such a position.

With the growing role of marketing, there are growing

demands for the CMO.

5. Digital Return on Investment is the predominant theme of this research and I feel more

research is needed into grading each organisation in terms of their traceability, their

ability to calculate ROI etc. through digital transformation. Research in the area of

digitally enhanced MPM is a necessity. A potential grading scale for businesses and

their traceability capabilities may be a suggestion going forward. Research must


capitalise on this recent positive change and aim to increase the accuracy and

preciseness of marketing activities.

Just as an FYI; the stereotypical marketing perception with crayons is incorrect… they are

not crayons, it simply consists of an artistic set and a technology empowered canvass. Yes,

marketers have been painting but nothing like the paintings this stereotype believed

imaginable or possible. Marketers have been painting the exquisitely intricate picture which

entails a successful business in the future; in what is a world empowered by technology, a

world that has changed and will continue to change forever, a world which could never be

envisaged by black pens, calculators and double red lines…


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Gamification

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Reporting and Business Intelligence

90) Suh, I. and Verlen, J. (2013). Smarter Analytics Leadership Summit; Big Data. Real

Solutions. Big Results: 5 Game Changing Use Cases for Big Data. [online] ibm.com.

Available at: https://www.ibm.com/analytics/us/en/events/leadership-

summit/SALS_BigData_Five_Game_Changing_Use_Cases.pdf [Accessed 12 Apr. 2015].

Predictive Analysis

91) Www-01.ibm.com, (2015). IBM Predictive analytics for big data. [online] Available at:

http://www-01.ibm.com/software/analytics/solutions/big-data/predictive-analytics/ [Accessed

12 Apr. 2015].

Data Warehousing

92) 1keydata.com, (2015). Data Warehouse Definition - What Is a Data Warehouse. [online]

Available at: http://www.1keydata.com/datawarehousing/data-warehouse-definition.html


93) Team, S. (2011). Top Five Benefits of a Data Warehouse. [online] TIBCO Spotfire's Trends

and Outliers. Available at: http://spotfire.tibco.com/blog/?p=7597 [Accessed 12 Apr. 2015].

Data Management

94) Oracle Marketing Cloud, (2015). Data Management Platform. [online] Available at:

https://www.oracle.com/marketingcloud/products/data-management-platform/index.html


95) University, L. (2015). The benefits of data management, e-Research, La Trobe University.

[online] Latrobe.edu.au. Available at: http://www.latrobe.edu.au/eresearch/services/data-

management/benefits [Accessed 12 Apr. 2015].

96) SearchDataManagement, (2015). What is data management? - Definition from WhatIs.com.

[online] Available at: http://searchdatamanagement.techtarget.com/definition/data-

management [Accessed 12 Apr. 2015].

Conclusion

97) Harvard Business Review, (2009). Businesses and the Icarus Paradox. [online] Available at:

https://hbr.org/2009/03/businesses-and-the-icarus-para.html [Accessed 23 Apr. 2015].

98) Harvard Business Review, (2004). Blue Ocean Strategy. [online] Available at:

https://hbr.org/2004/10/blue-ocean-strategy/ar/1 [Accessed 23 Apr. 2015].

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