Six Capabilities Marketing Organizations Need to Cultivate Now

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by Lindsey Francy Mar 14, 2023 News
Six Capabilities Marketing Organizations Need to Cultivate Now

After more than two years of rapid change and uncertainty, marketers are left with a "new normal" that looks more uncertain and change. Duncan Steels, vice president of customer transformation at Capgemini Invent, and Fontaine Romain, manager of customer transformation at frog, talk about why marketers need to build a more data-driven and omnichannel strategy.

Many companies are playing catch up because consumers who raised their standards during the Pandemic seem to be raising them even higher now. According to Forrester, the overall quality of the brands in the index has fallen in the last two years.

Consumers are moving forward more quickly than ever. The marketing operating models that were used before the digital transformation are no longer needed. A new data-driven, omnichannel, collaborative, and agility model is needed by companies. An organization needs to do this.

It's time to rethink marketing operations.

A Plan For Organizational Transformation

Fresh ways of thinking about customer relationships, new technologies for collecting and analyzing data, and updated skills are required for data-driven and real-time marketing strategies. There is willingness to break down departmental silos to create a more customer focused organization. As CMOs are still responsible for brand building, they are also more accountable for technology to analyze and leverage data and insights. The key elements needed to enable this transformation are examined.

Data And Insights 

Only 38% of marketing leaders said they had customer segment and persona data. The foundation of the new marketing operating strategy is based on data insights. It is easier for a group to create a consistent customer experience when they have the same view of their customer.

Organizations need to collect, standardize, and unify their data to have the resources they need for effective decision making. A consistent data collection framework is needed to make data available to everyone.

Online-offline integration

Data-driven insights allow organizations to develop content that speaks to customer needs in the moments and spaces of their choice. It creates a more consistent experience for customers in all channels, whether they engage with the brand on social media, in a physical store, or on a website.

An effective data collection framework ensures that data from online and offline interactions with customers flows into the organization's customer data platform. personas and individual customer profiles are analyzed by that platform. With a continuous stream of new data, the platform can eventually learn which next steps to suggest at each stage of the customer journey, making sure the right content appears at the right time for every customer.

New Communications And Media Strategy

As the marketing function becomes more customer-focused and the number of channels increases, marketers need an updated strategy for engagement. As customer behavior and sentiment evolve, customer profiles can be continuously updated.

Communication needs continuous two-way engagement with customers up to and including the co-creation of products. Businesses are learning to use brand-related content created by loyal customers and influential people as part of their communication strategy. By building communities around the brand, specific products, or consumer tribes, organizations can amplify or invest in the reach of this user-generated content which further blurs the line between Earned and paid media The marketing team should be prepared when a customer mentions a company on social media. Wendy's added more than one million new followers after they responded to a customer's question. Ocean Spray was included in a TikTok that became a popular trend.

Omnichannel Experience 

Customer experience enhancement needs to be supported by a single marketing team. A team member responsible for the direct-to-consumer (D2C) channel might bring in customer feedback that can improve the company's social commerce and retail channels. feedback from in-store shoppers about the fit of a brand's popular sweater or pair of jeans can help refine the buying experience for social, e- commerce, and D2C shoppers

There are four components you need to master digital marketing operations.

Change Management And Agile Team Development

To keep up with the rapid pace of digital transformation, customer expectations, and the skills that employees need, organizations need to have an Agile culture. Change management processes and practices need to be designed to serve organizations now and over time. The agility mindset and change management resources will help the organization adapt to changing expectations and technologies.

The new marketing operating model needs a blend of data, communication, product, and service skills in order to be implemented. The new marketing team needs cross-functional talents who can identify high-ROI initiatives and shift priorities quickly, adapt to the ever-changing consumer and competitor landscape, and test and learn to increase speed to market. Only 44% of marketing leaders said their organization had the data science or artificial intelligence skills they needed to do their jobs. It might take more proactive recruiting, more internal skills development, or both to close the gap and commit to this new way of working.

Effective change management requires collaboration to draw in information from all team members about what is happening in their channel or area of expertise. It can be hard for others to adapt to a less linear way of working, because some team members are enthusiastic about contributing across channels and departments. Change management needs to include a strong commitment from leadership, speak to the entire organization, and welcome feedback to be effective.

Putting It All Together: New Functions For The CMO

The data-driven mindset, Agile philosophy, and customer-centered attitude are key skills for the CMO to cultivate. Listening to feedback and questions from team members and customers is a must.

It might seem difficult to add or enhance the marketing operating capabilities we have covered here. There is value in making those improvements from a marketing point of view. Marketing leaders can keep up with the pace of change by taking these steps now.

Adoption of new marketing models can improve the experience. Share with us on Facebook Opens a new window,Twitter Opens a new window, andLinkedIn Opens a new window We would be happy to hear from you.

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