A short interlude to our series on Customer Experience Management...

(Cue the muzak, Joe!)

Just saw this article in BtoB Magazine, "Chief Marketing Officers Lack Clout". The article highlights a recent CMO Council study, targeted at senior-level marketing executives at IBM Corp., Intel Corp. and Xerox Corp., other high-tech companies. The study encompassed 400 executive responses. Here are the major highlights:

Top marketing executives admit that their group’s performance is not up to snuff, leading to a lack of influence within the corporate hierarchy

Only 10% of respondents to the CMO Council survey said their marketing groups are “highly influential and strategic” within the company.

Less than half said their teams are “well regarded and respected,” even though two-thirds of CEOs polled in a separate survey by Chief Executive magazine said their marketing groups are “mission critical” for creating top-line growth.

Donvovan Neal-May, of the CMO Council, is quoted in the article as saying “This study confirms marketers need to move from a tactical orientation to a more analytic and strategic approach that will enable them to realign marketing initiatives with the overall corporate mission.”

Okay, for any of you who have spent time trying to help marketers in medium to gigantic companies today, this doesn't come as a shock. But as a CMO, how ashamed would you be to see this news spread around?

What I'd like to know is what the CMO Council thinks becoming more strategic and analytical really means! After all, most marketers believe they're strategic and analytical already.

...And why would the Council, dedicated to support the efficacy, role and function of CMOs, launch survey results in a manner that could reinforce (or further damage) the already shaky positions of these executives? I can certainly think of a stronger position to take! Why not explain why this is occuring? Why not follow up with a recommended action plan or set of recommendations.? I can certainly think of a few ideas...

STOOPID!

Beyond this, I've pointed out before, really great relationship marketing and customer-centric management is an outcome of a customer-centric company. This certainly isn't just a CMO or marketing issue. However, if CMOs today are unable to get in and make some better headway in transforming marketing and the rest of the enterprise ... they may just see heads rolling!