I know that CMOs are busy — I mean, really busy. The scope of the CMO role continues to grow, customers are more demanding than ever, and marketing operates under constant disruption driven by factors beyond your control. Practically speaking, there are only so many hours in a day, so it stands to reason that most CMOs maintain an arm’s-length relationship with marketing technology.
That ends now. Marketing technology must be a priority in the CMO’s agenda. Martech is the engine that makes modern marketing possible. Your marketing strategy is DOA without the tech to back it up, and that means CMOs can’t afford to take a passive approach to martech.
Forrester has published A CMO’s Guide To Marketing Technology to better familiarize marketing leaders with martech, including its components and how it’s organized, what it should accomplish, and the relationship between tech and data.
Given marketing’s dependency on tech, CMOs benefit directly by taking an active role in martech. The CMO is uniquely positioned to:
- Establish executive support for martech. Senior executives are increasingly aware of marketing technology. The CMO must work with their senior leadership colleagues to advocate for martech’s value and cement commitments to ongoing investments.
- Mandate a martech stack that drives business value. Successful marketing technology is more than a collection of tools. The CMO must drive a martech strategy that supports the business with speed, security, and value for customers.
- Develop the team behind the tech. Martech needs support and skills for optimal performance. The CMO must ensure that an effective organizational design and staffing strategy is in place to deploy, manage, and utilize marketing technology.
- Focus on martech’s intangibles. Effective martech doesn’t depend on simply buying applications. The CMO must push for integration between applications, best-in-class data management, and establishing a long-term martech roadmap.
The CMO role and marketing technology continue to evolve, and Forrester believes that martech-savvy marketing leaders can put their firms in position to succeed. We’re interested in hearing how your organization approaches marketing technology, and if you have questions about how CMOs should be involved in marketing technology, feel free to set up an inquiry with us.
