After years of working in various industries, reaching the position of chief marketing officer (CMO) has become the dream job for many professionals. Indeed’s CMO shares some insight into what it means to hold this position today and how to keep up with the ever-changing landscape of marketing.
Being a CMO means being responsible for keeping track of various social and political challenges that arise globally. CMOs are also expected to have a perspective on how their business should address those issues, how it affects their employees, and how to drive positive social change. To keep up with these challenges, a framework has been put in place at Indeed to assist them in assessing where, when, and how to engage on such thorny issues.
The role of a CMO has changed over the years, from being responsible for creating great ads, acquiring customers, and keeping the company from looking bad in the media to having to be well-versed in various tech platforms, privacy policies that vary by state and country, and advanced measurement systems. CMOs also have to turn marketing from a cost center to a critical growth driver. Hiring people with diverse skills, leveraging experts inside and outside the company, and spending time trying out technologies are all important for a CMO’s success.
The CMO’s role is more than just bringing together different parts of an organization to tell a cohesive story to customers and the market. It also entails finding creative inspiration for each market and audience, taking care of employees’ minds and health, and building personal connections across different teams. All these can be challenging, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused mental and physical burnout.
Despite the complexities that come with the job, being a CMO is very fulfilling. CMOs can always find ways to inspire their teams to do great work while taking care of their needs. Building relationships with the C-suite team while ensuring that teams engage with the right people in cross-functional organizations will always produce the desired results.
Overall, holding the position of a CMO is highly complex, but it comes with a lot of rewards. CMOs can always exchange ideas and learning with others to stay abreast of changes in the marketing world.
