By Alan Cohen, Giant Spoon
Marketing has changed so much in the last few years. For those who think we are not really that different from the “Mad Men” days, I say you aren’t paying attention. There are several areas that are challenging for the modern day CMO. The characteristics of the audiences have changed, combined with the proliferation of media choices.
Years ago, using national TV and print alone, allowed you to talk to nearly everyone. But today, the fragmentation of consumers’ attention spans make it harder to make a “connection.” And life in general, combined with technology, is faster than ever before. So marketers need to find the consumer AND manage to keep their attention long enough to deliver a message.
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All of this has led to massive disruption in the advertising, media and marketing space. Today’s CMO must know much more than ever before. Agencies that provide intelligence on the future and understanding of the consumer will ultimately be the most valued partners. Creating these powerful and lasting connections that sell more product is where the magic happens. A few trend items to note:
Programmatic Or Automated Ad Buying Is The Future But To What End?
Tech companies and ad agencies are serving procurement more than marketing departments with advances in this field. The problem for both tech and agencies isn’t just who wins here, but what happens when more and more smart marketers bring this function in house? We see the win coming in this space when CMO’s force their folks to be creative in tandem with this technology.
Innovation And Marketing Breakthroughs Are The Goal Of Every CMO
How do you cut through the density in advertising, marketing and media to connect your brand in unique ways to the potential buyer? It isn’t easy but it is an area of the marketing business we see exploding. Success can be reached with simple ideas, but they must be unique and attention-grabbing to be effective. The good news is, today we have multiple media channels to tap.
Data For Data’s Sake Isn’t Very Valuable
Mashing up data sources in new ways is interesting but hasn’t really worked for a lot of marketers. Data for measurement of effectiveness of campaigns has been fruitful and a lot more potential exists to be better in this space. One thing to note: The old John Wanamaker phrase, “I know half of my advertising works, I just don’t know which half” is more important today. With more media measurability, why haven’t these percentages changed?
Ultimately, the successful CMO will be extremely curious and surround him or herself with smart people and agencies that can catapult them through the choices and clutter to connect their brands with consumers.
Alan Cohen recently co-founded Giant Spoon, an innovation-driven marketing agency that focuses on idea-centric strategy and lives where digital, technology and innovation collide. Giant Spoon plans to fill the gap between large creative agencies and media agencies with an unparalleled focus on strategy and innovation across all platforms.
Previously as CEO of OMD USA, Cohen developed fresh perspectives on strategy, analytics, digital and innovation. He held the distinction as the longest serving CEO of a U.S. media agency, presiding for five and a half years. He launched many new service offerings at OMD including the industry-lauded Ignition Factory (creative media), Airwave (mobile), OMD Word (social), and the Content Collective.
