DRIVING THE BOTTOM LINE FROM THE FRONT LINE

A Marketing and Sales Capability Audit to Highlight Best Practices and Help Multinational Companies Enhance Effectiveness

Driving the Bottom Line from the Front Line is a global research initiative undertaken by the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council that focuses on helping multinational companies to improve the design and execution of their go-to-market strategies. The program is one of the first international studies of its kind and research with senior marketing and sales officers explore the critical determinants of how companies build capabilities to deliver marketing and sales results in a repeatable and systematic manner.

Sponsored by The Boston Consulting Group, Driving the Bottom Line from the Front Line involves extensive worldwide research and analytics by an esteemed board of advisors and academicians – all experts in the Go to Market field and its various verticals. Qualitative and quantitative research amongst Chief Marketing Officers and Chief Sales/Commercial Officers in large multinational enterprises with a minimum of $1 billion in annual revenues offers insightful data and assists in the program’s dual objective: to highlight the most pressing obstacles to go-to-market success and to identify the capabilities necessary for actionable and sustainable solutions.

Empowering frontline sales and marketing teams with better customer analytics, insights, market segmentation, messaging and engagement programs increases the efficiency and effectiveness of spend, while having significant top-line and bottom-line impact. This study explores these and other critical areas that determine go-to-market excellence and how companies build these capabilities.

DESCRIPTION
ADVISORY BOARD
UNDERWRITER
PARTNER ASSOCIATIONS
NEWS
RESOURCES
DOWNLOAD REPORT
ALL PROGRAMS

ADVISORY BOARD

Driving the Bottom Line from the Front Line thought leadership initiative will be guided by a distinguished Advisory Board of business visionaries and sales and marketing experts. These executives offer their consultative expertise to enrich and deepen the value of program content and its activities, including research reports, best practices development, and executive dialogs.

Kim Sharan, EVP and CMO - Ameriprise Financial
Peter Horst, SVP, Brand Marketing - Capital One
Christopher Payne, Director Market Strategy and Research, Graphic Communications Group - Eastman Kodak Company
Ian Beavis, Vice President, Marketing - Kia Motors America (KMA)
Eduardo Conrado, VP, Global Business and Technology Marketing & Communications - Motorola, Inc.
Lauren Flaherty, CMO - Nortel
William Priest, SVP - Strategy, Marketing & Communication - Orange Business Services
Brent Remai, VP, Business and Consumer Marketing - Palm Inc.
Bill Ogle, CMO - Pizza Hut
Mark Bilfield, SVP, Marketing - Public Storage
Steven Cook, SVP, Chief Strategic Marketing Officer - SAMSUNG Electronics America
Chris X. Moloney, CMO - Scottrade
Suzie Reider, Director of Advertising, YouTube

UNDERWRITER

The Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is a global management consulting firm and the world's leading advisor on business strategy. They partner with clients in all sectors and regions to identify their highest-value opportunities, address their most critical challenges, and transform their businesses. A customized approach combines deep insight into the dynamics of companies and markets with close collaboration at all levels of the client organization. This ensures that their clients achieve sustainable competitive advantage, build more capable organizations, and secure lasting results. Founded in 1963, BCG is a private company with 66 offices in 38 countries. For more information, please visit www.bcg.com.

PARTNER ASSOCIATIONS

	CEMA - Corporate Event Marketing Association CEMA, the Corporate Event Marketing Association, is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving event and marketing professionals in all sectors of the technology industry. Founded in 1990, CEMA offers educational and networking opportunities regionally and nationally.
	The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) The UK-based Chartered Institute of Marketing is committed to delivering world-class support to equip marketers with the knowledge and tools they need to stay ahead and excel in this most challenging of professions through market leading industry awards and practical courses, and professional services which members can call upon whenever they are needed.
	DMA – Direct Marketing Association The Direct Marketing Association is the leading global trade association of business and nonprofit organizations using and supporting direct marketing tools and techniques. DMA advocates industry standards for responsible marketing, promotes relevance as the key to reaching consumers with desirable offers, and provides cutting-edge research, education, and networking opportunities to improve results throughout the entire direct marketing process. Founded in 1917, DMA today has more than 3,600 members from the US and 46 other nations, including the majority of companies listed on the Fortune 100.
	EMF – Experiential Marketing Forum The Experiential Marketing Forum is an international community of professionals, students and people who share ideas and keep abreast of the newest trends and exciting things happening in the world of media.
	The Healthcare Communication & Marketing Association, Inc. (HCMA) The Healthcare Communication & Marketing Association, Inc. (HCMA) is a non-profit, national association of healthcare marketing, communications and education professionals dedicated to enhancing and optimizing the careers of its members. The HCMA recognizes excellence in marketing, communications and education that impacts and improves health.
	HKIM - Hong Kong Institute of Marketing Since its establishment in 1982, the Institute has been active in the development of Hong Kong's marketing skills; as a representative for marketing professionals at all levels of business; as a monitor of standards and ethics and as a training and education resource. Also, it has an essential role because of the vital part marketing will play in sustaining Hong Kong's economy and external trade into the Twenty First century.
	ITSMA – IT Services Marketing Association ITSMA (IT Services Marketing Association) is a membership community for marketing executives who market and sell technology-related services and solutions. With nearly 100 Corporate Members around the globe, including Accenture, Cisco, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, SAP, Verizon, and Wipro, ITSMA provides best practice insight, an active leadership community, and hands-on advisory guidance around the unique requirements for marketing technology services and solutions.
	MAANZ is a leading international professional marketing institute focusing on marketing education and training; marketing information; and practical marketing tools and resources for marketing and business development.
	MMA – Mobile Marketing Association The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) is the premier global association that strives to stimulate the growth of mobile marketing and its associated technologies. The MMA is a global organization with 400 members representing over twenty countries. MMA members include agencies, advertisers, hand held device manufacturers, carriers and operators, retailers, software providers and service providers, as well as any company focused on the potential of marketing via mobile devices.
	Pulse-Group Geared towards becoming the preferred solutions provider to the top 50 global market research organisations by 2007, Pulse Group is a total solutions provider to the market research industry, with services in software localization, professional translation services, data collection, technical support and training as well as MR software development. Head-quartered in Sydney Australia, a European office in Amsterdam and an RPO hub operating from Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, the Pulse-Group is dedicated to delivering high quality data and support across their core areas of business.
	Silicon Valley American Marketing Association Silicon Valley American Marketing Association: SVAMA is the premier chapter of the American Marketing Association. The Association comprises Silicon Valley's marketing thought leaders and keeps members informed about the latest marketing issues and techniques for the IT industry.
	SMPS – Society for Marketing Professional Services The Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) was created in 1973 by small group of professional services firm leaders who recognized the need to sharpen skills, pool resources, and work together to create business opportunities. Today, the association has a membership of more than 6,100+ marketing and business development professionals from architectural, engineering, planning, interior design, construction, and specialty consulting firms located throughout the United States and Canada.

NEWS

PRESS RELEASES

09.08.07 - CMO Council and The Boston Consulting Group Launch Global Research Initiative Focused on Go-To-Market Capabilities. The Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council and The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) today announced the launch of a global research initiative focused on helping multinational companies improve the design and execution of their go-to-market strategies. more »

RESOURCES

WHITE PAPERS

Go-to-Market Advantage: The New Battlefield for Consumer Companies
This study offers an in-depth look at the significance of go-to-market activities and several ways in which you can enhance your company’s sales and marketing strategies.
Smarter Marketing for Tougher Times
Overcome marketing constraints like digital recorders, no-call lists, pop-up-add blockers, cost/budget issues and other annoying constrictions, to deliver a holistic approach to marketing from the portfolio and brand strategy all the way to the target audience.
To Spend or Not to Spend: A New Approach to Advertising and Promotions
Here’s a strategy that enables better allocation of advertising and promotions (A&P) spending through zero-based budgeting and a hard line of investment levels by brand.
Converting Trade Spending into Investment
Trade Spending - the financial deals that manufacturers offer retailers to market their products – can be managed through two different approaches that are designed to benefit the company.
Sales Force Effectiveness: Moving up the Middle and Managing New Prospects
Overcome marketing constraints like digital recorders, no-call lists, pop-up-add blockers, cost/budget issues and other annoying constrictions, to deliver a holistic approach to marketing from the portfolio and brand strategy all the way to the target audience.
To Spend or Not to Spend: A New Approach to Advertising and Promotions
Here’s a framework for deepening your company’s sales force while enhancing customer relationships, identifying and securing new customers and reducing attrition among existing customers.
Pricing Myopia
For companies that have difficulty managing pricing, this study offers ways to change methods and structures while becoming more innovative and ultimately enabling maximum sales and share growth.
Fixing the Fatal Flaws of your Sales Force
Having an effective and efficient sales force is vital to the success of your bottom line. Here are handy tips to help kick your sales team into action.
Organizing for Pricing
Need guidelines for improving pricing capabilities, structures and processes? This article magnifies the importance of pricing and how most companies tend to short-sight this topic.