THE CMO
COUNCIL BLOG

Thoughts and personal insights from
around the CMO Council.
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Off The Record: Masked Marketer

April 07, 2021 by Tom Kaneshige

A former CMO of a large Asian electronics company experiences culture shock during the first days on the job. This masked marketer has lessons to share. More >

Hey CMO, Are You Crushing Your Quota?

March 31, 2021 by Tom Kaneshige

Marketers wanting to meet aggressive revenue targets will need new strategies, tactics, skills and the tenacious spirit of sales. More >

When Leadership Skills Are Lacking

March 24, 2021 by Tom Kaneshige

Can free agents parachute in and fill marketing leadership gaps? Their specialized expertise and domain knowledge can help new MarTech investments pay off. More >

MarTech Hangs In the Balance

March 19, 2021 by Tom Kaneshige

For MarTech’s sake, smart marketers have made a friend of IT. Are you one of them? More >

Are Marketers Second-Rate Citizens in Foreign Multinationals?

March 17, 2021 by Tom Kaneshige

Insights into the management culture and mindset of global companies doing business in North America. It’s not always a pretty picture. More >

LTV: It’s Relationships, Not Revenue!

March 10, 2021 by Tom Kaneshige

Marketers struggle with customer lifetime value because they’re stuck on its monetary value to the company instead of the experiential value to the customer. More >

The Hard Truth About Customer Lifetime Value

March 03, 2021 by Kate Stephani

Feeling lost with LTV? You're not alone. CMO Council's latest research indicates most marketers aren't tracking LTV effectively, if at all. More >

Are You Mastering AI? Or Will AI Master You?

February 24, 2021 by Tom Kaneshige

AI will impact every aspect of marketing, from customer intuition to hyper-personalization. It’s time to get out in front or risk being left behind. More >

Top Marketing Trends for Recovering Brands

February 17, 2021 by Kate Stephani

Lets chat about some trends we think you should keep an eye on in 2021 More >

CMO Mindsets for Different Stages of a B2B Company

February 10, 2021 by Ash Parikh

When a company reaches the next stage of revenue growth and market share, it may need a vastly different marketing mindset. More >

Marketers Take Action

February 03, 2021 by Tom Kaneshige

Spending is on the rise. Campaigns must be optimized. Data skills are needed. There’s much work to do this year. More >

How Are You Doing?

January 14, 2021 by Kate Stephani

With no end in sight to this pandemic, working from home went from a pleasant respite from reality to the daily routine we’ve become accustomed to. So, I want to ask: how are we doing?  More >

Disruptive Marketing Means Disaffecting Millions

January 06, 2021 by Tom Kaneshige

Marketers shell-shocked from last year probably want to play it safe this year. But this would be a big mistake. The battle cry for 2021: Disrupt the status quo! More >

Marketing Wrapped: Top Marketing Moments of 2020

December 16, 2020 by Kate Stephani

Did we miss any? What were your favorite marketing moments of 2020? More >

Mercurial Marketing Budgets

December 09, 2020 by Tom Kaneshige

Place your bets on MarTech and digital channels and prepare yourself for the new normal. More >

Meet Customers Where They Are: A Brief Recap of Our "Channels of Choice" Webinar

December 02, 2020 by Kate Stephani

If you missed out on our last webinar, catch the highlights here. More >

Three Reasons Why You Need to Listen to Our Latest Webinar

November 18, 2020 by Kate Stephani

Here are the most important takeaways from our expert speakers and how you can get a head start on better communicating with the modern consumer. More >

Prop 24 Set To Pass, As Privacy Battle Heats Up

November 11, 2020 by Tom Kaneshige

Does California’s Privacy Rights Act follow in the footsteps of the GDPR? If so, this gives marketers a clear path forward. More >

All The World's a Virtual Stage

November 04, 2020 by Tom Kaneshige

Is it time for an online curtain call amid all the applause? Or is your performance lacking? We take a look at the state of virtual events this year. More >

Getting Into the Spirit? In Defense of Halloween

October 28, 2020 by Kate Stephani

Why are all those Christmas trees up already, anyway? More >

Brand Champions and LTV

October 21, 2020 by Kate Stephani

How are you making your most loyal customers feel valued? Here are some ways to keep them sticking around. More >

3 Surprises in Topsy-Turvy Times

October 14, 2020 by Tom Kaneshige

With so many things happening this year, the unexpected has become expected. But what other surprises have been overlooked? More >

How to Shift Your Content Game

October 07, 2020 by Kate Stephani

The CMO Council's latest webinar was jam-packed with great advice from marketing leaders at Cisco and Schneider Electric. Here are a few nuggets of wisdom to get you started on your journey to marketing and communication alignment. More >

The Rise of the Customer Intuitive Enterprise

September 30, 2020 by Tom Kaneshige

Learning to meet a customer's needs before they arise is a daunting task, but we're getting closer to doing so everyday. More >

Customer Experience vs. Human Experience

September 23, 2020 by Tom Kaneshige

Customers are whole, complex people and it's time for us to treat them as such in the way we connect with them. More >

Q&A with Snagajob's Matt Wisk: The Road to Recovery and What Marketers Need to Know

September 15, 2020 by Kate Stephani

We're chatting with Snagajob's head of corporate development to discuss the current state of the job market and how marketers can thrive. More >

Your Values are Your Greatest Asset

September 09, 2020 by Kate Stephani

The most effective thing in your marketing toolkit is the one closest to your heart. More >

Making the Case for Marketing Budgets

September 02, 2020 by Tom Kaneshige

Everything about this year has been unpredictable, but one thing is for certain: marketing budgets have come under fire. But is that really the best idea? More >

How COVID-19 Changed Digital CX

August 26, 2020 by Kate Stephani

With all the uncertainty in the world right now, one thing is for sure: digital CX matters. More >

Save Digital Assets, Cut the Frontline

August 19, 2020 by Tom Kaneshige

Even prior to the pandemic, companies were making moves toward more digitally-focused engagement strategies, which could spell bad news for frontline sales professionals. More >

The Workplace of the Future

August 12, 2020 by Kate Stephani

Varying opinions about WFH may mean varying approaches to returning to the office. More >

Small Businesses Face Tough Road. Help Is On the Way.

August 05, 2020 by Tom Kaneshige

It's no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic hit small businesses hard, but there's a light at the end of the tunnel for those who play their cards right. More >

How to Court the New Customer

July 29, 2020 by Tom Kaneshige

We sat down with McKinsey & Company senior partner, Eric Hazan, to talk about the six important changes coming in customer behavior and how to adapt. More >

Virtual Protesting: The Way of the Future?

July 22, 2020 by Kate Stephani

Changing circumstances mean a change in ways to take action on issues that matter. See how employees, leaders and organizations alike have taken a stand. More >

Lighting the Fire: 3 Ways to Overcome Burnout

July 15, 2020 by Kate Stephani

Between quarantine, working from home and overall feelings of uncertainty right now, burnout is almost inevitable. Here are some ways to get back to feeling like yourself again. More >

McKinsey: How Brands Can Survive and Thrive

July 08, 2020 by Tom Kaneshige

COVID-19 has reset the game board, so leaders have to make up lost ground and laggards have a chance to become leaders. Learn how to survive—and even thrive—in the midst of a pandemic. More >

Improving Commercial Performance Through Integrated Sales and Marketing Efforts

July 01, 2020 by Helena Mah

Learn how to set your B2B marketing strategy up for success with these expert tips. More >

The Way to Pleasant and Value-Driven Customer Experience

June 24, 2020 by Helena Mah

With so many changes in the "new normal" one thing remains: creating a great customer experience. Learn how to adapt with these great tips. More >

Upturn During the Downturn

June 17, 2020 by Kate Stephani

Despite the economic downturn worldwide in the wake of COVID-19, these 25 brands have seen a major upturn. More >

Why Brands Need to Speak Up

June 10, 2020 by Kate Stephani

Brands have the privilege of influence. As brand custodians, CMOs have a duty to amplify the voices of those who represent the causes that matter. Silence is no longer an option. More >

Marketers Must Make Haste

June 03, 2020 by Tom Kaneshige

Agility is a reoccuring theme when it comes to companies recovering from the pandemic. See how companies around the world are making big changes in order to stay afloat. More >

Marketing in the Driver's Seat During Economic Recovery

May 27, 2020 by Helena Mah

In the midst of a global pandemic, marketing teams must become agile in innovative in order to keep their companies afloat. Learn how to adjust to the coming "new normal" with these unique tips. More >

Employees Aren't Pawns

May 20, 2020 by Kate Stephani

In the wake of yet another round of layoffs at WeWork, we're talking about how to handle these tough decisions the right way. Spoiler alert: don't be like WeWork. More >

How To Keep Your Cool When Marketing Budgets Come Under Fire

May 01, 2020 by Tom Kaneshige

It didn’t take long for Google to take a hatchet to the marketing department, slashing the budget by half for the second part of this year and putting in place a hiring freeze, reported CNBC.  More >

6 Ways to Foster a Remote Company Culture

April 29, 2020 by Kate Stephani

Just because your team is remote doesn't mean company culture can fall by the wayside. Show your employees—and your customers—that you care with these six tips. More >

Retailer Insights: Imbibing Increases, Panic Buying Eases

April 08, 2020 by Tom Kaneshige

People are stocking their shelves with booze and often imbibing while Zooming with others. Reports show alcohol consumption up 42 percent in the San Francisco Bay Area last week. More >

Marketers Struggle To Make Informed Decisions During Chaos

March 26, 2020 by Donovan Neale-May

Facing global disruption, business upheaval and looming budget cuts, marketers must chart a sensible path through a devastating global viral outbreak.  More >

Mid-March Report: COVID-19 Disrupts Shopper Behavior

March 20, 2020 by Tom Kaneshige

We all know about the hoarding of toilet paper going on across the nation, but that’s just one of many shockwaves in retail right now. More >

When Big Brands Fall, Big Dollars Follow

January 23, 2020 by Tom Kaneshige

In Tom Kaneshige's latest blog post, he addresses the slippery slope of diminishing brand value and the effect it has on a brand's worth.  More >

Are Marketers Getting In The Way Of Growth?

November 13, 2019 by Tom Kaneshige

In this blog, Tom Kaneshige discusses the problem with "marketing dissonance" and the need for marketers to change the way they their approach their customers. More >

Meeting Automation Platforms are Changing the Game

June 05, 2019 by Jagdish Upadhyay

Figuring out how to schedule strategic B2B meetings during the middle of business events can feel almost impossible. So, how are meeting planners, executive admins, and event managers supposed to keep it all straight? More >

Why Organizations Should Embrace Sales, Marketing and Meeting Automation

May 29, 2019 by Jagdish Upadhyay

As any meeting planner will tell you, the process of getting the business meeting schedule established doesn’t always go smoothly. Here are three reasons why spreadsheets and emails don't cut it anymore. More >

Why You Should Grow Your Business the Old-Fashioned Way

May 22, 2019 by Jagdish Upadhyay

Take advantage of tradeshows, conferences, and other business events by leveraging strategic B2B meetings at events. It is more powerful than you can imagine.  More >

How To Inspire Creativity and Innovation In Your Team

January 16, 2019 by Lauren Gall

It’s not always easy to carry out creative and new ways to market a brand, but the rewards are worth it. Here are 5 ways the modern CMO can inspire creativity in their team. More >

Death to ROI

January 07, 2019 by Denise Kohnke

Hear this out: ROI is phasing out and there is a new emphasis on shifting value to alternative metrics for the creation of a brand and future results in an organization. More >

Encouraging Your Young Sales Stars to Close Deals FAST

December 07, 2018 by Stephan Schiffman

How can you fire up sales professionals who have a completely different modus operandi from past generations? Here is a new formula to jumpstart your team. More >

Trends for CMOs in 2019

November 26, 2018 by Lauren Gall

The New Year is a great time for you to take charge of content creation, implement fresh branding updates, and ensure that everything looks cohesive to stay ahead of the innovation curve. More >

How to choose the SEO company that offers greater ROI on your SEO investment

October 01, 2018 by Erica Silva

In increasingly competitive markets, SEO is effective only when ROI are transparent. Learn how to identify potential SEO firms to work with and invest in that are worth your time.  More >

How Sales Automation is Different from Marketing Automation

August 03, 2018 by Erica Silva

Sales automation and marketing automation include different purposes, methods, and disciplines, but you need to focus on both at the same time to achieve your ultimate goal, which is to grow your business. More >

CMOs and Digital Transformation

July 24, 2018 by Bennet Bayer

The hype cycle of digital transformation has added another layer of expertise for the Chief Marketing Officer, and providing an executive, organization and market expectation has become incumbent for the CMO. More >

The Most Critical Phrase for Marketers Today? “Average is Over.”

July 12, 2018 by Allen Adamson

In a business environment as volatile and complex as marketing, there is one phrase that marketers must keep top of mind if they want to lead in their categories: “Average is over.”  More >

The Importance of AI for Customer-Focused Businesses

June 20, 2018 by Erica Silva

For a customer-focused business, the goal is to enhance customer experiences and ensure that customers feel satisfied with what you have to offer them, and AI can help with this.   More >

Rethinking the Customer Journey in the Age of AI

April 18, 2018 by James Briggs

Businesses that build AI innovations into the core systems that power their customer journey capabilities can deliver a more integrated, seamless customer journey that can evolve and improve with each customer interaction. More >

AI is a Gamechanger

February 20, 2018 by Hessie Jones

Artifical intelligence (AI) allows marketing operations teams to be more agile than ever before.  More >

CX To The Extreme: Saying What You Mean and Meaning What You Say

August 30, 2017

Open 24/7 takes on a whole new meaning in the face of disaster. But for Waffle House, its about keeping a promise. More >

Clean Up on Aisle W: Should Price be the First Thing Addressed at Whole Foods?

August 28, 2017 by Liz Miller

In an effort to take on the big chain competitors, Amazon has started with taking on price. But is price really the barrier to entry at Whole Foods? More >

Eating My Own Dog Food

August 14, 2017 by Liz Miller

I've told COUNTLESS marketers to not start a blog unless you mean it...unless you can commit to actually posting content regularly. Did I follow my own advice? Of course not! Open up Liz...here comes the dog food.  More >

Welcome to the New CMOCouncil.org!

August 18, 2016 by Liz Miller

George Washington is credited with saying, “We should not look back unless it is to derive useful lessons from past errors, and for the purpose of profiting by dearly bought experience.” Easy for him to say. Me…I’m just trying to launch a new website. More >