The chief marketing officer (CMO) has taken control of the customer experience, according to the results of a global survey by Forrester and Heidrick & Struggles.
The study was undertaken to better understand the evolving role of the CMO and what defines success in the age of the customer.
With ample forward-looking data on the goals and behaviours of the evolved CMO, the findings based on 275 respondents show that CMOs are solidifying their position as business leaders by moving beyond brand, communications, and marketing execution to better quantify the impact of marketing.
The study shows that 75% of CMOs are confident or very confident in their teams’ ability to meet annual business objectives; and 82% report that their goals are aligned to revenue targets.
CMOs are also broadening their brand responsibilities to include customer experience, with two-thirds of CMOs now having responsibility for customer experience, and more than one-third having performance goals tied to their customers’ overall satisfaction. In the study, 61% of CMOs responsible for CX are prioritising aligning the brand and customer experience; and 58% report implementing an enterprisewide CX metric.
CMOs are increasingly leading organisational transformation toward customer obsession as the bridge between departments. In this respect, 51% of CMOs note that organisation structure hinders results, with 35% lacking confidence in corporate leadership’s ability to help the company adapt to change.
Aligned to this, 62% of CMOs identify the head of sales as a crucial partner, while 49% of CMOs view the CIO/CTO as a top relationship to develop.