Marketing has a myopia problem

In the span of my 23 year career I’ve worked in a variety of environments, for a myriad of clients each with their own goals. For the past 17 of those years, I’ve either worked in agency teams or directly for marketing departments, and I’ve seen all the ways those teams succeed and fail on every level.

In marketing teams and agencies there’s been a push towards modernization; a drive to adopt and implement the best technologies to give businesses a competitive edge with their competition in a global market. These efforts are often well-intentioned, but one of the issues endemic to agency and marketing department career trajectories is that “individual contributors” (corporate speak for rank-and-file employees) rarely have the time to keep up with the pace at which technology evolves. Often, they don’t even have the perspective to view their work from a perspective that allows them to consider broader technical strategy or even to account for legal compliance and international privacy laws.

As a result, the folks making technical decisions in a marketing team or an advertising agency are often the least informed or prepared to consider their work from the vantage point that would facilitate “long-term” digital strategy. And the team members who take the extra time to think and behave that way are often largely ignored in larger companies for taking firm stances that appear, from a short-sighted perspective, to hinder the ability to rapidly execute marketing campaigns and initiatives.

This cultural opposition between the concept of what should be done in the technical “best interests” of the company and the need to get digital campaigns “out the door” on a week-by-week or quarter-by-quarter basis creates a kind of impasse that can be devastating in the long term; resulting in companies having to rebuild and repurchase technical solutions just weeks or months after investing in them. Succinctly, not having alignment between the technical best practices, a forward-looking technical strategy, and the immediate pipeline generation goals of the company can lead to tens of millions of dollars of wasted budget, which will certainly negate the entire purpose of the campaigns marketing is focused on executing.

You can’t say “pain” without AI

The problem could be greatly compounded by the sudden influx of AI as a tool. Having seen the “dot com bubble burst” in the late 1990s and the subsequent waves of regulation, I anticipate that there will be a regulatory “pushback” about how AI is used in corporate marketing. The reason I predict this regulation is that, as AI gets used more and more in everything from predictive analytics to shopping cart solutions and website “chat bots,” the public will become increasingly aware that some AI models will become less helpful or useful to specific marginalized and minority communities.

How long will it be before users will run their own tests and realize that AI driven personalization on shopping solutions for tech resellers and insurance companies have access to the same stereotypical data that says certain ethnic groups have less capital to spend, and they will undoubtably record instances where an AI seems to be “less helpful” for users who fit into certain demographics (much the same way users have discovered AI driving programs cannot properly “see” dark-skinned pedestrians, or AI virtual assistants cannot understand the vocal patterns of users for whom English is their second language.)

The inevitable result of these observations will be federal, state, and international regulations about how AI is used in marketing, and those regulations will require marketing teams to align and adjust their strategies accordingly.

But what happens in marketing teams who had no overarching technical strategy, or no technical oversight into how they made use of these new digital innovations?

Fail to plan, plan to fail…

For this reason, a number of large industry leaders have created a new role that bridges the gap between their marketing function and their technical infrastructure.

Adobe refers to this role as their “Chief Marketing Technology Officer,” Unilever calls the role “Chief Marketing & Digital Officer,” Coca-Cola calls the position “Chief Digital Officer and so does General Electric. Regardless of the different role nomenclature, the descriptions they post for the job are nearly identical:

Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Business, Marketing, Information Technology, or a related field.
Experience: Significant experience in digital leadership roles. Expertise in digital transformation and innovation. Strong background in managing digital platforms and technologies.
Skills: Strategic vision and ability to drive digital innovation. Excellent project management and organizational skills. Proficiency in data analytics and performance measurement. Strong collaboration skills to work with various departments.
Responsibilities: Define and execute the digital strategy. Lead digital innovation projects. Enhance the digital customer experience. Collaborate with IT and marketing teams to integrate digital tools.

It’s pretty obvious from the job description what these companies are trying to solve: they are trying to connect the dots between the technical strategy needs of their marketing apparatus, and the highly specialized technical expertise that can guide that apparatus to long-term success.

It should be noted that there’s a clear distinction between this specialized role, and the functions broadly contained within most organization’s “Marketing Operations” teams. Marketing Ops usually has a more limited perspective on day-to-day functionality like budgets, project management, employee onboarding, equipment provisioning, and even internal team events. While Ops often retains some talent and perspective around technical strategy, they would be best seen as a close stakeholder in the activities of the CTMO as opposed to the limiting framework that the CTMO function operates within.

What’s the catch?

So you might be thinking, “My marketing department or agency doesn’t have a CTMO function, what’s the big deal?”

The truth is that there are a variety of issues you run the risk of dealing with if your organization is trying to use cutting edge tech, but you don’t have a person whose entire role revolves around fitting the puzzle pieces of that technology into a cohesive strategy.

• Lag in Digital Transformation:
  • Without a dedicated CTMO/CDO, the marketing department may struggle to keep pace with rapid technological advancements, leading to outdated marketing strategies and tools.
• Inefficient Use of Data:
  • A lack of focus on data analytics and machine learning can result in missed opportunities for data-driven decision-making, leading to suboptimal marketing campaigns and reduced ROI.
• Increased Operational Silos:
  • Without a central figure to bridge the gap between marketing and technology, departments may operate in silos, leading to poor communication, collaboration, and integration of marketing technologies.
• Missed AI Opportunities:
  • The absence of a CTMO/CDO can hinder the strategic implementation of AI, resulting in missed opportunities for personalization, automation, and enhanced customer experiences.
• Competitive Disadvantage:
  • Companies with dedicated digital leadership are likely to be more agile and innovative. Without such a role, the organization may fall behind competitors who effectively leverage digital tools and technologies.
• Inconsistent Customer Experience:
  • A lack of cohesive digital strategy can lead to inconsistent customer experiences across various touchpoints, damaging brand reputation and customer loyalty.
• Ineffective Technology Investments:
  • Without expert oversight, the marketing department may invest in unsuitable or redundant technologies, leading to wasted resources and budget overruns.
• Security and Compliance Risks:
  • Inadequate attention to data security and privacy regulations can expose the company to legal and reputational risks, especially as data handling becomes increasingly complex.
• Difficulty in Measuring Success:
  • Without advanced analytics and reporting tools managed by a CTMO/CDO, it can be challenging to accurately measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and strategies.
• Slow Adaptation to Market Changes:
  • A CTMO/CDO helps the marketing department stay agile and responsive to market trends. Without this role, the organization may be slower to adapt to changes, impacting its market position.

Every one of these risks is something I’ve seen play out in the corporate world, and every one of them has cost a company at least millions if not hundreds of millions of dollars in man hours, wasted resources, and lost ROI from campaigns that had no impact.

These risks highlight the critical need for a dedicated technology leader within the marketing department to drive digital innovation, data-driven decision-making, and overall marketing efficiency. If you want a truly modern marketing organization, one that isn’t looking for solutions that only work in the “here and now,” the CTMO is the role that could save you millions and make your plans and strategies have an impact on both your audience AND on the company you serve. This person has become a crucial feature in companies thinking about their own future as well as the future of the employees who work so hard to bring in new business every day.