New report claims CDO appointments are on the rise in Australia, and could be at the expense of the CIO role
The role of chief digital officer (CDO) is set to invade Australian organisations and could well be at the expense of the CIO, a new report claims.
According to CA Technologies’ Digital Enterprise: The role of the CDO study, 47 per cent of Australian business leaders believe the role of the CDO is becoming more important in their business. The report was based on surveys with 100 c-level executives undertaken in August.
Forty-five per cent claim to currently have a CDO, and 14 per cent said they expected the fill the role in the next few years. The report suggests the move is likely to see many of the technology-based roles traditionally held by the CIO being the responsibility of the CDO.
Of those without a CDO, 37 per cent said the effect is a lack of responsiveness and a slower route to market. In addition, 19 per cent highlighted ‘missed business and investment opportunities’ as a consequence of not employing a CDO.
However, the report did suggest there remains conflict around what a CDO’s responsibilities should entail. For example, when asked who they’d turn to for advice on mobile and app development, responses were split between the CIO and CDO.
Respondents were also asked about the rising importance of the CMO and CIO roles in their organisation. Just over 34 per cent said the CIO was essential, while 21.9 per cent the CIO was becoming more important. Seven per cent said CIOs were becoming less important.
With regards to the CMO, 38 per cent said the role’s importance hadn’t changed in the last year, while 28.5 per cent said the role was becoming more important and 20 per cent said it was essential.
Overall, digital was a strategic element of business for 69 per cent of respondents, with customer engagement and increasing market share leading the list of reasons why.
CDO: Hot new tech title or flash in the pan?
How you can be a digital CMO
Deloitte: The 5 disruptive trends of the digital age and the role of the CDO
If you’re not in charge of digital, you’re not in charge of marketing
“It’s clear from this research that if businesses stick with the status quo and don’t prepare themselves for a digital mind-shift now, they’ll fall behind. Worse still, they may lose market share because the services they provide to their customers aren’t being deployed in a fast, engaging way,” commented CA’s Australia and New Zealand managing director, Bill McMurray. “That’s where digital can help.
“As we see CDOs becoming more involved with their business colleagues and in business strategy, the ability to communicate the value of new technologies will become even more important.”
Follow CMO on Twitter: @CMOAustralia, take part in the CMO Australia conversation on LinkedIn: CMO Australia, or join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CMOAustralia
If the FANG (Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, Google) sector and their measured worth are the final argument for the successful 21st Century model, then they are beyond reproach. Fine-tuning masses of algorithms to reduce human touchpoints and deliver wild returns to investors—all with workforces infinitesimally small compared to the giants of the 20th Century—has been proven out.
Marketers have made strides this year in sustainability with the number of brands rallying behind the Not Business As Usual alliance for action against climate change being a sign of the times. While sustainability efforts have gained momentum this year, 2020 is shaping up to be the year brands are really held accountable for their work in this area.
As a Marketer, the ‘Scotty from Marketing’ meme troubles me.
In this bonus last episode of this new podcast series, BrandHook MD, Pip Stocks, talks with former ANZ group general manager of marketing, Louise Eyres, talks about the importance of thinking like a customer and using intuition to solve customer painpoints.
If you think it can benefit both consumer and seller then it would be great
Simon Bird
Why Ford is counting on the Internet of Things to drive customer engagement
It's a good idea. Customers really should control their data. Now I understand why it's important.
Elvin Huntsberry
Salesforce CMO: Modern marketers have an obligation to give customers control of their data
Instagram changes algorithms every time you get used to them. It really pisses me off. What else pisses me off? The fact that Instagram d...
Nickwood
Instagram loses the like in Australia; industry reacts positively
I tried www.analisa.io to see my Instagram Insight
Dina Rahmawati
7 marketing technology predictions for 2016
The saying is pretty tongue in cheek. It's not saying that marketers are bad people, nor that they don't take themselves seriously. There...
LYF Solutions
The trouble with Scotty from Marketing - The CMO view - CMO Australia