As we put the call out for marketing leaders to complete the survey for our 2019 edition of this special report, we take a look at three things we discovered about the State of the CMO from our 2018 findings.
To take part in our 2019 State of the CMO research, please complete the survey here. Up for grabs is a luxury weekend for two. So please get this completed today!
1. Marketers own the CX remit
According to our 2018 State of the CMO research, more than six in 10 respondents have customer experience as part of their functional remit. What’s more, 53 per cent said they had taken control of CX functions in the preceding 12 months.
Of course, taking control and official ownership can be two very different things. When asked who owns CX ownership officially in their organisation, 33 per cent said the CMO holds the reins, while 20 per cent said the chief customer officer (many of which are extended CMO roles). A further 14 per cent said the chief operating office and 15 per cent no one.
2. Marketers govern customer technology budgets
In 2018, we found 36 per cent of marketing respondents owned 90 per cent, if not all, of the total customer technology procurement budget in their companies. At least 80 per cent owned at least 80 per cent, up from 32 per cent in 2017.
We also saw a 5 per cent year-on-year rise in CMOs as sole purchase decision makers for these technologies to 31 per cent.
Despite this, many marketing leaders recognise collaboration with the CIO and IT department is vital for seamless customer experience management. Just over half (53 per cent) of CMOs are making joint IT decisions with their IT counterparts on customer technology.
The top five technologies being purchased are marketing automation, digital and Web platforms, digital and Web analytics, and content creation platforms, and marketing analytics.
3. Marketing’s business reputation keeps rising
Across our leadership respondents in 2018, 53 per cent are reporting directly to the CEO/managing director of their organisation.
Three in four saw themselves as business leaders or partners to their organisation, with only 4 per cent suggesting they remain a cost centre, a 4 per cent fall on our 2017 results.
To access our previous State of the CMO report from 2018 in full, click through to our digital whitepaper here.
And make sure you fill in the 2019 survey so we can gauge how marketing leaders are continuing to perform this year by clicking here.
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