CMO Today

The proliferation of media channels and the wealth of customer data now available increase the need for marketers to accurately measure online ad performance. Some companies are creating digital attribution systems that track the performance of different channels so they can optimize campaigns and make smarter budget allocation decisions.

Midmarket leaders have made technology an investment priority this year, and are using emerging tech to transform marketing, according to Deloitte Growth Enterprise Services’ 2017 report on business and economic trends.

Large, established companies can struggle to keep pace in today’s rapidly changing business world. By partnering with startups, legacy enterprises can drive breakthroughs, reinvigorate employees, and gain a competitive edge, says Jim Stengel, president and CEO of The Jim Stengel Co. and former CMO of Procter & Gamble, in his new book, “Unleashing the Innovators: How Mature Companies Find New Life With Startups.”

Many companies today are using augmented reality (AR) to improve operations, train employees, enhance the customer experience, and provide additional context when marketing products and services. For CMOs, AR is a technology that may help them provide personalized product information, pricing, and display options to consumers based on their particular needs.

Every innovation that exists today represents an idea that was once considered impossible, says Mick Ebeling, CEO of Not Impossible Labs. The first step is to focus on a problem that’s crying out to be solved and commit to fixing it—whether or not a solution appears to be within reach.

As consumer businesses invest in advanced technologies such as digital payment systems, cloud computing, and connected products, they may face increased cyber threats. CMOs and other C-suite executives can help their organizations prepare for and mitigate cyber risk by taking a more proactive role and developing an executive engagement playbook.