Marketing has been transformed in the past ten years. And the pace of change is only increasing. The Economist Intelligence Unit surveyed 478 high-level world-wide marketing executives, more than 80% say they need to restructure marketing to be�er support their business, 29% believe the need for change is urgent.

THE RISE OF THE MARKETERSource: The Economist Intelligence Unit’s report

FOUR MARKETING TRENDS

HOW MARKETING SEES ITS FUTURE

MARKETING AS REVENUE DRIVER

MARKETING’S ROLE IN THECUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

MARKETING-TECH ECOSYSTEM

CATCHING THE NEXT WAVE

IN-DEMAND MARKETING SKILLS

The Truth About Marketing Now

When a tidal wave appears on the horizon, do you wait to be engulfed, head for

high ground or grab your sur�oard? Over the last decade, CMOs have faced plenty

of waves. The successful ones keep their sur�oards within reach. CMOs almost

doubled their tenure in 2006 and are keeping their positions for 45 months as

of a year ago, but can still expect half the lifespan of a Chief Executive in large

companies. We know why: increasing complexity, expectation from business

owners, skill inflation and a higher level of accountability. A CMO who doesn’t

help deliver the numbers business owners need can’t hide and won’t last.

A BROAD VIEW OF CUSTOMER

EXPERIENCE

METRICS FOR REVENUE

AND ENGAGEMENT

THE TALENTHUNT

SYSTEMWEBBING

Across the life cycle and across channels, from

inital awareness through loyalty and advocacy.

Wider and more comprehensive, focusing on top-line revenue and

overall engagement

Ability to grasp and manage the details,

combined with view ofstrategic big picture

Multiple platforms managed through

an overarching marketing system

Marketing, sales, service, communications and other customer-

oriented functions are evolving and commingling, and we don’t know

what they’re going to look like in five years… The traditional sales

function isn’t going away. But I think the ways people come to us

and enter a relationship won’t look anything like it does now.

Jamie Moldafsky, CMO at Wells Fargo

We are shi�ing money away from things like conferences, physical

samples or building high-profile face-to-face exhibits and investing

in marketing automation infrastructure, data and content… when we

hire, we look for people with digital capabilities, who can do things

like run a marketing automation platform, a data analytics function,

or execute and listen to multiple social media properties

John Dragoon, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Company

Risking failure is the price of success. Google runs more than 1,000 experiments each month,

only 10% lead to changes in their business. For Google 100 business improvements mean 900 failed

experiments. “Nearly everything fails” believes Dan McKinley at the online cra�s marketplace Etsy

“it’s been humbling to realize how rare it is for [features] to succeed on the first a�empt”. Yet the

Corporate Executive Board’s survey found 21% of Fortune 1,000 marketers disagree with the

statement, “My team accepts that some experiments must fail in order for us to learn from them.”

Even with small-scale experiments, failure remains toxic in many organisations.

Modern thinking sees Customer experience as key to unlocking competitive advantage. Using positive, memorable experiences, com-panies engage customers, creating advocacy and loyalty. The whole company must play its part—from inventory management and packaging to finance and any person-to-person contact.

The line between sales and marketing has blurred. As consumers gain power they become less reliant on direct sales, so marketing is increasingly controlling relationships.

“We need to change the structure and design of our marketing organisation to meet the needs of our business over the next three to five years.”

A new wave in marketing: King Canute thought he could hold back the tide, will you sink, swim or catch the wave?

At almost 90%, Europeans are most inclined to agree

At 72%, North Americans areleast inclined to agree.

KING CANUTE

A significant minority of marketers are clinging to the status quo and so in danger of being le� behind.

19% see no need for change

SWIMMERS

The majority are afloat but underestimate the pace of change.

52% sees need for change but not strongly

SURFERS

The progressive group are ready. 29% strongly sees that marketing

must change its approach to be�er support the business

33%TODAY

75%3-5 YEARS

Responsible for managing customer

experience

Responsible for end-to-end

customer experience

The skills marketers need are in flux. Answers to the question “What are the top three areas in which you need to develop skills in your marketing operation?”

might surprise you or perhaps you’ve already retrained

0

10

20

30

40

50

39% 39%38%

32%

27% 27%

16%

MarketingOperations

Tech & digitalEngagement

Strategy &Planning

Demand Gen &Data Analysis

CustomerExperience

Advertising &Branding

Creative &Graphics

Art Vs. Science

Did you see the ba�le between art and science? Science won. Creative ma�ers but

is now a ‘legacy skill’, overtaken by digital technology and operations

A New Skill Metrix

Marketers must combine the technical eye of a project manager and data scientist with the big-picture view of a business strategist.

The primary skills for the future are digital, technology, operations and strategy!

TODAY

50% 1/33-5 YEARS

80% 1/33-5 YEARS

Use data to gain insight and

engage customer

Will use datato be�er connectwith customers

Of marketers will rely on technology

to engage and build trust

80%

Omni-channel is a derivation of “omniscient”—all-seeing. Marketers must observe and interact with customers 24/7 to understand their desires and fulfill them at any time. Don’t just see, do.

Business owners see marketing as a balance between cost centre

and revenue driver

The scale is shi�ing as marketing functionmigrates from cost centre to revenue.

Moving 3% in the next 3-5 years.

COSTCENTRE

68% AGREE

REVENUEDRIVER

69% AGREEMARKETING

MARKETINGCOSTCENTRE

REVENUEDRIVER

IN 3-5 YEARS

81%

Source: The rise of the marketer: Driving engagement, experience and revenue.

The Economist Intelligence Unit, 2015

SUBSCRIBE