chief marketing officer (CMO)

It’s frustrating when a customer exhibits purchase intent but doesn’t buy because of friction in the customer journey. It’s worse when a store manager or contact center agent is unaware of a digital promotion. Nearly 40% of CMOs say that a lack of consistent customer experience (CX) prevents greater online sales revenue. Empowered customers now […]

I am really honored to have represented Forrester in the jury of the eCAC40/Les Echos Index measuring the digital maturity of the largest French companies quoted at the French stock exchange (CAC 40 Index). The results are as follows (top 10 only): Société Générale  Total Schneider Electric Air Liquide Orange BNP Paribas Atos ENGIE AXA […]

I am very excited to have been invited for the third time to give the opening keynote speech at One to One, a great marketing conference taking place on October 10–12 in Biarritz in the southwest of France. To summarize my talk in a few points, I have shared some global marketing trends and how […]

Do you see the chief digital officer (CDO) as some kind of digital superhero, swooping in to rescue a dysfunctional business and transform it into a digital powerhouse? The truth is that chief digital officers can be very effective with strong CEO backing, but they are not always necessary. A business-savvy, customer-obsessed CIO can be […]

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in specific marketing applications such as programmatic real-time bidding is now commonplace. Although marketing has yet to adopt it more broadly, new use cases are gathering momentum. My latest report, “Leverage AI To Improve Marketing Efficiency,” covers the nine AI marketing use cases that have the potential to deliver […]

In a recent workshop with the marketing team of a large European brand, we discussed the importance for marketers to deliver their brand promise. About 45% of marketers now report to be in charge of the customer experience. Whether they officially own CX or simply orchestrate CX talent and resources does not matter. In that […]

Unless you were on the Appalachian Trail for a few weeks, you know what I’m talking about. I’ll start with this paragraph from our newly published analysis of Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick, called “Nike Makes No Sacrifices“: Judging Nike’s decision is difficult because there’s so much conflicting evidence. In concept, values-based appeals […]

I am still catching my breath. Adobe has agreed to acquire Marketo for $4.75 billion. The deal is the biggest in Adobe’s history and a massive encore to the acquisition of Magento for a mere $1.7 billion in May. On the one hand, I find myself proud to be a B2B marketer — to think that […]

The first Forrester Wave™ on global media agencies reveals the category-adding technology, services, and capabilities to leap beyond conventional media planning and buying. Media agencies are beginning to transform into media consultancies. However, who’s leading might surprise you. The Conventional Approach Of The Media Agency Is Deteriorating Media agencies are no longer just media planning […]

If you regularly follow the financial markets, it’s hard to ignore the growth generated by the FAANG stocks (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Google). When you look more closely at the “ANG” part of this quintet, it’s not hard to see how continuous delivery and rapid creation of customer value and corporate growth go hand in […]

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about marketing planning? An annual rite of corporate governance? A forced march of endless meetings and spreadsheets? Guessing what your customers will want and where they will want it in 18 months? Existential dread? The exact opposite of why you became a marketer in […]

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about marketing planning? An annual rite of corporate governance? A forced march of endless meetings and spreadsheets? Guessing what your customers will want and where they will want it in 18 months? Existential dread? The exact opposite of why you became a marketer in […]

B2B marketers get it. They know they need to operate across their sales and marketing silos to get beyond portfolio-centric campaigns to connect with buyers via specific, contextually relevant content that engages customers across the entire life cycle. The question is no longer why. The question is how. That’s why I am excited about the sessions […]

Marketing technology (martech) vendors are heavily pitching AI. However, AI per se is not new and won’t solve CMOs’ problems overnight. In fact, many marketers use AI without even knowing it, when they use AI-powered algorithms for programmatic ad buying! The reality is that AI will scale existing data-driven marketing approaches and give modern CMOs […]

Agencies Are No Longer The Exclusive Marketing And Business Partner For CMOs CMOs bring agency work in-house and aggressively manage agency fees. Global consultancies like Accenture and Deloitte target CMOs and new business and technology stakeholders with experience agency services. The agency business model is under financial attack. P&G reported saving $1 billion in agency […]

Many people believe that digital transformation is not an IT thing. While this may have been true when applied to last century’s typical IT group, it should not be true in 2018. To be fair to anyone who believes that IT cannot lead digital transformation, I’m referring to a new kind of IT: The technology team […]

Since I first wrote about digital transformation back at the end of 2012, the term has become wildly overhyped. Since CEOs are now at least asking about digital transformation, and every technology vendor now claims expertise in digital transformation, it’s time to burst a few of the myths surrounding digital transformation. But first, let’s recap […]

Voice is marketing’s most significant paradigm shift this decade — one that has far-reaching implications for how brands engage customers and prospects. Read Forrester’s latest report on voice to learn why voice will flourish, what that means for your brand, and how to get ready to win in the world of voice. Get Ready For The […]

Voice is marketing’s most significant paradigm shift this decade — one that has far-reaching implications for how brands engage customers and prospects. Read Forrester’s latest report on voice to learn why voice will flourish, what that means for your brand, and how to get ready to win in the world of voice. Get Ready For The […]