Page 12 - MYM 2015

The Turbo-Charged CMO:
Transforming Your Marketing
Department into an Ef cient
Business-Building Engine
Philip Kotler PhD
Abstract: Marketing departments encounter trouble in terms of doing an effective job on several fronts: a lack of ef cient organization; a lack of knowledge or tools to compete in today’s high-tech environment; and continuing problems between marketing and other company departments. Here are some ways to recognize problems before they occur and address each of these potential pitfalls.
Running a successful company – or turning an unsuccessful company into a successful one – is a constant challenge for a CEO. Often, the engine of many companies, successful or otherwise, is the marketing department,
which is supposed to drive business strategy.
Yet many business leaders today nd the primary efforts and functions of their marketing departments split up among marketers, strategists, nancial
experts and operations managers. In many cases, the company winds up with a marketing department that is unprepared to ful ll its role both within the company as well as among customers or prospects.
This requires senior management to address three key problems with marketing that are often overlooked: the marketing department lacks the organization needed to get its primary job done; the marketing staff does not have the skills or equipment to make maximum use of technology; and there is bad blood between marketing and other departments in the company.
Separately, any of these aspects can slow down
a company’s overall growth or prevent it from recognizing and taking advantage of opportunities in the marketplace. Any combination of the three could spell doom for even the smartest companies offering the
best products or services. A company facing all three problems is in deep trouble.
Let’s take a look at how these situations can be recognized and addressed. Often, the approach one takes to address these situations – not necessarily the money spent trying to tackle the problem – is the key to turning the marketing operation into the business- driving force it should naturally be to ensure success.
Organizing the Marketing Department
One way to reorganize the marketing department, or to assess the effectiveness of the current staff, it to start at the top.
An effective Chief Marketing Of cer, for example, is able to juggle a number of jobs at once. The CMO
must run the marketing department effectively, hire competent staff, set high standards for marketing planning and implementation and improve the staff’s skills at research, forecasting and communication. Then he or she must win the con dence of the heads of other departments – nance, operations, purchasing, information technology, etc. and participate actively
in company and brand strategy decision making. This prepares the entire organization to be ready to serve and satisfy the customers. Finally, the CMO
12 I October 2015