We’ve noted before that annual planning is dead and outlined the need for more agile, flexible budgets. Although many marketers recognize that rigid, Jan-1-to-Dec-31 budget models are too confining, many companies still focus on annual budgets — especially in companies where marketing departments are seen as cost centers — and each year, CMOs argue for larger budgets. Read More

A successful marketer needs to develop methods of tailoring the customer journey to the individual buyer, as well as celebrating those differences. Effective marketing optimization today means that the customer experience needs to be well thought-out, predictive, interactive and customizable. Read More

To get marketing and sales moving along in the same direction, organizations need to address these issues. For example, advanced marketing technologies can help organizations optimize marketing value along the path to purchase, helping to bring marketing and sales teams closer together, despite past feuds. Read More

Marketing organizations that successfully address these questions understanding that knowing how to measure marketing effectiveness includes understanding that it is an evolving process — one that must encompass the entire consumer journey, not just the last click or call that results in a sale. It is, in fact, about being all that you can be – and more. Read More

Increasingly, companies are expanding their C-suites to include CIOs – individuals who represent the more analytical side of the business. For a CMO working towards greater marketing accountability, the CIO, with access to digital data and trends, is a crucial ally. Let’s look at how your digital marketing strategy can be enhanced by this strategic relationship. Read More

There’s no gentle way to put it: the days of budgeting marketing spend a full year ahead are gone. But effectively utilizing the yearly marketing budget you do have involves much more than a set-it-and-forget-it mentality. Read More