Today the Forbes Communications Council published an article by Blue Ridge CMO Ed Rusch making a point that is solid, yet often overlooked by CEOs, CMOs and key leaders across the organization:
If you’re hearing (or saying),
“… and then marketing can pretty it up!”
“I’m not sure, but I know it when I see it!”
Then you don’t “got marketing.
Some key takeaways from the article:
- Marketing can add more value to your organization; not just make aesthetically pleasing touches on things at the 11th hour
- If you expect to create certainty and value in ever more volatile times, start by shedding the idea that Marketing is a cost center
- Marketing ‘done right’ means actively operating as a growth center and profitability booster, aligned to the P&L and company strategy
- Do no confuse vanity metrics with material ones; pick the top 3-4 and ditch the “elevator music” ones
- Reframe chatter about aesthetics to focus on the criticality of building brand equity, message discipline and moving a customer’s journey forward
- Partner up; identify where cross-functional success metrics intersect to achieve more together
Read the full article in Forbes: