The CMO's 10 Commandments
For four years, I spent my time wisecracking on Google all over Finland about how a marketing manager's job should be done today. And why is that? Well, marketing managers get fired every day when some millennial friend of the CEO's daughter casually shouts that her dad's Snapchat strategy isn't quite right. On the other hand, many marketing directors still spend a week in South Africa shooting a commercial. And just as many CMOs start looking for escape routes from the ceiling when someone mentions the terms CAC, CLV or CVR.
Of course, the last few years were partly spent singing the songs of those whose bread you ate. Now it is possible to compose your own song and here is the first version, please.
1. CREATE GROWTH.
The role of marketing is to create growth. Think about how you contribute to it in your role on a daily basis. If you don't know how to do it, seek help. Quickly.
2. KNOW THE CORE METRICS OF YOUR BUSINESS.
Track your marketing metrics directly from them and measure them continuously. Don't be the marketing manager who is afraid to talk about impact on sales or who just talks about brand metrics.
3. BUILD YOUR BRAND ON THE VALUES AND PURPOSE OF YOUR COMPANY.
By understanding what your staff value and why they work there, you can build a brand that resonates internally. If your brand doesn't resonate internally, you're not doing anything with it.
4. UNDERSTAND YOUR CUSTOMERS' EXPERIENCE.
Understand what they value about the industry you represent and what they value about your product or service. Understand how they found you and why they are leaving.
5. CREATE A HOLY TRINITY WHERE MARKETING IS GLUED TO BOTH COMMUNICATION AND SALES.
Consider how the three live in symbiosis, supporting each other. A coherent story should emerge from the seller's mouth, the YouTube film and the Suomi24 discussion board.
6. THINK CAREFULLY ABOUT THE ONE THING YOU USE TO EXPLAIN WHAT YOUR BRAND IS ALL ABOUT.
The maximum length of an elevator speech is five seconds, and after that no one is interested. You can see it in the eyes of the listener when you are left scrambling to refine the wording of the third sentence of your brand promise.
7. UNDERSTAND WHAT IS THE STANDARD OF RESPONSIBILITY IN YOUR INDUSTRY. EXCEED IT. CLEARLY.
In the words of Finlayson's Jukka Kurttila: it should be scary. If it doesn't scare you, it probably won't interest your customers.
8. DON'T WORRY.
Replacing it will not cure it. Think about your core message and stick to it. Remember that again, no one is interested in the starting point. If you say the same message 1000 times, it might get through. Even if trends, channels, people and agencies change, stick to the essentials.
9. TESTAA.
Don't assume. Make a hypothesis and see if it works. Test again and change based on the test. Remember, mistakes have to happen, otherwise you're not playing with enough risk. Also remember that you shouldn't repeat the same mistake, but look for a new one.
10. DON'T MYSTIFY MARKETING.
Marketing is not a secret science. Your grandmother should understand what you do for a living. If she doesn't, ask yourself if you're doing something wrong.
This article was published as a column in Bonfire-media 10/2018
