Tim Boerkoel’s Post

The landscape for Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) has undergone a significant transformation in recent years. Not only are CMOs experiencing rapid turnover, but some businesses are even reconsidering the necessity of the role altogether. And even when brands do have a CMO, they face crushing expectations and have to deliver short-term results quicker than ever before. While focused on big brands/companies, there are 4 key takeaways for #SMBs (1) Adaptability and Agility: Unlike large corporations, SMBs agility allows them to balance short-term revenue goals with long-term brand-building initiatives more effectively. (2) Leveraging Limited Resources for Maximum Impact: By focusing on data-driven marketing strategies, SMBs can maximize their impact with targeted, purpose-driven campaigns that resonate deeply with their audience, fostering loyalty and encouraging repeat business. (3) Building a Strong Brand Purpose: Even with limited resources, SMBs can leverage their unique story and values to build a strong brand purpose. This can differentiate them from competitors, attract a dedicated customer base, and enhance their reputation in the community, ultimately driving both sales and long-term growth. (4) Collaborative Culture: In SMBs, the leadership team often works closely together to ensure that marketing strategies are well-aligned with overall business objectives, creating a unified approach that drives both immediate sales and long-term brand loyalty. #brandbuilding #business #chiefmarketingofficer #leadership Tim Boerkoel

Let's get #RadicallyTransparent for a moment. It’s been a strange few years for chief marketing officers. Not only are they being replaced faster, but some businesses are even rethinking the role altogether. But should anyone care? The truth is that most (understandably) don’t. A brand’s marketing efforts seem trivial compared to the issues we face daily. In fact, according to a study that made huge waves when it was released in 2017, people wouldn’t care if 74% of brands disappeared altogether. But we should care. The role of a CMO has shifted, and it impacts all of us. This article I came across in FastCompany explains it better than I can. Have a read through it, and pay close attention to the section "The CMO Impact" - which I think sums up quite strongly why we should all care about the role of CMO. #MarketingLeaders #LeadershipChanges

It’s not just you. CMOs (and marketers) aren’t what they once were. Profitability & short-term sales tactics are driving the bus. Brand purpose & social impact are on the back burner (at best). And consumers are understandably pretty pissed off. Because their main advocates have lost their voice. “The result is that all business efforts (have) become rote and executional instead of strategic, innovative, creative, or invested in anything long-term – including social or environmental initiatives that by their very nature take more than a few months to bear fruit.” “This sentiment is fairly new. Shareholders have always demanded quarterly results, but they generally also wanted to build connection and loyalty with audiences… CMOs can be a moderating influence. They understand the power of a brand and its ability to transcend product and have a real role in affecting issues and culture at large.” “CMOs can help transform a transactional shareholder who values profit at all costs into someone with a stakeholder mindset – who understands that what’s good for people, community, and the planet is also good for employees, profit, and shareholders.” Looking for your lost creativity, community, connection to culture, insight, innovation, patience, purpose, strategy, or social impact? Look to marketing. #marketing #socialentrepreneurship #cmo

CMOs: Are They Even Relevant Anymore? The past few years have been tumultuous for chief marketing officers. They’re being ousted more quickly than ever, and some companies are reconsidering if the role is necessary. But who really cares? Honestly, not many people. When you look at the bigger picture, marketing efforts seem trivial. A 2017 study that made headlines revealed that people wouldn’t care if 74% of brands ceased to exist. But we SHOULD care. The CMO’s role has shifted dramatically, and it affects us all. Check out this article from FastCompany, especially the "The CMO Impact" section, to understand why we should all be concerned about the future of the CMO role. #MarketingLeaders #LeadershipChanges

Insightful article from Fast Company on the unique challenges CMOs, marketers, and communications professionals face in an ever-changing business and consumer landscape. Marketing and communications teams spend their days entrenched in customer insights and culture, and are often the main drivers behind an organization’s #CSR strategy. With attention spans and wallets stretched thinner than ever, it’s crucial that organizations transcend transactional relationships and fully commit to social impact as part of their brand story and narrative. Brands, organizations, and people have the ability to be agents of change and use their influence to do good in the world—and doing so is not just good for business, but essential for sparking change and making a meaningful impact. Read more: https://bit.ly/4eiGDN1 #marketing #communications #socialimpact

The role of the CMO is misunderstood. The modern CMO is often the driving force behind the purpose of the brand and leading efforts behind sustainability, innovation, customer insights and help provide not only products and services we love, but also support and create the causes that resonate with us. These are things also desired by shareholders who simultaneously demand immediate marketing results and quarterly profits to match. Being a CMO may therefore be one of the most difficult positions to fulfill and a reason why the turnover in this position is very high. We should care.

"Beyond driving sales and growth, a CMO is the key to keeping purpose top-of-mind within an organization. It’s a position uniquely suited to making internal business changes that can have an enormous external social impact—in part because they interact with all teams, including the CEO and board members, to make decisions quickly." - Sophie Ozoux ^^Honestly, this is right here is exactly why I was drawn to marketing in the first place. The ability to drive short-term and long-term revenue, while also holding focus towards a greater purpose that creates a ripple of impact - that's what drives me. I truly believe that businesses have a responsibility to be a vehicle for good - and that purpose is good for stakeholders and society as a whole. True purpose and impact (vs. performative) drives more brand loyalty, which creates more profit, which creates more opportunity for good. It's a win-win for all when done right.

Is the role of Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) facing an existential crisis? As CMO tenures shrink and brands prioritize short-term gains over long-term impact, we risk losing the very leaders who drive meaningful social change. CMOs play a crucial role in championing brand purpose, sustainability, diversity, equity, and more. Their devaluation could have far-reaching consequences for us all. How can we balance short-term goals with long-term purpose? Share your thoughts. #CMO #BrandPurpose #SocialImpact" (Credit: @SophieOzoux, Fast Company) https://lnkd.in/dFwP5ghT

Five lessons from scaling The North Face to $2 Billion+ that I still apply today: From 2008 - 2015, I was fortunate enough to lead marketing at The North Face. When I came in, the brand had just crested $1 Billion in revenue. I’ll never forget when I was asked by the CEO, “How big can we be?”. A simple question that initially had our team scrambling but ultimately led us to identify the key pillars we needed to scale the brand, which I still lean on today. 1. Embrace Your Brand DNA Figure out your DNA and go deep on the things people know you for that you can authentically deliver. Don’t try to please everyone. Make sure your cross-functional leadership team is aligned and crystal clear on what your brand stands for. 2. Know Your Consumer Deeply Understand your consumer and show them your brand DNA at every touchpoint. If you have budget for consumer insights, use it to understand quantifiable and qualitative data. If you don’t, use data from your website, social media, and customer relations. Be the voice of your consumer for your brand. 3. Think Omni-Channel Consumers want experience and inspiration—use your digital presence to augment the physical retail experience and vice versa, creating a seamless customer journey. This balance between offline and online retail is becoming increasingly important in today’s landscape. 4. Innovate Consistently Innovation was at the heart of our growth strategy at The North Face. Don’t be afraid to push boundaries and refresh your offerings to stay relevant and competitive while keeping up with consumer expectations. 5. Define Your Brand Purpose At TNF we realized we needed to keep Exploration front and center in people’s lives. It could be physical exploration—helping people take their first big trip in the outdoors. Or it could be mental exploration—inspiring consumers through videos or workshops from thought leaders in health, sustainability, or getting kids outdoors. Contribute to society beyond just making money and you’ll be rewarded by your brand fans. ➡️ Looking to scale your brand but don’t know where to start? Send me a DM and let’s chat.