The CMO and the CIO are Partners in the Full Customer Experience
If you are a chief marketing officer (CMO) looking to promote your products and services in the competitive on-line marketplace you are in close collaboration with your chief information officer (CIO). Your partnership should be strong and steady.
Chief Marketing Officers
Savvy CMOs use technology as the advantage it is. Over the years this position has certainly evolved. In order to stay relevant they need to understand how to service customers by marrying marketing strategies and technology. The goal is to reach and service customers wherever they are by using multimedia effectively.
Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing plays a significant role under the CMO umbrella of services. It requires new and innovative techniques and tools to help your company shine in a global on-line world of other bright lights. To be competitive you just have to jump in and not only test the water, but get soaking wet!
Inbound marketing incorporates several approaches to reach customers, including customizing e-mail lists, blog articles, and analyzing customer data. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has secured its place in the marketing arena. Its goal is to meet the demand of distribution channels available to consumers. This area of marketing is growing quickly and changing as it goes.
This of course has widened the responsibilities of CMOs, and placed a lot more on their plate than in the past. For example, media buys not only involve traditional venues like radio, TV and print, but also include social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, and many more depending on your audience.
Chief Information Officers
Implementation of customer service platforms, initiating internet and infrastructure design, and looking at technology improvements are some of the hats a CIO wears. These responsibilities cannot be viewed from only a technological angle, but must integrate marketing and customer service goals.
The role of a CIO is sometimes used interchangeably as an information technology (IT) guru. While most CIOs have a background in IT their role is much more involved. One of their responsibilities is to be a liaison to spearhead technological solutions by evaluating your business goals and needs. A CIO has leadership skills, and the ability to choose the right technology platforms to advance the productivity of your company.
CMO and CIO: Engaged
It’s clear to see how the responsibilities and goals of CMOs and CIOs are linked together. The lines in some cases are blurred because both are driven towards technological solutions to drive customer acquisition and provide exceptional customer service.
However, these two cohorts together can create dynamic solutions for the digital and on-line arena. CMOs should understand the field of diverse marketing opportunities and customer service driven techniques and options, and be able to communicate effectively with CIOs so that they have enough information to move forward with optimal technological solutions.
