Glue sniffing in the C-suite

There is much talk at present about the difficulties Chief Marketing Officers face when moving from marketing into the boardroom in a broader strategic role. Equally, there is much debate about other C-Suite folk, including CEO’s, struggling to define true business strategies or even understand how to think strategically.

Clearly, at the point where business leaders of all creeds and functions need to align operations and process more effectively, whilst also responding to (or pre-empting) perpetual change, this strategic capability gap is a major issue. Without strategic capability, the things that most people focus on – tactics – become random, short term actions rather than deliberate, cohesive and efficient forward motion towards long term aims.

We see brand strategy, business strategy and content strategy as one thing – corporate glue – considered and constructed together and factoring in all existing and change requirements of an organisation, where brand is the fundamental driver because it is so fundamental to peoples psyche, thinking and conduct – in business and in the world. If leaders, including CMO’s, could grasp this and work to defining true, aligned strategic direction, they would create real efficiencies and effectiveness whilst affecting necessary change – co-ordinated at both strategic and tactical levels.

All this is of considerable significance for the future role of CMO’s where migration from brand/business strategy as we have described it, to ‘real and truthful’ compelling communication will be their driving focus. I agree whole-heartedly with a recent forum comment that many CMO’s struggle to move beyond tactics and metrics. These are vital as bench-marks of success and ROI, but if I was a CMO, I’d want others in marketing to report on these while I focused on the bigger business strategic issues.

For more on our support to leadership as they debate fundamental strategic development and strive to achieve tactical implementation, please click here