Marketing leaders play a crucial role in achieving good results for the team and the company. In this sense, one of the most important figures is the CMO (Chief Marketing Officer)!
By understanding what a CMO does, you will understand their real influence on these results and how they have helped drive innovation in the sector — while also dealing with many new challenges in recent years.
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CMO: meaning and importance
The acronym CMO means, in free translation, Marketing Executive or Head. This is a strategic position for companies, as it coordinates, implements and monitors Marketing activities.
To effectively fulfill his role, the CMO needs to have a unique combination of qualifications and skills. In addition to marketing knowledge and experience in the field, he must develop relevant soft skills.
Among them are:
- Leadership skills;
- Good communication;
- Analytical view of data;
- Strategic thought;
- Adaptability;
- Resilience;
- Creativity;
- Long-term vision.
Another important point to highlight about this professional is that he or she should not be confused with the Marketing Director. Although it is common for the translation of CMO to be presented as “Marketing Director”, the functions are different.
Further on, I will show you what differentiates these and other Marketing positions, allowing you to better evaluate the function of each one!
What does a Chief Marketing Officer do?
In relation to the responsibilities assumed, the CMO has a comprehensive role in the company’s Marketing, both in planning and executing strategies and activities.
See what the main functions of a Chief Marketing Officer’s routine are:
Development of Marketing Strategies
Since the CMO is considered the “head” of the entire Marketing team, one of his or her most important responsibilities involves developing strategies. These strategies must be designed in a way that helps the company achieve its business goals.
Therefore, it is quite common for the CMO to define strategies not only with the support of the Marketing team, but with other executives and teams in the company.
Working together with the sales team and the Customer Success and Experience team, for example, allows us to identify the best approaches to generate more sales and revenue.
That’s why strategies are thought of from different angles, with objectives such as sales growth, brand awareness, market penetration and others!
Brand management
The CMO also acts as a sort of guardian of the company’s brand. To this end, this executive conducts strategies related to building, strengthening and propagating the brand.
This includes things like developing a consistent and cohesive brand image, so you can ensure your brand message is conveyed effectively across all communication channels!
Market analysis
Another CMO’s role involves analyzing the market, its trends and opportunities. Using his knowledge and experience, this executive can identify new market movements, assess consumer behavior and even the performance of the competition.
This is a very important point for implementing dynamic and updated strategies. Furthermore, this is a way of identifying threats and opportunities, supporting decision-making for Marketing!
Product management
As you have seen, the CMO works together with other sectors of the company. One of these collaborations may even involve the research and development teams for new products and technologies (R&D).
In this case, the idea is for the CMO to contribute, in particular, with data and strategies that consider consumer behavior and market positioning. This joint action favors an approach with a greater chance of success!
Communication and advertising
By working with all aspects related to Marketing, the CMO oversees the company’s communications and advertising activities. The intention is to make messages effective and consistent across all channels.
In this sense, the CMO works on several fronts, including traditional advertising and online content, so, even though each channel has its own characteristics, he is the one responsible for aligning everything.
Team management
Furthermore, the CMO leads all marketing teams, guiding and overseeing their activities. The goal is to ensure that members have the resources and support they need to do their jobs effectively.
He can also act to monitor the development of professionals in the area at different hierarchical levels, ensuring that the company has the necessary team to implement strategies and achieve results.
CMO vs. other Marketing roles
As I have shown, the CMO is often confused with the Marketing Director, although their duties are different. In addition, there is the role of Vice President (VP) of Marketing, which also acts differently.
In general, the CMO is the “head” of the entire Marketing sector, defining strategies and monitoring their implementation. He manages all Marketing teams and has a broader role, with a holistic view of the sector.
The Marketing Director is usually associated with the tactical implementation of actions , which are usually defined for specific objectives.
Furthermore, the director is usually associated with specific marketing functions, such as SEO, paid traffic or performance. Because of this, the company usually has more than one marketing director and they report to the CMO.
In turn, the VP of Marketing may be above the director and below the CMO. Typically, the Marketing executive has greater seniority than the VP, who works more closely with the team to monitor the execution of the strategy.
Therefore, it is common for the VP to also report to the CMO. However, he or she tends to work more collaboratively with the executive than the relationship between the CMO and the CMO.
At the same time, these definitions can be somewhat flexible, especially due to each company’s organizational chart. There are companies where the CMO is also the Marketing Director and there is no VP. In others, the three roles operate hierarchically!
CMO Challenges, Innovations and Responsibilities
With the evolution of the market, technologies and consumer trends, Marketing has undergone many changes. In this context, the CMO has also started to face new challenges and have new possibilities.
So it is possible to say that many CMOs’ priorities have undergone a significant transformation. Technological evolution, for example, requires constant updating to evaluate, select and implement new solutions.
In a more challenging and demanding scenario, CMOs also need to get more involved with Customer Experience (CX). After all, good customer perception is essential for both loyalty and attraction!
Another aspect to consider is the growing need to obtain and use data. To adapt to the new demands of attracting and retaining customers, decision-making increasingly needs to be based on concrete information to increase effectiveness.
The fact is that, in general, challenges and innovations go hand in hand . While it is challenging to keep up with changes in society and technology, these changes create a dynamic environment that is conducive to new solutions and possibilities!
Furthermore, CMOs cannot limit themselves to marketing responsibilities. More than ever, these professionals need to understand people and their behaviors, as this is essential for building more effective strategies.
So, how do you become a CMO?
To occupy the position of Marketing Executive, you need to have a set of skills that help you fulfill the responsibilities of the position. See which are the most relevant points to develop!
Technical competence
Formal education plays a fundamental role for those who want to become a CMO. In this sense, it is important to have training preferably in Marketing or related areas, such as advertising and publicity.
It is also necessary to go beyond the undergraduate degree , such as through specialization, via postgraduate or master’s degrees. Informal courses in the area also support the development of technical skills to fulfill the functions of the position.
Behavioral skills
In addition to technical knowledge, you need to have behavioral skills — the so-called soft skills. I have already shown some of them, such as leadership, communication and analytical skills.
Other qualities include problem-solving, negotiation, and strategic vision. Although these skills are not measured, as is the case with technical knowledge, they can be developed .
Training, mentoring, workshops and participation in various projects are among the possibilities to consider.
Professional experience
Practical knowledge is just as important as theoretical knowledge. To acquire this knowledge and become a good CMO, it is essential to gain professional experience.
This also involves working in other positions in the industry structure, such as being a Marketing Director or VP before taking on the role of CMO. In general, having relevant experience in other areas of Marketing is essential to be familiar with the challenges and be able to overcome them.
Networking
Finally, relationships are essential to being a successful CMO. This has to do mainly with the ability to network to build a solid network of contacts.
Participating in events is a way of developing this network, in addition to promoting constant updates on market news.
With good networking, it is possible to have the support of other professionals, exchange experiences and find the right people for the team, for example.
Ready to become a Marketing leader?
The CMO is one of the most relevant leaders in a company’s Marketing!
Its performance is essential in the market, as it involves the development and implementation of strategies that help businesses achieve success.
To continue learning about Marketing and careers, keep following Enjoy Minder’s content here on our blog!
