If there’s one part of a business that’s connected to the consumer, it’s the marketing department. Closely monitoring shifting consumer behaviors, eyeing critical trends in the marketplace and the culture in general, and deftly communicating the value of your brand to potential customers are all table stakes for a modern marketer with C-suite aspirations.

Indeed, according to a recent PwC survey, meeting customer expectations for their brands, products and services is the biggest concern for CMOs, with 37 percent listing it as one of their top three issues. In recent conversations with some of the best and brightest in the industry, we inquired about what it takes to land that coveted role, and how to turn those aspirations into reality.

Speaking of consumer expectations, scores of companies—particularly in the tech sector—pledged to support diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives following the public outcry over racial injustice that erupted in 2020. But according to a new report from The Next Web, 80 percent of those companies that promised to take action have shown minimal increases in diversity within the professional labor force. We review how businesses should approach and communicate DEI commitments—particularly if your organization’s progress is slow or has fallen short.

While marketers are often inundated with data to fuel their marketing activities and programs, it’s the quality and accuracy of the data that can make or break a campaign’s performance. Even for marketers strapped for resources, a solid customer data hygiene strategy can yield higher ROI through data governance, establishing quality baselines, developing a process for improvement, and more.

Lastly, we look at how several automotive brands activating at CES last month—from BMW to Caterpillar to Volkswagen—leveraged gamification, augmented reality and cutting-edge lighting techniques to highlight the future of mobility.

Until next week,

Kaylee Hultgren
Editor
Chief Marketer

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