Last September, we told you about Kimberly Whilter's CMO Impact Study, meant to measure the impact CMOs have on a firm’s performance, in part because previous studies have shown that while CMOs think they are doing a good job, more than three quarters of CEOs were disappointed with their performance.
Whitler’s study included 814 surveys of marketing executives and interviews with 150 subject matter experts, including several higher ed CMOs and leaders (SimpsonScarborough partners Elizabeth Scarborough and Jason Simon also participated in framing the higher ed industry challenges). The results are now out, summarized in “CMO Impact Study: Yes CMOs Drive Business Value” at CMO.com. Among the key findings: 1) CMOs have the most impact when they are given more ownership, have more responsibility for a wider array of marketing activities, and are involved in corporate strategy decisions, and 2) Marketers have the best chance to be effective at companies that are customer-centric.
Want to learn more? Look for Whitler at the AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education in November, where she’ll be spending time with higher ed CMOs in the CMO Salon.
