Observations on Recent 2011 CMO State of Marketing Report

Some things never change.

The recent CMO Council 2011 State of Marketing report points out items that have been causing heartburn and a high CMO turnover rate for years and years. Here's two of my favorites covering forces, factors, and lack of talent and resources:

A wide range of forces and factors are testing traditional agency-client relationships, multiplying marketing procurement needs, complicating purchasing cycles worldwide, as well as reshaping and diversifying the marketing mix.  

Lack of talent and resources in digital marketing, particularly in the use of social media
•    Internal marketing governance and compliance; ensuring safe, secure use of social media
•    Provisioning of quality leads that can be effectively acted on by sales and channel groups"

As someone who has been provisioning quality leads for over twenty-five years it is always heartening to see the old mixing well with the new when it comes to the issue of talent.  There is more on talent in the report. Here are a couple of slides so note "new talent and skill set requirements" under emerging issues and challenges:

Which is then followed up with "where CMOS look to add skills or competencies"

This is quite useful information to those entering the job market as well as to the more seasoned marketing pro who needs to make friends with business metric consultants. The folks who know the ins and outs of the software in this category and can separate fact from fiction. 

And one final observation about marketing communications' loss of prestige and power over the last twenty-five years (ok so your company is an exception):

"Closer alignment and linkage with procurement and purchasing professionals within global enterprises...enabling marketers to bring greater rigor, structure and discipline to the agency consideration, evaluation, selection and review process"

I've been on both sides of the fence and this closer alignment and linkage is more master-slave relationship and marketing is not the master.  It is a major contributor to what is later cited as
"narrowly focused, risk-averse managers in isolated silos."

That's my two cents.