Brand & Capture

What's the most popular sport in the business world this time of year? Predictions, of course. Surveys lead to analysis and then to the inevitable annual forecasts about trends and emerging hot topics for the next year. Leading the way in this regard is marketing, as usual. What are the pressing issues for big company Chief Marketing Officers and their stakeholders? Are they any different from last year's pain points or are we asking the same questions year in and year out? Here's my take.

Startups aren't the only companies starting from scratch in the world of online marketing. Many companies are starting over as they update their branding, adjust to mergers and acquisitions or seek to modernize their Web and social media presence. The question is always, how to begin this process and what's the scope of the project to rapidly develop a successful brand online? Here are a few tips CMOs should consider as they begin the planning process.

No, it's not a typo in the title. While most marketers are busy transforming themselves into digital natives, Chief Marketing Officers are dragging their feet. According to Marketing Daily, a recent IBM survey of 1700 CMOs around the world showed some surprising results. We might assume that those people responsible for steering the marketing ship would also be first adopters and change advocates. Quite the contrary.