Today's CMO - Innovating or following?

That's the apt and challenging title of a publication produced today by the IBM Institute for Business Value in cooperation with the Economist Intelligence Unit. It's intended to provoke thought in the board room and it does just that.

The paper argues that there is an emerging distinction between two distinct groups of CMOs, labelled for this report as 'Innovators' and 'Adopters'. Not surprisingly, the 'Innovators' are characterised as leaders and all-round good guys while the majority 'Adopters' are simply playing catch-up when it comes to using data, insight and social media.

It's an international survey based on 299 executives, most of whom are called "Chief Marketing Officer" so its conclusions are well worth serious consideration. We warm to it because the findings closely match those from our own experience with top level marketers and their people.

The study suggests that, while most marketers have influence over production and promotion, comparatively few have much influence over price or place. In our experience this has less to do with marketer attitudes or competence than with organisational structures and the priority roles which Marketing is expected to fulfil.

We know from our work with leading companies how to help marketers up the scale from 'adopter' to 'innovator' but success requires a fresh approach across the organisation and from all members of the C-suite not just the CMO. Effective change has to come from within the whole organisation not just within Marketing.