CMTO, evolving the role of CMO

My background is rooted in branding, advertising and marketing, but as I evolved from an era of traditional advertising into a more diverse and interesting digital era, I've realized the traditional role of CMO is no longer relevant. Today, companies require individuals who combine technical depth, business acumen, creative flair and the ability to inspire and lead others to take on a much expanded new role, that of Chief Marketing and Technology Officer.

This position is really a hybrid role of CMO and CIO, reflecting the needs of a modern business that understands the customer experience, the brand and the integrated technology functions required by that business are all connected and inter-related. Not only has marketing become more technology based, but most businesses have technology rooted in almost every aspect of their brand experience. You can no longer look at technology and marketing as separate functions because they affect business operations, CX (Customer Experience) and EX (Employee Experience) in every way.

Inc Magazine writes that "The role acknowledges just how important the marketing group is to driving revenue within the organization and, when properly resourced, how today's marketing information systems are driving the current and future growth of the business. If CIOs are not actively collaborating with their marketing counterparts, then there is a growing disconnect between the role of the CIO and the traditional role of the CMO. Only by bringing these two roles together can the CEO have a complete picture of what insights must be acted upon quickly in order to establish or maintain the top position."

A key reason to integrate the two positions is largely based on technology and data. While insights that drive corporate strategy have generally been found via consumer and business research, data is increasingly taking a priority in truly understanding what actually guides the consumer and the business. The sad state of data today is that it exists in greater quantities than ever before, but rarely used effectively, if at all by corporate leaders to guide corporate strategy. This is another key reason to have a CMTO who can understand and interpret the vast amounts of data that every company collects, and engineer that data to not only be understood, but to be integrated into the company's brand, business and marketing strategies.

A great CMTO is able to set a technology vision that extends beyond marketing and is rooted in the brand to further the business vision. They champion greater experimentation and more-agile management of company resources, technologies and are able to better integrate all departments and team members in a corporate structure that is better suited for the needs of business today through proper technology integrations. They are also critical change agents, working across the company to create competitive advantage.

The role of a CMTO is a reflection of the evolution and impact of Martech, SaaS, AI, Blockchain, IoT, AR, VR and Chatbots, among other influencers, that have changed how consumers consume brands today. The role requires vast experience in strategic thinking, creative execution, technical understanding and a mindset to be continual learner. This is why this position is very difficult to recruit, but demonstrates why having a CMTO can be critical to future proofing your company and gaining a real competitive advantage.

If you would like to discuss this further, feel free to reach out to me directly.

About Barry:

Barry Hillier is a quintessential bootstrap entrepreneur who loves to inspire, ideate, build and disrupt, and he has learned through his experience that building never happens in a straight line.

After working in advertising from 1992 to 2000, Barry founded Dashboard in 2001 and grew it quickly to become one of the top creative boutique agencies in Canada. Dashboard built a client list including Unilever, Wrigley’s, ING Direct, Toyota, H&R Block, Corus, Torstar, Atlantic Lottery Corporation, LCBO and Kraft. His work has won over 50 awards, including NY Festival’s, FWA’s, London International awards, Applied Arts, Marketing Awards and many Cassies for business results, including the Grand Prix for his work on Hellmann’s as part of the strategic team that repositioned the brand to number 1 in Canada.

In 2009, Barry created his first SaaS platform, a Content Management System called Glovebox, built for the automotive industry.

In 2014, Barry helped build Bumper, a fully customizable omni-channel SaaS retention and conquest marketing system, reaching 10% of the automotive market in Canada as well as expanding into the USA.

In June of 2017, Barry sold his companies and began to create eQuo, a distributed marketplace built from his own experience and passion for entrepreneurs.

Barry continues to do consulting work and is available as a fractional CMTO in addition to his entrepreneurial endeavours.