A Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) is an essential part of any business operation. Their responsibilities go beyond establishing brand identity, building customer relationships, and increasing revenue. They provide direction and guide organizations in accomplishing their goals. CMOs play an influential role in establishing long-term growth, success, and innovation. Here we dive into some of the best CMOs in the business world and learn their management philosophies, strategies, and how they implemented their ideas to create brand recognition and better customer experience.
Barbara Martin Coppola, CMO, Grubhub
Barbara Martin Coppola’s marketing strategy for Grubhub was to leverage social media platforms. She focused on positioning Grubhub as a “friend” to her ideal clientele, urban millennials, while selling the convenience of Grubhub’s easily accessible online ordering system. Coppola executed a humorous marketing campaign that used GIFs and memes to capture audience attention and increase social media engagement. Her efforts resulted in a 76% lift in visits among its target demographic and increased customer retention.
Keith Weed, CMO, Unilever
Keith Weed implemented a strategy of uniting six key sustainable brands under one sustainable business plan for Unilever. He served as the building block for their Sustainable Living Plan, which includes achieving zero waste and carbon neutrality by 2039. Weed’s philosophy is to merge the company’s business goal with the company’s sustainability goals. The result of his strategy is that Unilever’s brands are outperforming their non-sustainable competition by 46%.
Antonio Lucio, CMO, Facebook
The major revitalization at Facebook was due to the efforts of Antonio Lucio, CMO of Facebook. Lucio implemented a marketing strategy to tackle Facebook’s biggest PR disaster, the Cambridge Analytica scandal, and win back consumer trust. The marketing team undertook an unprecedented level of damage control starting with a full-page apology in the leading newspapers worldwide. Lucio and his team rebranded Facebook, leveraging real stories shared by real people on how Facebook has benefitted their lives. This strategy increased Facebook’s trustworthiness and gained back customer loyalty.
Frank Gillett, CMO, Forrester Research
Frank Gillett, CMO of Forrester Research, took an innovative approach to digital transformation. Gillett pursued digital innovation to expand his customer base for Forrester Research. Ultimately, he set out to transform Forrester’s product portfolios to better cater to the customer experience. He did this by placing video streaming, forums, and research reports all under one website, proving Gillett’s commitment to the customer journey.
Jorge Espinel, CMO, HBO
Jorge Espinel is the mastermind behind HBO’s “For the Throne” campaign. He focuses on tying HBO’s shows together by promoting an emotional connection with the show. Espinel’s strategy centers on understanding what makes viewers a fan of the streaming service and what it is that keeps them coming back. Espinel promotes strong connections through the language, look, and visuals of the campaign. Through Espinel’s guidance, HBO has continued to hold viewership, and in some cases, gain new viewers.
The most successful CMOs use a variety of tactics and strategies, but they share a few similarities: drive, innovation, and customer-focused. Their marketing approaches have brought about significant change, growth, and improving their customer engagement. Barbra Martin Coppola, Keith Weed, Antonio Lucio, Frank Gillett, and Jorge Espinel are prime examples of CMOs that have left a lasting impact and have positively influenced their respective companies. These case studies have laid out a foundation for successful marketing strategies that CMOs can leverage to take their businesses to the next level.
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