Accenture

January 19, 2017 by Marc Hausman

Marketers Back Side Bitten

Cheers’ lovable character, Norm Peterson.

“It’s a dog eat dog world and I am wearing milk bone underwear.”

The character Norm Peterson on the TV sitcom Cheers was known for his rumpled demeanor and timely quips. His playful underwear jab probably resonates with today’s marketer who may feel like a bite has been taken out of their back side.

Why?

Expectations have changed. Once primarily a creative endeavor, corporate, product and field marketers are now held accountable for measurable outcomes and top line revenue growth. In fact, a recent study by Accenture found the top marketer is the first to be fired when a company fails to hit its projections. Not sales. Not product. Marketing.

Data driven marketing…the buyer’s journey…connecting brand to engagement…ultimately, the nomenclature is irrelevant. What is absolutely apparent is your customers, partners, colleagues and shareholders demand more from you.

Oh yeah, and this accountability arrives in an environment where budgets are constrained. Like Peterson said on Cheers, you are sporting milk bone underwear.

In 2017, Strategic Communications Group (Strategic) has repositioned to help our clients thrive in this landscape. Our new website reflects our approach, which includes:

Buyer Communities: Digital spaces we create for your brand to consistently deliver a thought leadership message and feed the sales funnel.

Digital Insights and Metrics: We help you move from traffic numbers to buyer insights from your digital assets, and understand how your buyer communities stack up against other brands across multiple industries.

Marketing and Sales Training: Our market insight and sales training programs help you motivate sales teams to action, arming them with timely and meaningful customer intelligence.

November 3, 2016 by Marc Hausman

Accenture Study Reveals CMO Accountability

Spiderman understood the responsibility that comes with power. (Image: AllCartoonCharacters.com)

Soon after being bitten by a radioactive spider, a young Peter Parker learns with great power comes great responsibility.

Corporate chief marketing officers (CMO) should also come to appreciate the connection between authority and accountability. That’s according to a new survey conducted by Accenture Strategy that found the CMO is the most likely member of the executive team to be fired when a company fails to hit its growth target.

Is this fair?

Absolutely — when you ask the CEO. The survey results reveal 50 percent of CEOs view the top marketer as the primary driver of “disruptive growth.” This involves launching products into new areas, expanding service models or increasing revenue through inventive approaches to data.

Yet, the more than 800 CMOs who also participated in the same study spend only 37 percent of their time on innovation. The majority of their effort is focused on managing traditional marketing activities.

The take-away from this study is it is imperative for CMOs to realign how they invest their time. They still need to set the path for brand, communications and demand generation programs, to be executed by their team and supporting vendors.

However, the CMO must assume the mantle of growth through innovation. This is a wonderful opportunity to be more meaningful and relevant in the organization. Plus, their boss expects it.

January 16, 2014 by Marc Hausman

Lovin’ Jimmy Kimmel on Accenture

When speaking with a client about how to craft a compelling and engaging content strategy that will attract high value readers, I often refer to the three-part methodology employed by late night talk show hosts.

1. Be timely

2. Be creative

3. Interview celebrity guests

Celebrity needs a bit of context. For Strategic Communications Group (Strategic) business-to-business and government-focused clients, we interview subject matter experts, customers, partners and influencers (i.e. analysts, policy-makers, trade group execs, etc.). That is who holds celebrity status.

Here’s an example from our work on Juniper Networks’ The Modern Network program.

The aspects of timeliness and creativity are consistent though. Like the TV host on the hunt for ratings, companies must offer readers a unique, educational and entertaining experience.

Recently, the spheres of B2B and TV talk shows intersected when Accenture was selected to take the lead on the troubled HealthCare.gov program.

ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel produced a laugh out loud faux commercial for the global consultancy.

While Accenture itself couldn’t stray this far down the creative path, the take-away is clear. Engage the market with unique and unexpected content, and you’ll attract a community of high value readers.

Marketers Back Side Bitten

Accenture Study Reveals CMO Accountability

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