SPECIAL REPORT:
Conversations With ‘CMO Of The Year’ Finalists
Ten chief marketing officers speak out about their innovative strategies and tactics
The Chief Marketing Officer Institute will announce the winners of its “Chief Marketing Officer of the Year” awards Monday, May 17. The awards recognize CMOs, or executives in an equivalent position, who demonstrated outstanding leadership across various disciplines of the marketing field during 2009.
Nominees were evaluated in several categories of performance, including market orientation and customer intimacy, accountability for results, commitment to innovation, and overall contribution to the success of their company. Five finalists in two categories were selected: large organizations (revenue greater than $250 million) and small to midsize organizations (revenue less than $250 million).
Read on for exclusive interviews with each of the 10 finalists, who discussed with the editors of the CMO Journal and CMO.com the strategies and tactics employed to achieve their success.
THE CONVERSATIONS
Large Organizations
>> Jeffrey Hayzlett – Chief Marketing Officer, Kodak
"Marketing’s ability to engage consumers is the ultimate proof that your messages are resonating and your value propositions are true."
>> Allen Klose – Chief Marketing Officer, ACE Cash Express
"I enjoy the challenge of showing others how marketing, advertising, and promotions drive the business."
>> Richard Marnell – Senior Vice President of Marketing, Viking River Cruises
"The best advocate for any product is your customer."
>> David Mitchell – SVP & Chief Marketing Officer, Open Solutions Inc.
"The CMO role should go beyond branding and advertising to include product strategy and direction."
>> David Norton – SVP & Chief Marketing Officer, Harrah’s Entertainment
"Effective implementation is critical in order to gain buy-in and quickly generate the returns anticipated."
Small to Midsize Organizations
>> Timothy Gilbert – SVP & Chief Marketing Officer, Campus Management Corp.
"It is important for marketing managers and product managers to be the CEOs of their line of business."
>> Tim Kopp – Chief Marketing Officer, ExactTarget
"We can inspire a whole generation of marketers to become far less marketer-centric and far more customer-centric."
>> Terrie O’Hanlon – Chief Marketing Officer, Manhattan Associates
"Social media means we have to think about content from an additional dimension."
>> Curtis Porritt – Senior Vice President of Marketing, MasterControl Inc.
"I’m not sure how companies can justify not investing in strong measurement and lead generation tools."
>> Thomas VanHorn – Vice President Global Marketing, Application Security Inc.
"Marketers need to pragmatically and responsibly test new vehicles and new programs – and we can’t be afraid to fail."
